Athens Geography

With a population of about 3,5 million people and a long history, the city of Athens stretches on a large peninsula that is protected by mountains from all sides of the horizon: Mount Egaleo to the west, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Penteli to the northeast and Mount Hymettus to the east. Attica is located on the southern side of Greece and it is surrounded by the Aegean Sea, the Euboic Gulf, the Saronic Gulf and the Corinthian Gulf.

The Attica Basin is the highest-populated region in Greece. The center of Athens is surrounded by hills and parks, such as Lycabettus Hill, Filopappou Hill, Pnyx Hill, and others. Some nice parks also dot Athens, such as the National Gardens, the Antonis Tritsis Park and the Park of Veikou Hill.

Three rivers used to cross the city, namely Kifissos, Ilissos and Iridanos. However, the unruly building of Athens in the 20th century for road and building/house construction led to the blocking of hundreds of kilometers of water. Nowadays, Kifissos and a part of Ilissos have survived the cement and get filled with rainwater whenever the weather is rainy.

Athens presents a typical Mediterranean climate, meaning that summers are hot and dry and winters are mild. Snowfall is not very common or intense and some rainfalls may occur in autumn and spring.

The coasts of the Attica peninsula form nice coves to swim in. Most popular beaches are found on the way to Cape Sounion, such as Lagonisi, Legrena, and Kalivia. However, there are also nice beaches on the northeastern side of Attica, such as Marathon and Schinias.

Discover the Map of Athens
View the map of Athens with the main villages, beaches, and sightseeing. Also, the location of the port and the airport.
View: Map of Athens