What if someone told you that you can catch a glimpse of the Greek islands right in the heart of Athens? That you can walk through flower-clad alleys, past whitewashed houses and colourful windows, all at the foot of the Acropolis.
You’d probably tell them to lay off the ouzo, right?
Believe it or not, this time around (only this time) it’s not about the drink. Because what you might not know is that beyond its historical streets, mythical monuments, and ever-enticing eateries, Athens hides a best-kept yet very charming secret; one by the name of Anafiotika.
And today, as part of our ongoing bite-sized video series Greece in 60 Seconds – Hidden Sights & Bites, Greece by Travelive’s Director of Sales, Kostas Sourvanos, and his team, are going to let you in on it.
Athens is no stranger to secrets; a city that’s been around for over 2,000 years is bound to pick up a couple along the way. But few feel as unexpected as Anafiotika, a tiny Cycladic-style neighborhood tucked beneath the slopes of the Acropolis.
King Otto's Palace, or the Hellenic Parliament as it's known today.
Fit for a King
Long before Anafiotika became one of Athens’ most charming hidden corners, the stonemasons who built it had arrived in the capital for a royal assignment: constructing the palace of Greece’s first modern king, Otto of Greece.
Completed in the 1840s, the grand neoclassical residence still stands proudly in central Athens today as the Hellenic Parliament overlooking Syntagma Square.
So, in a way, Anafiotika is more than just a hidden neighborhood; it is a tiny Cycladic souvenir left behind by the very people who helped shape modern Athens.
Built in the 19th century by stonemasons from the island of Anafi, who arrived in Athens to help construct King Otto’s palace, the neighborhood was designed to remind them of home. (Talk about making yourself comfortable.)
With its whitewashed houses, blue shutters, narrow alleyways, and bursts of bougainvillea spilling over stone walls, Anafiotika feels less like the center of a bustling capital and more like someone accidentally dropped a tiny Greek island beneath the Acropolis. Which is exactly what Kostas and the Greece by Travelive team invite you to discover today.
Finding Anafiotika
Hidden beneath the slopes of the Acropolis of Athens and just above the historic Plaka district, Anafiotika can feel surprisingly easy to miss; which only adds to its charm.
Luckily, when exploring Athens with Greece by Travelive, hidden corners like Anafiotika are never left undiscovered, and can be seamlessly woven into immersive journeys through the Greek capital’s most fascinating neighborhoods and stories.
Missed the other Greece in 60 Seconds episodes? No worries! Just click below to catch up.
