Single Day Excursions
If you want or need a short break from the serenity and quiet of Schinias, you can escape for one day to enjoy a short but very interesting excursion. There are many choices you have depending on your interest, from visits to archaeological sites, to museums, to quaint little harbors, upscale beaches, islands and more.
If you would like to take advantage of what the location has to offer but are not interested in challenging the Greek drivers, we have an excellent recommendation for you.. http://www.stavrostours.com. Stavros owns a transportation and private tours company, specializing in tailoring trips to your needs and interests. His email address is [email protected].
Here are some of the more popular day trips many of our previous guests have taken with Stavros.
1) Athens, Acropolis and Plaka, Museums
You have not seen Greece if you do not visit the Acropolis! The holy rock of Athens. The citadel and the sanctuary of the city of antiquity. The entrance fee of 12 Euros also allows you to visit the Theater of Dionysos, Keramikos (cemetery of ancient Athens), Temple of Olympian Zeus (biggest temple of antiquity), Ancient agora and Roman agora within a week. It is best to take the bus from Schinias, which take you into downtown Athens in an hour (give or take depending on traffic) and then take the brand new metro to the Acropolis. It takes several visits to appreciate all you are seeing and the history behind it. You must visit the archeological museum at minimum! Others equally important are the Byzantine museum.
2) Athens, Lycavitos
The highest hill of Athens (277m) offers a fantastic view to Attica. The nice little chapel of St. George and the theater in the north of the hill, make it especially attractive. One can enjoy a dinner or a drink at the restaurant on top of the hill.
How to get here? Don't drive. Take the bus into Athens from either Schinias or Marathonas and then the metro anywhere you would like to go. Leave the driving to the Greeks! Parking is very challenging to the tourist.
3) Vravrona - Artemis's shrine
Vravrona is one of the twelve communities that Theseus incorporated into the State of Athens. There is a Neolithic settlement there above the shrine, which is said to have been founded by Iphigenia, the daughter of Clytemnistra and Agamemnon.
Artemis was worshiped here as the protector of childbirth. Vravrona became an orphanage of children whose mothers had died in childbirth. The sota (orphanage place) and the remnants of the temple are all that remain from 6 century B.C. The Vravrona museum is very interesting with many exhibits which have to do with women and children. Vravrona is about 40 minutes from the villa, following Marathonas highway and then the road by the sea all the way down to Loutsa.
4) Porto Rafti
A quaint little port town mostly summer resort for the Athenians. Charming boardwalk and beautiful surroundings. Nice sea shore place for a lovely lunch or leisurely dinner.
5) Agia Marina port - Evia
The port of Agia Marina is 10 minutes away form Schinias. You can take the ferry across to Evia in 30 minutes. Evia is one of the biggest islands of the Aegean. You can take long drives and visit the town of Karystos to the south or Halkida to the north and be back at night. There are many wonderful beaches one can explore on this island as well as a great trekking ravine for the nature enthusiasts..
6) Rafina Port - Andros, Tinos, Myconos, Karystos, Santorini
From the port of Rafina, one can take the ferry boat or the "flying dolphin" to any of these four islands or all. Take the ferry in the morning and be back in Schinias at night. Rafina is 30 minutes from the villa. You can also take the ferry to Karystos of Evia. Each one of these islands offers a unique experience of the Aegean islands.
7) Sounion, the temple of Poseidon
A nice excursion alongside the southern coast of Attika. The imposing temple of the God of the seas. Poseidon, offers a panoramic view to the open Aegean sea. One should not miss the breathtaking sunset over the temple and the vast expanse of water. The car ride is about 1.5 hours from the villa.
8) Corinth, St. Paul's church, ancient Corinth, agora
A nice drive down the western part of Attika along Saronikos brings you to the Isthmus from where Corinth is 10 minutes. The 4 lane super highway gets you to Corinth in 1.5 hours from our villa. Visit the church where St. Paul first preached to the Corinthians. The museum is of special interest as well as the agora. A hike to the Acro Corinth will uncover incredible views of the Gulf and the mountains across.
9) Mycenae
Mycenae is the most important prehistoric archeological site of the mainland, situated on east Peloponnese. It has been brought into light at the end of the 19th century by Heinrich Schliemann. The Cyclopean fortification walls of the Acropolis, the beehive tomb of Atreus are some of the worth seeing monuments. The car ride through major 4 lane highways is about 2 hours from the villa. You should not miss the museum.
10) Delphi
At the foot of the mountain Parnasos, Delphi offers the visitor a fantastic view of the olive trees of Amphisa, overlooking the Corinthian Gulf and the mountains of the Peloponnese. For the ancient Greeks, Delphi was the center "the navel" of the Earth. The impressive archeological site of Delphi, the sanctuary of Apollo, is extremely interesting, while its museum has some worth seeing exhibits amongst which is the famous "Charioteer". The car ride is about 3 hours from the villa over mountains part of the ride.
11) Epidaurus
The most famous theater of ancient Greece. It was built in the 4th century B.C. and is one of the best-preserved ancient theatres. It is world famous for its extraordinary acoustic, which is a result of the high technical knowledge at the time. It is used nowadays, during the summer months, for the Athens festival theatrical performances. The car ride takes about 3 hours, over 4 lane highways most of the time.
12) Mykonos
There is a vast number of beaches in Mykonos. Among them: Platis Yalos with various water sports facilities, Psarou, where is the scuba diving center; Paradise and Super Paradise, Elia - famous by their nude beaches! The typical cycladic color, the lively atmosphere, the friendly and easy-going people and the endless relation with the glorious past.
Overnight Excursions
1) Santorini
If you plan it ahead of time, you can get around trip air tickets for as little as 50 Eu. Spend a night at the glamorous world known island and then come and compare it to the vistas from our home!
2) Meteora
You can do this trip in one long day (especially if Stavros drives :-)) or spend the night. Your choice!