Writer: Rachel Howard

No time to hit the antiquities in central Athens? The compact Archaeological Museum of Piraeus contains a moving collection of funerary monuments and a rare trove of bronze statues discovered by chance during repairs to the local sewage system in 1959. Cats roam around the remnants of a 2nd century BC amphitheater in the backyard. Afterwards, walk down to Zea, a horseshoe harbor lined with smart cafés and even smarter pleasure cruisers. The seafood is better at the strip of old-school restaurants clustered on Akti Themistokleous, about a half-hour’s stroll along the rocky shoreline toward the cruise terminal. Stop for an ouzo and grilled octopus at Ormos Aphroditis overlooking the seaside chapel of Saint Nicholas.

Amble through the arcades of downtown Athens

With its haphazard topography, heavy traffic, and clash of architectural styles, Athens is not the easiest city to navigate. Sign up for a two-hour walking tour with Natassa Pappa and you’ll discover many hidden sides to the city center. A graphic designer with a passion for typography, Pappa will lead you into secret arcades and covered passageways, pointing out vintage signs, artisan workshops, and quirky shops that specialize in vinyl, hats, or antique coins. Intimate itineraries conclude at Pappas’ Desired Pocket bookstore (hidden inside the Stoa Anatolis arcade on Aristidou Street), where you can pick up her insider guides to Athens.

Find beauty amid the ruins

Named after the pottery workshops built along the banks of the Iridanos River, which once flowed through the site, the necropolis of Kerameikos is an enchanting archeological park in the foothills of the Acropolis. The carved marble gravestones and touching objects buried with the dead reveal ancient Athenian attitudes to the afterlife. The lovely little Center for the Study of Modern Pottery around the corner showcases traditional ceramics and is a beautiful backdrop for pottery classes. Afterwards, wander across Pireos Avenue into the village-like Keramikos neighborhood, which Athenian general Thucydides described as “the city’s most beautiful suburb.” Perpetually on the cusp of gentrification, the area’s crumbling century-old townhouses and pedestrian alleys are dotted with romantic restaurants and intriguing bars such as Osteria Mamma and Proveleggios.