An Athens kayak tour paddles the coast south of the city, from the bays of the Athens Riviera to the cliffs below the Temple of Poseidon at Sounio. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
Which kayak tours run from Athens?
A 3-hour paddle below the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio, a full-day Riviera to Sounio programme with lunch, a sunset sea kayak tour, a Riviera kayaking and snorkeling tour, a south and east coast adventure, and day trips to the Corinthian Gulf, Loutraki and Epidaurus.
The south and east coast adventure is a GetYourGuide bestseller with a 5 rating from 19 reviews.
The sunset sea kayak tour holds a 5 rating from 67 reviews.
What is the Temple of Poseidon kayak tour?
A 3-hour paddle from Cape Sounion Beach along the Riviera’s cliffs, beaches and caves, with a swim and snack stop at the rocky islet of Archi or a hidden Sounio beach, and a view of the Temple of Poseidon from the sea, run from April to December.
The morning trip meets at 10:00 and ends at 13:00. The evening trip meets at 16:00 and ends at 19:00.
Sun exposure on the tour is rated at 90 per cent.
What is the full-day Sounio kayak programme?
An 8-hour tour paddling along the Athenian Riviera to Cape Sounio with a light snack on one of the islets, then a visit to the Temple of Poseidon and a meal with the sunset over the Saronic Gulf, for up to 10 guests.
The programme includes snacks, lunch, the Sounio temple, hotel or port pick-up, kayaking equipment and BCU-certified guides.
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required.
Guests cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
What is the Athens sunset kayak tour?
Aegean Outdoors offers its 8-hour Athens tour as a morning or sunset trip.
NomadsPath runs a sunset sea kayak around Athens.
The evening on the water sits at Athens sunset cruise.
What is the Riviera kayaking and snorkeling tour?
Kayak tours on the Riviera pull up on small coves reached only by water.
Guests swap the paddle for a snorkel at the beach stops.
The snorkeling side sits at Athens snorkeling.
What do you see from a kayak on the Athens coast?
Clear water where fish dart between rocks below the kayak, sea caves where the light turns blue on the rock walls, tiny coves reached only by water, cliffs below Cape Sounio, and the Temple of Poseidon from a sea angle few visitors see.
One NomadsPath writer describes caves that range from narrow passages to wide chambers lit by sunlight.
The temple dominated the sea route to ancient Athens, one Trekking Hellas guest notes.
The water below the cliffs is deep, clear and turquoise.
Who can join an Athens kayak tour?
Guests aged 10 and above who can swim and have basic fitness, with children joining an adult, a weight limit of 100 kilograms and height limit of 1.95 metres on the Temple of Poseidon paddle, and 120 kilograms and 2 metres on the full-day programme.
The full-day programme sets a limit of 280 kilograms per pair in a double sea kayak.
Guests give heights and weights at booking.
Beginners are welcome after a short introduction to kayaking.
Who is an Athens kayak tour not suited to?
Pregnant travellers, travellers with spinal injuries or back problems, and travellers with poor cardiovascular health or other serious medical conditions, according to the full-day Sounio programme’s terms, which otherwise suit all fitness levels.
The limits follow the kayak manufacturer’s specifications for safety and comfort.
Dietary requirements go in at booking.
Guests check the terms of each listing.
What do you bring on an Athens kayak tour?
A swimsuit, a towel, a small backpack with water, a hat, sunglasses and sunblock, a second pair of shoes that can get wet, and your own water bottle, since Trekking Hellas is eliminating plastic bottles.
The full-day programme asks guests to wear a swimsuit, hat and shoes that can get wet.
All kayaking equipment is supplied.
Sun protection matters on a trip rated 90 per cent sun exposure.
What is Cape Sounion?
The promontory at the southernmost tip of Attica, 69.5 kilometres south-east of Athens and 8 kilometres south of Lavrio, where the Temple of Poseidon, built in 444 to 440 BC, stands on a headland surrounded on three sides by the Aegean.
Homer’s Odyssey names it Holy Sounion, Cape of Athens.
Athens fortified the cape in 413 BC to protect the corn ships.
The temple stands almost 60 metres above the sea.
What is the Athenian Riviera?
The coast of the southern suburbs of Athens from Piraeus to Sounio and Lavrio, about 16 kilometres from downtown, with Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Lagonisi and Anavyssos among its main areas.
Its cliffs, beaches and caves line the paddle to Sounio.
Vouliagmeni lies 18 kilometres south of the centre.
The boat side sits at Athens Riviera catamaran tour.
What day trips run beyond Athens by kayak?
NomadsPath runs Corinthian Gulf and Epidavros sea kayak day tours.
Trekking Hellas lists sea kayaking in Loutraki in the Peloponnese.
When do Athens kayak tours run?
From April to December for the Temple of Poseidon paddle, and from April to November for the 8-hour Athens sea kayak morning or sunset tour, with morning and evening departures on both.
The morning Sounio trip runs 10:00 to 13:00.
The evening Sounio trip runs 16:00 to 19:00.
The full-day programme ends with the sunset over the Saronic Gulf.
How do you book an Athens kayak tour?
Book online with the operator or GetYourGuide for a morning or sunset slot, choose the meeting point at Cape Sounion Beach or hotel pick-up, give heights and weights, and cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund on the full-day programme.
The full-day programme sells with or without pick-up.
Island trips sit at Aegina.
Where does an Athens kayak tour paddle?
Along the Athens Riviera south of the city, from the bays at Vouliagmeni and Varkiza down the coast of Attica to the cape at Sounio under the Temple of Poseidon.
The coast runs south-east from the city in a line of small bays and headlands.
The water is clear and deep close to shore along most of it.
The drive from the centre to the first launch point takes about forty minutes.
What does an Athens kayak tour see at Sounio?
The marble columns of the Temple of Poseidon on the cliff at the southern tip of Attica, seen from the water directly below the cape.
The temple has stood on that headland since the fifth century BC.
The cliffs below it drop straight into deep water.
Boats and kayaks keep clear of the rocks at the point where the swell breaks.
How long is an Athens kayak tour?
Half a day on the Riviera bays and a full day for the Sounio route, with paddling split into legs of about an hour between stops.
Groups stop on small beaches for swimming and rest.
The full-day route includes a meal break on shore.
Distances are set by the wind on the day.
Do you need experience for an Athens kayak tour?
No. Sea kayaks are stable, the guide gives a briefing before launch, and beginners paddle in double boats with an experienced partner.
Life jackets are worn for the whole trip.
The guide sets the pace to the slowest paddler.
Children join in doubles with an adult.
What do you take on an Athens kayak tour?
Swimwear, a hat, sunscreen, a water bottle and shoes that can get wet. Dry bags for phones and cameras are carried on the boat.
Clothes dry quickly in the sun between legs.
Sunglasses with a strap stay on in the wind.
Everything loose is stowed in the hatches before launch.
When does an Athens kayak tour run?
From spring to autumn, with morning launches in summer when the sea is flat and the meltemi has not built.
Afternoon wind on this coast rises from the north.
Trips are cancelled and moved when the forecast turns.
Spring and autumn water is clear and the coast is empty.
What do you see under the water?
Rocky reefs, seagrass meadows and fish along the shoreline, with visibility that reaches the seabed in the shallow bays.
Masks are carried for the swimming stops.
The seabed drops away quickly beyond the rocks.
The bays hold calm water even when the open coast is choppy.
Does an Athens kayak tour suit families?
Yes, on the Riviera bays, where the legs are short, the water is shallow and the beaches are close together.
The Sounio route is longer and suits older children and adults.
Guides carry water and snacks for the group.
Stops are timed so nobody paddles for more than an hour without a break.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a kayak tour in Athens?
Can you kayak to the Temple of Poseidon?
Yes. Tours from Cape Sounion Beach view the temple from the sea, morning and evening, from April to December.
What is the minimum age?
10 years, with children joining an adult and every guest able to swim.