Anafiotika, Athens: We Explored the Tiny Neighbourhood Below the Acropolis

Hidden on the slopes below the Acropolis is one of the most unusual little neighbourhoods in Athens. With whitewashed houses, narrow lanes, colourful plants and tiny passages, Anafiotika looks and feels very different from the busy city surrounding it.

We visited Anafiotika towards the end of our stay in Athens. We had been to the Acropolis the previous day, but this time we were heading below it to explore somewhere much smaller and quieter.

Anafiotika turned out to be much more compact than I had expected. There isn't a long list of things to tick off here. Instead, the appeal is simply wandering through its little lanes, seeing the traditional houses and stopping occasionally to take in the views across Athens.

And that is exactly what we did.

What is Anafiotika?

Anafiotika is a tiny neighbourhood within Plaka, sitting on the north-eastern slopes of the Acropolis. Its whitewashed houses and narrow lanes look much more like something you might expect to find on a Greek island than in the centre of Athens.

There is a good reason for this.

The neighbourhood was created during the 19th century by craftsmen who came to Athens from Anafi, one of the Cycladic islands. Athens was expanding rapidly after becoming the capital of the modern Greek state, creating demand for skilled builders. Workers from Anafi settled on the rocky slopes below the Acropolis and built homes in the style they knew from their island. 

The result is the little pocket of Athens we see today. The whitewashed houses, irregular lanes and Cycladic feel seem quite removed from the surrounding city, despite being right below one of Athens' busiest attractions.

Getting to Anafiotika

We travelled by Metro from our apartment to Monastiraki and then walked from there. It took us around 10 to 12 minutes to reach Anafiotika from the Metro station.

We used Google Maps and had no problems finding it. I had also looked at the area on maps before our trip, so I had a reasonable idea of where we needed to go.

It was an early start to our day and we reached Anafiotika at around 8.30am.

For us, this turned out to be a lovely time to explore. It was very quiet when we arrived. During our visit, we saw only another five or six people exploring the lanes, and they arrived after us.

Wandering Through the Lanes of Anafiotika

Once we reached Anafiotika, we didn't follow a particular walking route.

There really wasn't any need to.

We simply followed the lanes that looked interesting, went up steps, squeezed through narrow passages and occasionally found ourselves somewhere we had already been. Given how small the neighbourhood is, doubling back didn't really matter.

In fact, I think this is one of the nicest ways to experience Anafiotika.

The first thing that struck me was how different it felt from the Athens we had spent the previous few days exploring.

The whitewashed houses, tiny lanes and plants immediately give the area a different character. There was also very little noise during our visit. Despite being in central Athens and directly below the Acropolis, it felt removed from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The official Athens visitor guide makes a similar point about simply wandering here. It describes getting lost among Anafiotika's winding lanes as part of the experience rather than something visitors need to avoid. 

That certainly matched the way we explored it.

Tiny Passages, White Houses and Plenty of Steps

Some of the lanes become surprisingly narrow.

At times, we were walking through passages with whitewashed walls on either side and enough space for little more than one person to pass comfortably. Elsewhere, the lanes opened out around houses, plants and small sets of steps.

There are lots of little details to notice as you wander. Pots and plants sit outside the houses, while colourful doors and windows break up the white walls. One of my favourite details was a small bright blue window set into a whitewashed wall. Another one was where we spotted a palm tree.

It is easy to understand why Anafiotika is so popular with photographers.

There are steps, slopes and uneven surfaces throughout the neighbourhood. We didn't have any problems navigating them, but this isn't somewhere I would describe as completely flat or particularly accessible.

Comfortable shoes are a good idea, especially if you intend to explore the smaller lanes rather than simply walking around the edge of the neighbourhood.

Views Across Athens

One of the bonuses of Anafiotika's position on the slopes of the Acropolis is the view.

Every now and then, a narrow lane opened up and we suddenly had a much wider view across Athens.

We stopped for a few short breaks at random viewpoints as we explored. There wasn't any particular viewpoint that we were trying to reach. We simply stopped whenever we found somewhere with a good view.

I liked this because it made the visit feel much less structured than some of our other sightseeing in Athens.

An Unexpected Bit of Athens Street Art

Something else we came across while exploring the area was street art.

The colourful art-covered walls (on a section close to where Anafiotika begins) were quite a contrast to the whitewashed houses and traditional-looking lanes ahead.

Athens has a huge amount of street art, and we had already spent time exploring some of it elsewhere in the city. Finding more here was another reminder of just how varied the city can be, sometimes within a very small area.

Remember That People Live Here

This is probably the most important thing to remember when visiting Anafiotika.

It may look like a picture-perfect little visitor attraction, but Anafiotika is still a residential neighbourhood.

We came across a sign from the Anafiotika Residents Assembly reminding visitors that people and families live and work inside the houses. It asks visitors to keep quiet and not trespass onto private property.

We didn't see any residents during our visit, but the sign is a useful reminder that the little houses and courtyards aren't exhibits.

So enjoy the lanes and take photographs, but respect people's privacy, keep noise down and don't enter private spaces just to get a photograph.

How Long Do You Need in Anafiotika?

We spent around two hours exploring Anafiotika, although you certainly don't need that long simply to see it.

We were taking our time, wandering down different lanes, taking photographs and stopping for short breaks at viewpoints. We also sometimes doubled back and ended up passing through the same lane more than once.

If you simply want to walk through and see the main part of Anafiotika, I think you could comfortably spend around 30 to 60 minutes here.

If you enjoy photography or like exploring slowly without following a fixed route, allow longer.

The neighbourhood itself is much smaller than I had expected. Don't visit expecting lots of individual attractions. The experience is really about the neighbourhood itself.

When Should You Visit Anafiotika?

Our experience of visiting at around 8.30am worked very well.

The lanes were peaceful and there were very few other visitors around. It also meant we could take our time in some of the narrow passages without constantly trying to squeeze past other people.

Of course, our experience on one September morning doesn't mean it will always be this quiet. But if you are already planning an early start for sightseeing in central Athens, Anafiotika is an easy place to include.

It worked particularly well for us because we could continue exploring the area around the base of the Acropolis afterwards.

 

Is Anafiotika Worth Visiting?

Yes, I think so.

Anafiotika is tiny. It was smaller than I expected and there isn't a huge amount to "do" once you get there.

But that isn't really the point.

What makes it worth visiting is how different it feels from the surrounding city. One minute you are exploring busy central Athens and the next you are wandering between whitewashed houses along tiny lanes that look as though they belong on a Cycladic island.

I wouldn't try to plan a complicated route through the neighbourhood. Find Anafiotika, head into the lanes and wander. Take whichever little passage catches your eye, expect to double back occasionally and see where you end up.

For us, those couple of quiet hours offered something quite different from the ancient sites and busy streets we had experienced elsewhere in Athens.

And with the Acropolis, Plaka and plenty more sightseeing close by, Anafiotika is very easy to add to a day exploring this part of the city.

Have you visited Anafiotika, or is this somewhere you would add to your Athens itinerary? Let me know in the comments.