Have you ever considered making Greece’s capital your overseas home? Whether you’re a history buff, love the seaside or just love to shop and eat well, the city of Athens, and the wider Attica area should be on your list of possibilities. Furthermore, while Greece is rightly famous for its islands, the Athens Riviera is pretty cool too. Here are five reasons why you should consider buying a property in Athens…
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History!
If you want to get to grips with how Western civilisation came to be, this is the place to be. The Ancient Greeks invented philosophy and democracy, teaching us how to live, think and understand. And they can still teach us a thing or two!
Standing the test of time, the UNESCO heritage site, Acropolis of Athens, is the most complete ancient Greek citadel. The construction goes as far back as the bronze age.
Another site that has stood tall against the test of time are the gleaming white columns of the Temple of Poseidon. It was built by ancient Athenians to honour the god of the sea. Other must-sees include the statue of Athena, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. There’s also the Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the very first Olympic games!
For something more modern, established in 2000, there’s the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens.
Just imagine. You could stock up on books on ancient Greek civilisation and mythology. Move to Athens. And then bring the past back to life by visiting all the archaeological sites you read about.
Acropolis of Athens.
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The Athens Rivera
Greece’s answer to Cote d’Azur, the Athens Riviera spans from Piraeus to Cape Sounion, making a total of 63 kilometres. You’ll find pretty ports, lively bars, quality restaurants and blue flag beaches. In Piraeus, dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant, Varoulko. You can definitely expect a wealth of fresh fish. At the height of luxury, Astir beach comes with an entry fee of €80 during the week. For this, there is access to WiFi, large and comfortable sun loungers, and no end to ice creams and cocktails for your consumption. Don’t worry there are perfect lovely free beaches to spend your days in too.
3. Easy to get to all year round!
Athens has the benefit of regular flights to the UK all year round. A flight from London Heathrow to Athens is three hours and 40 minutes long. Edinburgh to Athens would be a flight time of a little over four hours. Holiday season starts in May and continues to mid-October, but outside of those times some areas can be hard to reach. Flight changes are required even to big islands like Crete and Corfu. No such worries with Athens – just hop on a direct flight whenever you fancy it.
Piraeus, Athens.
4. Always warmer than the UK
Given how easy Athens is to get to, with a property in Athens you could easily pop over there to escape the depths of a British winter. November enjoys an average of 19°C. The coldest month, January, still settles at 13°C. A lovely temperature to visit all the archaeological sites on your list, and then you could spend your summers along the Rivera.
The statue of Athena.
5. More affordable than most European capitals
Properties in Athens are extremely affordable. You can get a three-bedroom apartment for €115,000. The price for a sleek new build two-bedroom apartment would be around €200,000. Compare this to Madrid where the price of a two-bedroom apartment would be at least €300,000. In Paris, the price would be at the very least €400,000. So, if you are a city dweller, but feel faint at the price of a two-bedroom in other major European capitals, then Athens might just be perfect for you.
