Late Checkout: 24 Hours in Perennially Cool Athens

To Stay

Nestled in a quaint alley in the chic Kolonaki neighborhood is Shila, a gem of a hotel that opened in 2021. Keeping all the charms of the 1920s landmark building intact, you’ll feel as if you are stepping into a friend’s fabulous townhouse rather than checking in for your stay. Though you’ll immediately covet all the vintage furniture and lighting fixtures, the hotel’s edgy art collection, curated clothing, fringe-y Turkish towels and body products are all shoppable. Touches like raw cotton sheets, mattresses treated with olive oil, and homemade jam set on vintage china for the breakfast spread will make your time there feel magical. They even left a gorgeous tray of soft boiled eggs and homemade carrot cake waiting for us in our room prior to our 3am flight. Insider tip: request the “Romantic Dust” suite which has the loveliest little garden terrace and spiral staircase. 

To See

When I first read Hamish Bowles’ article for Vogue on the art museums of Athens, I made a mental note that I would tour them myself at some point. Well, it’s hard to check out every museum in a mere 24 hours (with three kids in tow no less), which meant I had to choose. Since we forwent a proper Acropolis tour due to the blazing heat, we decided to head to the Acropolis Museum instead, which I had heard was phenomenal. And despite our being delirious from coming off an overnight ferry from Patmos, we very much enjoyed tossing coins into the ruins and learning about the magnificent archeological discoveries (it didn’t hurt that there was also air conditioning). 

Later in the day we experienced what turned out to be a highlight of my trip; a street art tour in the Psyri neighborhood where we learned to uncover hidden messaging and political statements in giant murals and smaller scale artwork alike. It’s this kind of public art that gives a city real texture and it made me fall in love with it even more. While my tour guide isn’t available for public hire, you can book your own tour through Athens on Foot. If I had more time to explore the art museums, however, I would head to the Benaki Museum and the Musuem of Cycladic Art which I’m told are less kid-friendly. I also regret not having time to go the Breeder Art Gallery, housed in a former ice cream factory. Next time!

To Shop

No trip is complete without bringing something home to remind you of your far-flung adventure. In my kitchen alone, I have floral candles from Guatemala, a figurine sculpture from Lisbon, framed butterflies from Paris and a straw rooster from San Miguel de Allende. Decor hunting in Athens was a bit tricky as we visited in the dead of August, when many shops were shut down. This was the case for Giorgos Goutis’ antique shop where we were banking on grabbing some treasures — we saddled up to the glass storefront and gave a collective sigh when we saw the vintage art — as well as Hyper Hypo, a newish book store brimming with unique coffee table tomes. 

But when faced with adversity, you carry on! When I first read about Anthologist in the New York Times, I quickly added it to my list of “must-visits.” The brainchild of Andria Mitsakos, who splits her time in Boston and Athens, Anthologist is a thoughtfully curated space with everything from her brand’s own Egyptian woven bags (a rainbow one came home with me), antique suzanis, mid-century rose rugs, clay candlesticks, and even vintage Céline gold jewelry. But in truth none of those were the real reason the shop had me at hello: it was the building’s entrance, decked out with a winding staircase, an antique Czech chandelier and black and white tiled floors. My idea of interior h-e-a-v-e-n. 

Next up was Naxos Apothecary, a huge space that’s not only filled with beauty products and tinctures, but also acts as a working pharmacy with an in-house lab (a customer was getting her blood pressure taken while we were there). My three daughters could have spent hours browsing the customizable creams and soaps, and in the end we walked out with a bunch of rollerball eye gels and some gifts for friends. 

As we left, we were met with a welcome surprise; the Ancient Greek Sandals mothership (ie. Greek headquarters) was just next door. While the brand has a huge online presence, there is something about visiting the only brick and mortar that offered up every sandal style, alongside a Moroccan-inspired French jewelry brand that my 15 year old fell in love with while I scooped up a few copies of my favorite travel magazine, Yolo, which can be very hard to find. 

Lastly we checked out one of the most magical places I’ve ever been, a spice and tea shop called Elixir. Inside were rarities like mountain tea and salepi, a flour ground up from a rare orchid bulb that you drink like tea (once considered an aphrodisiac in ancient times.) I was tipped off by an insider that this was the spot to head to, though the rest of the street was filled with specialty food shops, butchers and markets that are like stepping into other mini worlds.