Sport and fitness

The tradition of Greek bathhouses can be traced back to the Ottoman occupation of Greece, when the practiced proliferated across the country. There are still various hammams dotted around the city, with marble-clad steam baths. Hammam Polis is tucked onto a quiet backstreet in the central Ermou neighbourhood and offers an array of different treatments and rituals, including the Byzantine Bath, which involves rubbing myrrh oil into the skin. There’s also the Gaea bath, during which visitors are coated from head to toe in a deeply cleansing mud mask.
polis-hammam.gr

These crystal-clear waters, served by both the sea and thermal springs, maintain a year-round 28C and allow underwater life to flourish to the point of distraction: garra rufa fish provide a natural pedicure while the Paranemonia vouliagmeniensis, a local sea anemone, is a visual delight. Entrance to the lake is costly but can be combined with lunch or dinner on the wooden deck overlooking the water. If you’re feeling active, choose between aqua aerobics, hiking or snorkelling.

Boil Greece down to its essence and you have white rock that abuts a sea of myriad shades of blue. It follows, therefore, that you would rush to the places where this meeting of the two takes place: beaches. Athens, contrary to common wisdom and the ferry-jumping urge, is blessed in this department. Cavort on the sands of Kavouri, ringed with tavernas; head to the quieter Varkiza, a weekend favourite among Athenians; or visit Vouliagmeni, which has tennis courts, should you fancy a game before you cool off. And if none of the above do it for you, continue down the coastal road that pitches up at the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion for the perfect sunset.