Aigosthena Fortress

Aigosthena was a small fortified settlement of the fourth century BC, and its walls have survived better than almost any other ancient fortification in Greece. Long curtain walls climb the hillside to the acropolis, punctuated by square towers of which the southeastern one still stands close to its original height of some seventeen metres, with the sockets for its wooden floors visible inside. The masonry is beautifully cut isodomic limestone, laid without mortar and still true after twenty-four centuries; a 2019 earthquake damaged parts and prompted restoration work. Within the walls sit the ruins of a small monastery and a Byzantine chapel, and the whole enclosure looks down over pines to Porto Germeno's sheltered bay, one of the calmest swimming spots within reach of Athens.

What you actually see

• The great tower - a fourth-century BC tower standing near its full height.
• The curtain walls - long stretches of precisely cut ancient masonry.
• The chapels inside - later Byzantine buildings within the enclosure.
• The bay below - pine-fringed swimming at the head of the gulf.

When to go

Spring and autumn for walking the walls comfortably; summer weekends fill the beach below with Athenians. Winter days are clear and empty.

Honest expectations

Restoration after the earthquake has fenced parts of the site at times, and access to the tower interior varies. There is no ticket office, no signage to speak of, and no shade on the walls. The drive over the mountains is winding and takes longer than the distance suggests.

Nearby

Porto Germeno's beach is directly below; Eleusis lies on the road back toward Athens.