Plaka

Scubabartek
Scubabartek
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
8
Reviews
17
Photos
Editor Pick

The Plaka and the Hole in Your Wallet

  • September 26, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
The Plaka and the Hole in Your Wallet

If you want to walk around and stop, the Plaka district is going to be your mecca. Here you can find more tourist shops, jewelry shops, T-shirt shops, and restaurants than you could possibly ever need or want.

My advice is that if you find something you want, make note of where you found the item and how much it was. It’s quite likely that you’ll find the exact same item somewhere else and for a different price. Now, I’d been told that negotiation is key in the Plaka. Either I’m crappy at negotiating, or that’s not true these days.

Items you may want to look for in the Plaka include the blue evil-eye protectors, T-shirts, ouzo and Greek olive oil, ceramic things for your wall, and reproductions of antiquities.

There are also enough restaurants here to satisfy any craving you have. You can get a gyro, souvlaki, moussaka, etc. I’d been warned on several sites that the restaurants with the owners out front trying to guilt you into coming into their establishment had lots of marketing savvy and little culinary benefits. We must’ve gotten lucky, because that wasn’t the case with the restaurant that chose us (see review here).

I bought a gold ring with the Athens key design – gold jewelry in Greece is cheaper, not for the gold itself, but the labor is cheaper. You can go all out and buy reproductions or buy mass-produced items like I did. But I don’t care, because I like the ring and it says "Greece" to anyone who sees it.

Another prized purchase from the Plaka is some prime Greek olive oil from the Traditional Greek Products store on Adrianou Street. (Did you know that a lot of olive oil that is marketed as Italian is actually Greek?) In addition, this store has more choices of ouzo than you could probably get through. I’m not a big fan of the ouzo’s licorice taste, but it’s a traditional Greek product to take home (don’t forget to put it in your checked bag, and you can’t buy liquids at the Athens airport when coming back to the states, because security is right at the gate, there are no shops once you get through security.) You can even buy ouzo, and olive oil for that matter, in containers shaped like the Parthenon.

Even if you’re highly disciplined and can control yourself when it comes to buying tourist chatchkies, the Plaka is just a nice pedestrian-friendly stroll (but watch out for the pizza delivery folks on vespas) through a unique Greek neighborhood. And it’s also a good place to catch a view of the famous stray dogs. One tour leader told her group that she could navigate by one dog, because he was always in the same place. The Greeks seem to take care of these animals, though, because stores often leave out food and water for them.

At the base of the Acropolis, this district is perfect for a lovely afternoon.

From journal Greece Is the Word: Part 1 - Athens

Plaka

  • April 14, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by dina4 from los angeles, California
A visit to Athens is incomplete without a stroll through the Plaka. There is something here for everyone. Whether you're looking for a cheesy souvenir, a cool T-shirt, worry beads, or a beautiful pair of earrings, you'll have more choices than you can imagine if you save your shopping for a visit to the Plaka. In addition to all the souvenir shops, there are many shops with beautiful art, jewelry, clothing, and local crafts.

Plan to spend at least an hour walking around the narrow cobblestone streets, and have lunch at one of the many tree-shaded tavernas in the central square. Even if you don't like shopping, you'll have a great time strolling and people-watching. It's always crowded, but that's part of the charm.

From journal Weekend in Athens

Best Leather Sandals in Athens!

  • November 3, 2004
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Greek Kat from South Bay, California
This store is great. It was recommended to me by a frind, and I have since visited it each time I'm out in Greece. These are some great sandals-cute, reasonably priced, and long lasting. What more could a girl ask for?

You'll see that the Plaka and Monastiraki are full of leather shops, but Stavros Melissinos’s long-lasting, handmade leather sandals are by far the best. The smiling Mad Professor figure, who began making shoes in 1954, has expanded the original few styles to around 32 classically inspired designs.

If you're not into wearing sandals, stop by just to see Stavros at work.

From journal Summer in Greece 2004

Plaka

  • May 6, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by isleroyal from Flat Rock, Michigan
Plaka

The Plaka is the oldest section of Athens and most of the streets have been closed to car traffic (motor bikes are another story -- they go everywhere). This is quite commercialized, but it is still a neighborhood, and one of the nicest in central Athens.

This is the bargain hunters paradise. Prepare to bargain with the merchants, if you don't have shame. Not only are there stores of every kind, there are gypsies during the day who sell all kinds of wares -- we bought tablecloths (I wish I had picked up some more).

There are mass-production jewelery stores and a few good jewelery stores -- this is where you will find very good 18K gold work. One such store is the Byzantio Jewelry store. One item you will see most Athenian men carrying are worry beads. I must admit I had never seen these before, but bought plenty of cheap sets to bring home. Another cool item readily available are "evil eyes" -- these ward off the evil spirits and are usually in your pocket or placed in your home. We also brought home many evil eyes. Natural sponges are seen in most stores as well as olive oil soap (a reasonable, ok, cheap souvenir). The kids got temporary henna tattoos for 5 euros each -- the nice thing was we could relax with a cold beverage while the kids were getting tattooed. There are lots of outdoor cafés and a great ouzery (report to come). The roasting of lambs for Greek Easter was a treat to see at just about every restaurant (see photo). The small churches are beautiful with well-done frescoes.

From journal 5 days in Athens with the EU!

Editor Pick

The Plaka

  • August 18, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Matwt from London, Australia
The Plaka

The Plaka is the name given to the tangle of narrow streets and pedestrian ways between the acropolis and Syntagma square.

The Plaka is a tourist area, and like tourist areas anywhere in the world there is more than enough souvenir shops. T-shirts, calendars, postcards and dolls are available at almost every second store. This is Athens though and there are also any number of stores offering cheap reproduction of greek art, statues and pottery. Between the tourist shops though there are a few gems offering more substanbtial fair, including a number of original galleries, shops selling Flokati rugs and craft and antique stores. It is possible to wander and browse at your own pace too, without being accosted by tourist touts.

In the evenings, starting at around 7.00pm, the Plaka starts to come alive as a restaurant area, with the taverna's and cafe's all offering al-fresco dining. There can be few better ways to spend a summer evening than people watching from a table in the plaka. Greek wine is cheap and most of the tavernas offer an extensive and inexpensive array of dishes. You would have to be pretty hungry to not get change from 15 euro per person (including wine). It is similar food wherever you eat though so feel free to choose for location.

Children are adored too, so parents needn't feel self conscious.

From journal Athens- A too Short Break

Compare Athens Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Athens Travel Deals