Cape Sounion tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 02:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Europe/Athens local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Cape Sounion is at the southernmost tip of Attica, 70 kilometres from Athens, where a 4th-century BC Temple of Poseidon stands on a 60-metre cliff above the junction of the Saronic Gulf and the Myrtoan Sea. The cape has been a sea navigation landmark since antiquity — the white marble temple visible from ships crossing between the Aegean islands and the Piraeus was a practical seamark as much as a religious site. Tidal range in the Aegean is negligible: 0.1 to 0.3 metres. Water level changes at Cape Sounion are driven by wind (the Meltemi from the north in summer) and atmospheric pressure, not by tide. The cape's location at the confluence of two seas gives it exposure to both the Saronic Gulf's relatively sheltered waters to the west and the open Aegean to the east. In the Meltemi season (July through September), the north wind funnels over the cape and creates whitecap conditions on the eastern side while the western coves remain calmer. The beach at the base of the cliff on the west side (Sounion Beach) is a sand and pebble beach sheltered enough for swimming even in moderate Meltemi. Snorkelling at Sounion is in crystal-clear Aegean water — visibility 15 to 25 metres in settled conditions. The rocky reef base of the cape headland has sea urchins, grouper, sea bream, and octopus. Reaching the reefs requires either a short boat ride from the beach or swimming 100 to 200 metres offshore from the beach entry points. The cape is not a dive centre; access is by private boat or by swimming from the beach. Day trips from Athens to Sounion are extremely common — the coastal road from Glyfada through the Attic Riviera to Sounion (70 km) passes a continuous chain of seaside cafes, hotels, and beaches used by Athenians as their weekend coast. The KTEL bus from central Athens runs to Sounion in about 2 hours; services are frequent in summer. The sunset view of the temple columns against the darkening Aegean is the photograph most associated with the cape — Byron carved his name on one of the columns during his 1810 visit (and is not forgiven for it by Greek archaeologists). The site is fenced; entrance fee applies to the temple precinct. Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For Greek coastal conditions, consult the Hellenic National Meteorological Service at emy.gr.