Temple of Aphaia

The Temple of Athena Aphaia stands on a hill in the northeastern part of the island, overlooking the surrounding area and the blue sea. It is one of the best-preserved Doric shrines in Greece. Of the temple's 34 columns, 24 have been preserved.

It was built in 490 BC, shortly after the naval battle of Salamis.

According to legend, Zeus and Karmis had a daughter named Vritomartis, who loved hunting and was therefore a favorite of the goddess Artemis. The Cretan king Minos fell in love with Vritomartis, and to escape him, she threw herself into the sea, where she became entangled in fishing nets and was pulled onto a boat by fishermen.

However, one of the sailors on the ship fell in love with Vritomartis, so she was forced to jump back into the sea to escape, and she managed to swim to an island. The sailors watched from the ship as the girl headed into the forest and disappeared thanks to some divine intervention. Therefore, they named her Aphaia, from the word afandos, which in Greek means that someone has disappeared without a trace.

On a clear day, it is possible to see Poseidon's temple in Sounio and the Acropolis of Athens from the temple. It is said that these three temples form a triangle (the sacred triangle of antiquity).