A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Cape Sounion vs. La Spezia for Attractions, Food, Couples, and Backpackers

Should you visit Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Cape Sounion or La Spezia? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Cape Sounion

Cape Sounion is a iconic, impressive, and spectacular destination. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the beaches, museums, and food.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a lively, convenient, and cultural town. It's also popular because of the food, beaches, and shopping.

Cape Sounion and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

Tourists will generally find more to do in La Spezia. Although Cape Sounion and La Spezia are both popular with visitors, La Spezia has more sights, activities, and attractions for travelers. La Spezia is more popular for its food, nightlife, historical sights, and shopping, while Cape Sounion is known for its museums and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than Cape Sounion and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. It is also home to The Maritime Museum. Cape Sounion is popular for its link to Greek mythology and its stunningly beautiful sunsets.

How is Cape Sounion different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between La Spezia and Cape Sounion. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

Cape Sounion is very popular for its museums and history. However, La Spezia is lacking in good options for its museums and landmarks.

The museums and tourist attractions in Cape Sounion are world-renowned. The Temple of Poseidon is the main attraction here, but also nearby you'll find the Temple of Athena. The views, history, and connection to mythology fascinates most visitors who consider this to be a spectacular sight.

La Spezia offers a handful of options for museums and historical sights. The highlight of the area is the surrounding natural beauty, but in town you can visit the Maritime Museum, The castle of San Giorgio, and The Amedeo Lia Art Museum.

Is the Food Better in Cape Sounion or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

La Spezia is an excellent place to visit for its restaurants. Also, Cape Sounion is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

La Spezia has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The town has many local flavors that incorporate seafood and other local ingredients. Focaccia is popular, as is Farinata, which is a chickpea flour pancake. Anchovies and mussels are also common ingredients.

Cape Sounion offers number of good local restaurants to choose from. There are cafes as well as fine dining restaurants which are mostly located in hotels. Seafood is the cuisine of choice with many delicious Greek dishes available.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

La Spezia is a popular place for its evening party scene. However, Cape Sounion is lacking in options for nightlife.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in La Spezia. You'll find more bars and clubs around town than you do in the smaller nearby towns. Some people head into La Spezia for the evening to grab a drink and socialize.

Cape Sounion is generally a quiet destination but there are options around. There are some bars and lounges that are connected to hotels. If you're spending the night, these are nice places to enjoy a drink in a beautiful setting.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

For a relaxing beach holiday, both Cape Sounion and La Spezia are good choices.

Cape Sounion is a good option for a beach vacation. If you allow enough time, there are a couple of beaches where you can swim while enjoying views of the temple.

Many people head to La Spezia to enjoy the beach. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is a popular place for its historic old town charm. However, Cape Sounion does not have a historic old town.

La Spezia has an old town worth visiting. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Cape Sounion does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

La Spezia is a popular place for its shopping areas. However, Cape Sounion is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

La Spezia has a variety of shopping areas worth visiting. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Cape Sounion is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for Families?

Kids will enjoy a visit to either Cape Sounion or La Spezia.

Cape Sounion is a family-friendly destination. Kids who like mythology will appreciated a trip to the famed Temple of Poseidon. It dates back to the 5th century and is dedicated to the God of the Sea. Also nearby is the Temple of Athena.

You'll find plenty of kid-friendly things to do in La Spezia. Visitors often use La Spezia as a base for visiting nearby Cinque Terre. The surrounding region has many kid-friendly activities like hiking, swimming, and beaches.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is an excellent place to visit for couples. Also, Cape Sounion is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for romance.

La Spezia makes for a fun place to visit for a couple. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

Cape Sounion is a nice destination for couples. Couples should definitely stay for the stunning sunset which provides dramatic oranges, pinks, and reds at the sun dips below the horizon.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is an excellent place to visit for backpackers and budget travelers. Also, Cape Sounion is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers and backpackers visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Cape Sounion is popular with backpackers and budget travelers. The Temple of Poseidon is an iconic site about an hour and a half outside of Athens. It appeals to all types of travelers, including backpackers and budget travelers.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Visitors will find good public transit in both Cape Sounion and La Spezia.

Cape Sounion has some public transit options. There are local buses that travel from Athens to Cape Sounion and take between 2 and 3 hours.

You'll find some public transit in La Spezia, but it may not be enough to take you everywhere. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Cape Sounion or La Spezia a more walkable city?

La Spezia is an excellent place to visit for its ease of walking around. Also, Cape Sounion is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its walkability.

La Spezia is a very walkable destination. The town is easy to walk around and you'll find a pedestrian-only area downhill from the train station.

Cape Sounion is somewhat walkable. You can walk around the archeological site and the bus stops close enough that it is accessible.

For even more information, also check out Is Cape Sounion Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Cape Sounion?

How long in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Cape Sounion and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in La Spezia than in Cape Sounion. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Cape Sounion, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

Families should spend more time in La Spezia than Cape Sounion. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in La Spezia, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in La Spezia than Cape Sounion. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in La Spezia that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Spezia than Cape Sounion if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in La Spezia.

One day in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

You'll find food and museums around the destination of Cape Sounion. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Cape Sounion has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

In La Spezia, many people enjoy the food and shopping that this convenient town offers. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything.

A weekend in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and food around the iconic destination of Cape Sounion. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this destination has to offer. This destination offers a variety of activities to choose from.

La Spezia is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. It will give you the chance to have new experiences. So, a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

Five days in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the food and museums when visiting the iconic destination of Cape Sounion. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Most people head to the area for the museums. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

You'll find nightlife and food around the cultural destination of La Spezia. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. Five days is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days.

A week in Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

Cape Sounion is a popular choice for travelers. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

La Spezia is a popular place to visit. One week may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Coach Bus Tours in Greece, The Best Adventure Tours to Greece, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cape Sounion and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Cape Sounion much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cape Sounion would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cape Sounion and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in La Spezia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Spezia than you might in Cape Sounion.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cape Sounion Expensive? and Is La Spezia Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Cape Sounion or La Spezia?

La Spezia has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Cape Sounion. When comparing the sizes of Cape Sounion and La Spezia, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.