No need to escape to the islands if you have a few days to spend in Athens – try the beaches on Athens riviera.
The south part of Attika within 1-2 hours from the center of Athens offers fabulous time by the sea.
Sea lovers read below our guide to your ultimate beach experience.
When you are heading to the south coast of Athens it is the best idea to rent a car – especially with kids. Buses that go to the beaches can be crowded and in the hot summer season you don’t want to stay outside in the sun waiting for the bus to come.
Find a great rental car facility in Glyfada: Vazeos Limousine Tours operates since 1998 and offers all different cars for rental. Another alternative is also right in Glyfada: Arena Rental car. Great service, hassle free and great condition fleet.
Here are a selection of beaches – from family friendly to hip, from luxury to budget – right from local seas-lover guides!
Athenian Riviera family friendly beaches:
Surely if traveling with kids, you want to settle full day on a sandy beach, with facilities to entertain the little ones.
Right in Glyfada chose Balux: where the water is shallow and warm. All day kitchen with breakfast, lunch and dinner options – any plenty of varieties. Bouncing castle for the kids (in the season) and plenty of sandy space to play.
Vouliagmeni beach, in the stylish little seaside town Vouliagmeni. Inexpensive organized beach with water bouncing castle, tennis, volley, petang and plenty of space in the sand to build those sand-castles. Choose the restaurant named Okeanis if you want to have your dinner there or a light salad for lunch.
The Athenian Riviera beaches for solo travelers or young people:
Varkiza beach: A bit further down on the south coast lies the little seaside settlement of Varkiza. But do not imagine a little fishing village. Varkiza is a lively town, with plenty of modern cafes and restaurants. Varkiza Beach offers superb beach facilities: snack bars, volley courts, windsurf and SUP and music all day.
Balux poolside: this part of the Balux complex in Glyfada operates only during the summer. (Make sure when you go to ask to go to Balux Poolside, otherwise you might go to Balux Beach within the same complex. Balux beach is mentioned above – a more family friendly beach). Balux poolside – as the name suggests – offers a pretty swimming pool with nice, cushion sunbeds around. Bar, lounge corners, restaurant. A chilled all day experience.
Secluded beaches on Athens South coast:
Beach on the rocks near Vouliagmeni: Lefteri’s Canteen. Click on the link for google maps location or for the taxi driver: Limanakia Vouliagmeni . Walk down the rock to find the breathtaking clear sea and the cool wooden balconies to sunbathe and drink your coffee.
The beautiful, secluded Leftheris’s canteen / Vouliagmeni, Athens
Little bit on the pricey side, but hey you deserve a bit of luxury!
Choose Astir beach in Vouliagmeni. The beach and the sea itself is average, however the complex enjoys a VIP history, as back in time it was often visited by Christina Onassis, Brigitte Bardot and many famous personalities from rock stars to actors and businessmen. Christina Onassis, Joan Collins, Brigitte Bardot and other famous personalities. When visiting this beach you can enjoy a little bit of ancient Greek history as well: take a look at the remains of the Temple Of Apollo Zoaster, which dates back to the 6th Century BC.
Zen beach: a laid back atmosphere on a superb little beach corner. Zen beach is located in Vouliagmeni as well. A small beach with luxurious sunbeds. Enjoy here your meal and drinks all day – away from the crowd. In high season you need to book the sunbeds well in advance 2-3 days) – find the phone number on the website of the facility. General rule is the southern you go, the cleaner the beaches are- and offer more island like experience (not in high season though).
Helpful hints for your experience on the Athens Riviera beaches
Do make a plan: if you want to make sure you†have a sunbed go early or book in advance.
You’ll find less crowds during the week compared to the weekend.
Do stay safe: the Greek seas are safe. But you can always stay super†safe: we have lifeguards on most organized beaches. An orange flag means there is a lifeguard on duty. A red flag: there is no lifeguard on duty.
Do have sun protection and try avoiding direct sun between noon and 4 PM.
Don’t swim outside the orange buoys (they are for the windsurfers or for other water sports activities).
Don’t swim in windy weather when you’re an unsure swimmer – there can be some bigger waves.
Try also Anavyssos beach, if you have a car – a very popular beach among Greek people, as many have summer houses around that area.
In the little village of Anavyssos many traditional fish tavernas are waiting the travelers to enjoy the unparalleled Mediterranean cuisine.
