Greece it is synonymous with beaches, summer, fun vacations or walks among archaeological ruins. The usual thing is to know the capital and then jump to one of its islands, but if we do not stay in Athens and its surroundings there are also great beaches.
So, today let's talk about the best beaches in Athens.
The beaches of Athens
Athens is bathed by the waters of Mar Egeo so we also find beautiful beaches and much closer to hand than the beaches of the islands. It is not that they get to supplant them, a vacation in Greece would be a bit lame without a little trip to the islands, but if you do not have time or you only make a pass through the Greek capital, these beaches will give you some satisfaction.
The truth is that the beaches near Atenas are many, and there are from luxurious and well organized options to narrow beaches, with little sand and very few people. Ideally, explore and Everything will depend on the free time you have and how much you can or want to get away from the city center.
Luckily, if you are wondering about the water quality so close to a large city the answer is that they are very good, at least that's what the European Environment Agency says.
The beaches on the south coast of Athens
These beaches they're on the other side of Attica and they are ideal if you don't have much time or you don't have a car. To these southern beaches easily reached by taxi, bus or tram. Let's see, here is Astir beach, super luxurious.
La Astir beach is one of top beaches of Athens. It is in the elegant neighborhood of Vouliagmeni and of course it has all the services. I mean, you can rent sunbeds, umbrellas and even enjoy connectivity WiFi. And the sale of food and drink is not lacking either. Of course, it is not a cheap beach and you must pay entrance: 25 euros in the week, 40 euros on weekends, per adult.
Yes, the price is high and on the weekends in season there are a lot of people, and perhaps a lounger or an umbrella is not available. You can pre-book, yes, but it's still difficult. Astir beach is worth it if you like to see and be among chic and cute people. It opens at 8 in the morning and closes at 9 at night, but if you stay for dinner in the restaurant you can stay until midnight.
Another beach is the Kavouri beach, in the same neighborhood of Vouliagmeni. The beach is a wooded peninsula with pine trees and expensive houses. There are some strips of sand and you can swim, although the most popular sector is Megalo Kavouri, in the far west, with umbrellas and sunbeds for a fee but also free areas.
Kavouri Beach is golden sand and has calm waters well into the sea. Getting there is not difficult because you can take the metro to Elliniko station and from there bus 122. Luckily it also has food and drink sales.
El Lake Vouliagmeni It is a strange geological formation next to the sea and it has a beach. The waters are salty, they arrive under subterranean currents crossing the mountain, and on the beach there are sun loungers and umbrellas. The water level near the shore is not deep, but on the other side it has unknown depths, so be careful. As it is a lake in general the water is a little warmer than the sea so in season gains popularity.
You have at your disposal many amenities, there is a beach bar very convenient, open all day, changing rooms, showers, wheelchair access and a restaurant. When the sun goes down a bit and it gets calmer, music starts to play. In general, it is a quieter beach than those of the sea.
If you like to swim in the sea then your beach is the Thalassea beach. It is in the suburb of Voula, south of Athens, and has many services. You can rent a sunbed and umbrella at good prices and in summer there are usually parties and popular singers.
On weekdays you pay an entrance fee of 5 euros per head and 6 on weekends. You can get there by public transport, either by taking the metro and getting off at Elliniko station and then taking bus 122 or taking the tram to its terminal is Asklipio Voulas.
La Yabanaki Beach It is located in the Varkiza neighborhood and forms a kind of amusement park because it offers more than just a beach. There is fast food, coffee, drinks, sea food, typical Greek food and you can practice many water sports, from the fun banana boat to waterskiing, windsurfing or paddleboarding.
From Monday to Friday the entrance fee is 5 euros but the rate includes a sun lounger and an umbrella. On Saturdays and Sundays the entrance is 6 euros but you must pay an additional 5 euros for the umbrella, unless you enter after 7 pm which is free.
How do you get to this beach? You can take the metro again to Ellinko station and from there bus 171 or 122.
For its part, Edem beach is the closest to Athens, between the districts of Alimos and Palio Faliro. It is an organized beach, with a boardwalk that people walk around and that takes you to two other small nearby beaches, a giant chess board and different services. It is easy to get there by tram, getting off at the station of the same name.
The beaches of the southeast of Athens, near Sounio
The southernmost point of the Attica peninsula is Sounio, where the beautiful Poseidon's temple, so popular in the evening hours. But until you get there, in those 35 kilometers of coastline, there are many beaches. Yes indeed, you need a car to get to them.
La sounio beach It has incredible views of the famous temple, it is an organized beach and it has many services. There's also public and free sectors. The waters are transparent so it is worth the one hour drive to get here. Of course, be careful with the time because in the high summer season it is difficult to park in the special car sector. Afterwards, there are taverns where you can eat fish and seafood.
La Kape beach is beautiful and has a fantastic view of the Aegean. The sea floor is made of small pebbles and clear waters. Of course, they quickly gain depth so you have to know how to swim. As this beach has gained fame in recent years, there are usually more people on Saturdays and Sundays. Can you buy food and drink here? There is a canteen, but it is not always open so you may want to bring your supplies.
And finally, if you like to walk naked if you walk a little you will reach another beach, little one, which is where it is practiced. nudism.
La Asimakis beach It is not as well known as the previous one, but if you wanted to explore the temple a bit without staying on the beaches closest to it, this is the option. It does not usually have a large audience, it is road to Lavrio from Sounio, and it has a lot of sand. Yes indeed, no umbrellas, so if you don't have one it might not suit you.
Asimakis Beach does have a restaurant and is one hour from Athens.
The beaches of southeastern Athens near Maraton
This is another group of beaches southeast of Athens and also it is necessary to have a car because that way you get there faster and easier. The famous Marathon Battle took place here, so you can combine history and leisure.
The first beach on the list is the Schinias beach, very, very extensive, right at the end of a swamp that is a protected area and a pine forest, just 3 kilometers from the Tomb of Maratón. Swimming here is nice and there are some taverns nearby.
The beach has parts that are more organized than others, so you can choose to be with more or less people. It is not easily accessible by public transport and by car it takes a long 50 minutes.
La Dikastika beach is another option if you are looking for something else reclusive and less popular. It is right next to Schinias beach and it has no sand, but rocks. It is a beautiful destination, with many elegant houses in the neighborhood of the same name, but of course, does not have umbrellas and lying down can be a bit uncomfortable ...
Well, so far some of the best beaches in Athens, but of course they are not the only ones. We can also name the beaches of Lagonissi, Varkiza, Glyfada, Akanthus, Legrena, Flisvos, Yabanaki, Krabo, Niriides or the beautiful coves of Limanakia.
To enjoy the Athens beaches keep in mind that always there are less people on weekdays, something that as tourists we can take advantage of well, that the orange flag means that there are life guards only at certain times and that the red flag means that there are none, that on beaches with a marina there are usually corridors in the water for swimmers and boats, Be careful with that, and that between July and August there are strong winds so there can also be intense currents.