GUIDES
The Athens Riviera: a local guide to Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Voula and beyond
Where to stay, which beach is which, and how long the airport actually takes. A coast guide for people renting a villa, not booking a tour.
The Athens Riviera is the southern shore of the city. Greek speakers search for it as Αθηναϊκή Ριβιέρα. In English it is also called the Athenian Riviera. It is not the northern suburbs, and it is not an island you fly to after Athens. You land at ATH and you are there in half an hour.
This is the practical version: which stretch to sleep in, which beach is worth the sunbed, and when the coast road stops being a good idea.
The coast in one table
| Area | What it is | Best if you want |
|---|---|---|
| Alimos | Marinas and the Ellinikon | A boat day, the shortest hop from the city |
| Glyfada | Town, marina, clubs | Dinner, shopping, a full suburb |
| Voula | Family beaches | Sand and a quiet house |
| Vouliagmeni | Lake and pines | Privacy, Astir, the thermal lake |
| Kavouri | Seafront of Vouliagmeni | A walk to a small beach |
| Varkiza | Open sandy bay | A long swim |
| Lagonisi | Larger gardens | A pool, a group, a dinner outside |
The villa pages are Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Kavouri, Varkiza, Lagonisi and Alimos. The hub for the whole shore is the Athens Riviera collection.
Where to stay
Stay in Glyfada if this is your first time and you want the suburb to do some of the work. Shops, restaurants and the marina are the point. Stay in Vouliagmeni if you have been before and you want the lake in the morning and a quieter street at night. Stay in Voula with children who will live on the sand. Stay in Lagonisi when the house itself is the holiday: a big pool, a long table, fewer reasons to go out.
If a private pool is the non-negotiable, start with villas with a private pool and then choose the suburb. Do not do it the other way around and then discover the garden is a terrace with a plunge tub.
Beaches, briefly
Asteras and Balux are the Glyfada clubs. Voula A and B are the family beaches. Astir is the Four Seasons beach at Vouliagmeni and is a different product, with day access that has to be arranged. Kavouri is small. Varkiza is wide. The notes on prices, sunbeds and parking are in the beaches guide, because they change and they do not belong in a sentence that will be wrong next May.
Getting around
ATH to Glyfada is about 25 to 35 minutes on the Attiki Odos in ordinary traffic. The Acropolis is about half an hour from Glyfada outside rush hour. The coast road from Alimos to Lagonisi is the scenic one and the slow one after four in the afternoon in July. A transfer booked with the villa is the right arrival. A hire car is useful from the second day if you intend to move between beaches. It is a nuisance on the first night.
What a villa changes
You are not in a hotel, which means nobody is running the beach for you unless we book it. You do get a kitchen, a pool that is yours, and one host. Chefs, boats from Alimos or Vouliagmeni marina, and the beach reservation are arranged before you land. The nightly rate is the house. The rest is written on the proposal.
FAQ
Is the Athens Riviera the same as the Athenian Riviera?
Yes. Same coast, two English names, and Αθηναϊκή Ριβιέρα in Greek. The northern suburbs are a different search and a different place.
Can I see the Acropolis and the beach in one day?
Yes, once. Do the city in the morning, be back in the water in the afternoon, and do not try to repeat it every day of a one-week stay.
When should I book?
For July and August, as soon as the house you want is published. June and September are kinder and still warm enough to swim.