Athens Riviera – towns near the sea and city

The Athens Riviera stretches from the southern suburbs of Athens, down the coast to Cape Sounio. Here you’ll find great coastal towns near the sea and city. Incredibly, many of these coastal towns are less than 30 minutes drive from the airport and under an hour from the Acropolis in Athens.

Buying a property in a coastal town along the Athenian Riviera can feel like living on an island, but with the benefits of modern city life on your doorstep. The area is accessible year-round and handy for day trips to Athens. Whether visiting the city to see the sights, do some shopping, go to work, or access specialist healthcare, it is reassuring to know all those facilities are a short drive away.

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Athens international airport

Athens International airport is centrally located in the Attica region. Conveniently, the A62 road runs from the airport straight across to Voula on the coast. From here, roads running up and down the coast of the Athens Riviera.

As Greece’s number one airport, you can get flights here all year round. During December 2023, the airport’s passenger traffic amounted to 1.86 million, which was 17.1% above December 2022, and also 13.6% higher than December 2019 (pre-pandemic).

Overall, the year 2023 ended with Athens international airport’s traffic amounting to 28.17 million passengers, exceeding the 2022 levels by 24% and higher than the 2019 levels by 10.2%. From London you can get flights in February for as little as €30. Ryanair fly from Stansted, Easyjet and Sky Express from Gatwick, British Airways and Aegean from Heathrow.

Athens

Attica is home to Greece’s largest city and its capital, Athens. If you’re interested in archaeology, history, and culture, there is so much to see including the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and The National Archaeological Museum.

If you enjoy the bustle of the city, you may consider buying an apartment in one of Athens’ popular neighbourhoods.  Alternatively, you could move out to the suburbs and purchase a property near the sea, and have days out in the city.

Temple of Poseidon

To visit the Temple of Poseidon you need to travel to the far south of the Athens Riviera, to Cape Sounion. Overlooking the Aegean sea, the Temple was built in 444BC by the order of Pericles. It was built in grey marble on the site of an ancient sanctuary dating back to the 6th century BC. Originally, it had  34 columns, but today there are only 15 still remaining.

Attica’s climate

From May to October, Attica enjoys temperatures over 20 degrees centigrade. However, July and August are the hottest months with an average daily maximum of 33°C and up to twelve hours of sunshine a day. From November, temperatures cool, with highs of 18 degrees centigrade. January is the coldest month with highs of 13 degrees. With no ferries to catch, your road journey from the Athens Riviera to the airport is unlikely to be affected by any bad weather conditions.

Glyfada

One of the favourite places to live in the Athens Riviera is Glyfada. It is a modern, glitzy holiday resort conveniently located just south of Athens. It is considered a very prestigious neighbourhood, due to many Greek celebrities buying apartments here. Plus, it has several nice beaches, including Glyfada Beach and Asteras Beach.

There is a good selection of shops in Metaxa Street and Glyfada Square, featuring elegant boutiques and shopping malls. You can also visit the remains of a Byzantine Church, the theatre of Exoni and the Melina Merkouri Theatre.

Delicious Greek dishes are served at the many restaurants, cafes and tavernas spread across the town. There are even pizzerias, sushi bars, Chinese restaurants and fast food chains. In addition, Glyfada offers a bustling nightlife at its many bars, nightclubs and bouzouki houses.

What’s more, a stroll along the sea front, takes you past hundreds of yachts moored in elegant marinas, where you will also find seaside restaurants and tavernas. The area also boasts an 18-hole golf course, water sports and a Sea Turtle Rescue Centre. Apartments for sale in Glyfada start at around €170,000.

Getting to Glyfada

From Athens airport the X96 Peiraias – Aerolimenas Athinion (Express bus)  runs back and forth from Athens airport across to the coast then up to Piraeus. It stops at many inland and seaside towns along the way.

Drive time to Athens airport : 29 minutes

Drive time to Acropolis, Athens: 28 minutes

Voula

If you are seeking a property near a beach, then Voula has a similar vibe to Glyfada. This spectacular piece of coastline offers an impressive multi-level summer entertainment venue. Furthermore, it is an attractive area for digital nomads, who seek peace outside the city, while still having fun activities on their doorstep. You can find very modern sustainable new build properties here, with sleek interiors and large windows that make the most of the sea views.

Like Glyfada, Voula beach has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag. It is very organised and offers deckchairs, umbrellas, a pool, medical services, and a lifeguard. It’s particularly popular for water sports and beach sport activities. The area also hosts the Nautical Athletic Club of Voula, one of the most important and active Sailing Clubs of Attica, with its own port facilities.

There are also some lovely parks, where you can walk or cycle by the sea. Plus, numerous cafes and beach bars to stop for refreshments. Kavouri is right next to Voula and is mainly residential, but has a wilder landscape. You will find family-owned tavernas here with great tasting traditional dishes.

Getting to Voula

You can catch the bus from Athens airport to Voula, which takes around 53 minutes, as it makes several stops along the way.

Drive time from Athens airport: 22 minutes.

Drive time to Acropolis, Athens: 31 minutes

Apartment for sale in Voula 

 

Vouliagmeni

Located in a scenic position, with beautiful bays, Vouliagmeni’s beaches and coastline are very popular with tourists and so can be rather expensive. A must see is the unusual lake formation with rocks and beach at Lake Vouliagmeni. This is a refined holiday resort location, full of luxurious hotels and surrounded by pine forests. It offers well-equipped beaches and safe moorings. The area features numerous top class restaurants, with options including seafood, Greek cuisine, Italian, and sushi.

Getting to Vouliagmeni

From Athens take metro line M2 heading towards Elliniko from Syntagma Square metro station (20 min.). The metro will take you to Elliniko from where you can either take a 25 minute bus ride on 122 to Vouliagmeni Limni or a 15 minute taxi ride.

Drive time to Athens airport: 28 minutes

Drive time to Acropolis, Athens: 35 minutes

Vari – Varkiza

Further down the coast road, alongside Vouliagmeni, is Vari – Varkiza. This is a beautiful area that has more of an island feel.  Varkiza has a charming fisherman’s harbour, sandy beaches, and a nice promenade. It also has an organized Nautical Club specializing in water sports such as sailing, wind surfing, canoe – kayak and Stand Up Paddle.

Getting to Varkiza

The Bus route X96 from Athens airport to Piraeus stops near Vari. It takes about an hour.

Drive time from Athens airport: 24 minutes

Drive time to Acropolis, Athens: 39 minutes

Apartment for sale in Varkiza

 

Lagonissi

Lagonissi is located about 30km south of Athens and 35 km northwest of Cape Sounio. The residential area is well spaced out with luxury houses. The high class atmosphere follows on from the 5 star resort hotel, located on the peninsula.

There are several clothes shops and supermarkets in Lagonissi. For those who like to keep fit, there is a well equipped sports centre with an indoor basketball and volleyball court. Outside there are basketball courts and football pitches, a tennis court and two beach volleyball courts. Furthermore, there is a gym, and facilities for martial arts, yoga and aerobics. An equestrian club called “St. George” is located in the eastern outskirts of town.

Due to an increase in people becoming resident here in recent years, more schools have been built, including an English speaking nursery. Lagonissi has many sandy beaches including those of Pefko, Agios Nikolas and Galazia Akti. Restaurants, cafes and bars are located mainly at the heart of town, close to Kalyvion Avenue.

Drive time from Athens airport: 22 minutes

Drive time to Acropolis, Athens: 51 minutes

Saronida

About 18 kilometres down the coast from Vari is Saronida. It has a scenic coast road with three nice beaches. The seashore of Saronida is sand-and-pebble with some shady trees. It is ideal for families with young children as it starts quite shallow.

Houses in the area are well spread out with wide roads and all the basic shops you will need, plus a medical centre and school. It’s small population of around 3,000 is gradually growing, as more people are discovering the joys of Saronida’s tranquility and gorgeous views. Considered “up-and-coming”, a new development has been proposed in the area, incorporating a golf course and housing. There are mountains to the east and forests to the south, with scenic hiking trails.

Getting to Saronida

To travel by bus from the airport you need to catch the X96 to Glyfada, then change onto the 122, which takes you all down the coast to Saronida. A journey which can take over 2 hours in total.

Drive time from Athens airport: 27 minutes

Drive time to Acropolis, Athens: 53 minutes

Apartment for sale in Saronida

 

Travel from city to sea

Next time you are in Athens, consider taking a drive along the Athens Riviera. If you don’t have a car, you can also use the metro or trams from the city to the seaside and then take a bus along the coast. As an introduction to the Athens Riviera, you may also choose to join a “Hop on and Off” bus tour. They depart from the Acropolis and take you to Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni Lake, Astir beach, Kavouri beach and Divani Apollon.

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