People generally don’t think of Athens as a seaside destination. But did you know that there’s actually a bounty of beautiful clean beaches lining the Athenian coastline in all directions? From family pleasers with shallow seas and active adventures, and party playgrounds with cocktails and tunes, to free rustic coves and five-star gems, Athens has a beach to suit every mood, age, mode and budget.
Young Guns
Your Beach Style:
You have at least one tattoo and the latest smartphone. You play paddle tennis to perfect your all-over tan. Your perfect beach comes with music and cocktails (and no pesky kids).
Best Beach Match
Erotospilia
Where: Porto Rafti (off the northeastern Attica coast).
Why: As the name suggests, this small-but-happening cove—a mixture of sand and rocks—is where the young ones go to get loved up while listening to beachy music in the background.
Highlights: Lagoon-like waters for snorkelling, picturesque rocks for sunbathing, and a mostly local crowd.
You’ll Pay: Nothing. Except for any drinks or snacks you buy from the modest beach bar.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Limanakia Vouliagmenis
Where: The most popular in a run of rocky coves between Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, reached by a short hike from the Sounion coastal road. It’s not easy to spot unless you’re a local: follow the directions here.
Why: A rugged swimming hole with the coolest of vibes that channels the carefree Athens Riviera lifestyle.
Highlights: Ibiza-style chill tunes, a sociable sunbathing deck, bronzed bods leaping heroically from the boulders.
You’ll Pay: Nothing. But you can buy beers and soft drinks from the canteen, which stays open late into the night.
Also Try: Karavi Schinias.
You don't have to be young to fall in love with Erotospilia.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
High Rollers
Your Beach Style:
You’re a beach snob and you know it. Your sand needs to be clean, your water pristine and your neighbour’s sunlounger at least one metre away… at all times.
Best Beach Match
Astir Beach
Where: Vouliagmeni
Why: Follow in the footsteps of Jackie Onassis at this prized spot widely considered to be Athens’ premier (and priciest) beach destination. Indulge in a luxury spa treatment, a designer kaftan or gourmet dining by the sea.
Highlights: Lush natural setting in a protected bay, manicured sands and clear, shallow waters. No pumping music. Waiter service to your luxe lounger, plus chic restaurants that stay open well past midnight.
You’ll Pay: €100 on weekdays for a front-row umbrella with two loungers in high-season and €80 for the behind rows; €180 on weekends if you want to be in the front row and €160 behind. Regulars know to book their loungers on-line here to avoid disappointment.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Pretend you're on a Greek island at Legrena Beach.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Castaways and Chill Seekers
Your Beach Style:
You’re a Greek islomaniac, forever yearning for your next island escape. The more remote the better.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Best Beach Match
Panorama
Where: Porto Rafti (on the northeastern Attica coast, opposite Avlaki beach).
Why: A small, sandy paradise full of locals.
Highlights: Elemental island ingredients and a lovely fish taverna and bar (Panorama Fish).
You’ll Pay: Nothing. Unless you treat yourself to lunch—and why not?
Mavro Lithari Hotel
Where: Just after Saronida.
Why: A fiercely-guarded local secret with the feel of a 1980s Greek island hideaway. Go now before this sleepy retro hotel gets snapped up by a luxury chain.
Highlights: Here, you’ll find sandy shores and shallow rock pools that shelter baby crabs (perfect for toddlers), an overwater sunbathing platform (perfect for teens), a humble taverna pitched over the water’s edge and bronzed pensioners playing tavli (backgammon) in the shady café.
You’ll Pay: Loungers are €3 euros (€5 at weekends), though regulars often get a discount.
Also Try: Legrena, a sandy cove on its own private cape with turquoise waters, 3 kilometres west of Cape Sounion.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Head to Kaki Thalassa for a winning mix of mountains and sea.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
The Family Guy
Your Beach Style:
Happy children equal happy parents!
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Best Beach Match
Akti Vouliagmeni
Where: Vouliagmeni.
Why: Well-tended, multi-tasking summer playground with play spaces and sporting amenities, on Athens Riviera’s most scenic bay.
Highlights: An aqua inflatable park to occupy the kids for hours, grassy areas for picnics and ball games, pirate ship playground, tennis and volleyball courts. Easy access to Vouliagmeni’s foodie delights.
You’ll Pay: €10 for weekdays and €15 for the weekends. Loungers included.
Kaki Thalassa
Where: Keratea (in northeastern Attica).
Why: A clean and postcard-pretty organised beach, bracketed by green mountains, that’s well-equipped with family-friendly amenities.
Highlights: Lovely views of Agios Panteleimonas church, rock climbing and playground for kids, beach bar for toasties and ice-creams.
You’ll Pay: Nothing for the beach. Just pay for sun loungers and umbrellas if you want them.
Also Try: Varkiza Resort at Yabanaki Beach, a sprawling beach park with shallow waters, restaurants, cafes, water sports, play areas and bars.
Sandy shores and shallow waters equals family fun at Schinias.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
The Sporty Set
Your Beach Style:
You can’t remember the last time you read a book at the beach. You need active diversions to keep boredom at bay.
Best Beach Match
Moraitis Beach
Where: Off Leoforos Schinias-Marathonas.
Why: Exhilarating aquatic adventures in a beautiful natural setting that rocks an Australian “surfie” vibe all year round.
Highlights: Pleasant field of palms and pines, extensive range of water-sports rentals and lessons, delicious organic treats (salmon with quinoa, tuna burgers, mung bean salads).
You’ll Pay: €50 for an umbrella with 2 beachbeds.
Also Try: Kouros Club, Alykes Beach.
Courtesy: Moraitis
Beat beach boredom (and perfect your all-over tan) on a stand up paddle board.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Nature Lovers
Your Beach Style:
You loathe crowded beaches with loud music and plastic loungers. Green is your scene.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis
Best Beach Match
Schinias Pine Forest
Where: At the northern, more secluded end of long and sandy Schinias beach, located on Marathon Bay, off Leoforos Schinias-Marathonas.
Why: The most unspoiled spot by far for beach lovers in Athens’ northern suburbs.
Highlights: Serenity and shade, right next to the rare eco-systems and scenic hikes of beautiful Schinias National Park.
You’ll Pay: Nothing.
The Bare Essentialists
Your Beach Style:
What style? Everyone knows less is more when it comes to beach attire.
Best Beach Match
There are no official nudist beaches in the wider Athens area. But here are some places where it’s generally okay to shed your clothes: Boukourima in Keratea (off Areos Street, near popular Kakia Thalassa); Limanaki 3 in Vouliagmeni; the second small bay at Mavro Lithari in Saronida; and the small, pebbly beach behind Cape Sounion (from the main beach, take the path behind the rocks on the right).
Let it all hang out at Boukourima.
Photo: Manos Chatzikonstantis