Best Beaches in Athens

Here are some of the best beaches in Athens, which one can explore to take a break from all the historical sightseeing.

1) Beach of Sounio

Cape Sounio is popular for the ancient Temple of Poseidon that stands at its shore. The shrine for the great God of the Sea as per the Greek pantheon attracts thousands of tourists every year to this lavish land-tip town near Athens. But that is not all it has to offer. Beach of Sounio is one of the famous beaches in Athens. It looks up to the majestic temple from its blue waters of the Aegean and overall offers a great destination for relaxed swimming. Some parts of the beach are organized, with umbrellas, sunbeds and all other amenities, while some are open for the people to walk around freely. Though Sounio is a little distance away from the main city of Athens, the historical presence and the cool water together make the trip completely worth it.

2) Edem Beach

Edem Beach in Athens is the closest one to the city center, located between the district of Palio Faliro and Alimos. The long sandy beach has a seafront promenade where people can take a walk, enjoying the salty sea breeze. Other than that, the scopes for swimming and sunbathing are aplenty. Although it is not the most famous beach in Athens, its location makes it crowded more often than not. Moreover, there is a very interesting feature near the Edem Beach – a life-size giant chessboard on the pavement of the promenade where tourists can face-off for fun or pose for pictures.

3) Varkiza Beach

Varkiza in Athens has one of the most beautiful beaches, with crystal blue water, a strip of warm white sand and crunching pebbles going down into the sea. Apart from a range of seafood haunts and coffee shops, Varkiza Beach is also home to the best diving schools other watersports adventures like water skiing, banana boats, paddle-boarding, windsurfing, snorkeling. There are umbrellas and beds as well, for those who simply want to lay down and take in the sun.

4) Vouliagmeni Lake Coast

Technically this is not a beach since there is no sea. But Lake Vouliagmeni in Athens is situated right by the Aegean Sea, fed up by the salty water via underground currents through the mountain. No one really knows exactly how this unique landform is created and filled for years after years. But the water here is warmer, and there are plenty of facilities on its shore to enjoy the water just as much as the sea.

5) Astir Beach

Astir Beach in Athens in the Vouliagmeni suburb is the place to be for some luxury pampering by the seaside. It is more expensive than the other beaches, both in terms of entry fees as well as other amenities. But the experience will be lavish, to say the least. There is a range of services starting from Wifi to sun loungers to exotic cafés and ice cream parlors.