What are the best things to do in Athens Riviera?
I am sure you would have gotten some idea about the topic because of the word, ‘Riviera’.
Athens Riviera points to several small coastal towns, and gorgeous beaches that dot the area south of Athens.
Contrary to the French or Italian Riviera in which, the Riviera area stretches into long coastal cities and towns, the Athens Riviera is mostly included into the metropolitan area of the city of Athens, the capital of Greece.
This stretch of Athens Riviera is also known as Apollo Coast. The Riviera starts from Athens City. It stretches for nearly 70 km and ends at Cape Sounion.
It is the tip of Greece mainland, south of Athens. It is known as Attica peninsula.
In some maps, it is terminating 8 km before at Lavrio town.
What are all the towns that comprise the Athens Riviera?
- Â Piraeus
- Moschato-Tavros
- Kallithea
- Alimos
- Â Palaio Faliro
- Elliniko-Argyroupoli
- Glyfada
- Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni
- Saronikos
- Lavreotiki
Where to stay in order to explore Athens Riviera?
By far the most sought after place is Glyfada, 14 km south of Athens City. Needless to say, there are several more places that offer ultra-luxury resorts along the Aegean Sea coast.
Athens Riviera’s beauty is said to be matchless. However, nearly 50% of the tourists to Greece are not aware of this tremendous attraction. They either see around the historic and iconic landmarks of Athens, or go on a Greek Islands cruise tour.
What are the main attractions to see in Athens Riviera?
The foremost are the remnants of the Temple of Poseidon near Cape Sounion and the ruins of the Temple of Apollo.
Yes, we all have seen it several films.
Other notable attractions in Athens Riviera are:
- Vouliagmeni Lake
- Flisvos Marina
More jaw-dropping attractions include beaches with tall cliffs as backdrops, numerous marinas, and promenades, coves, and hotels with romantic seascapes, nightclubs, range of water sports in the Aegean Sea, and quaint quaysides with harbors.
If you stay in any one of the smaller town near the Aegean coast, you will see breathtaking beaches, and eat the most delicious cuisine in Europe.
Is there any other reason for the Athens Riviera to become so world famous?
Yes, apart from the beaches, historic temples, mind-boggling waterfronts, the climate is a big crowd puller.
A mild climate prevails right through the year. You can expect the temperature to hover around 19.5 degree Celcius!
But, the towns that are closer to Athens are hot.
12 Unforgettable Things to Do in Athens Riviera for an Epic Experience
Let us begin to peruse the list of main things to see along the Apollo Coast.
Piraeus
Piraeus is the major port in Athens. Ferries leave from this post to numerous Greek Islands located in the Aegean Sea, Saronic Gulf, the Mediterranean Se, and the Sea of Crete.
Being an all important gateway to several Greek Islands including, Milos, Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete, the city is loaded with tremendous infrastructure such as hotels, resorts, taxis, trains to some parts of the Athens Riviera, restaurants, taverns, bars, and theatres.
Paleo Faliro
This is one of the coastal towns on the Saronic Gulf. The geography is quite interesting here.
It is also known as the Gulf of Aegina. The gulf is a part of the Aegean Sea. It hosts several high-traffic Greek Islands in its belly.
In addition, the Saronic Gulf is where an isthmus is located. An isthmus is a rare geographical feature involving a piece of land with sea on its either side.
In this instant, the Isthmus of Corinth acts as a land bridge between Peloponnese peninsula, and the Greece mainland.
Palaio Faliro is located at the beginning of Athens Riviera. In other words, it is sits on the northwest point of the Riviera.
The town has an important church. The other places of interest include a promenade, two beautiful seafront avenues with impressive buildings, and the marina.
Flisvos Marina
Wow! It is a beautiful port with so many small vessels docked. The mooring area is conveniently designed to make the movements of the boats, easy, and clutter free.
Flisvos Marina, one of the finest attractions in Athens Riviera is a jewel of Paleo Faliro.
A beautiful park exists adjacent to the marina. Moreover, it is interesting to enter a museum of toys with your children.
Another attraction near the marina is a floating museum, highlighting Greece’s navy. It is built in a Greek Battle Ship! Surely, the most appropriate location for a naval museum-right?
A boat tour from the harbour will be a memorable experience of seeing most of the Athens’s historic landmarks from the Saronic Gulf. It is a different view of Athens.
There are plenty of restaurants overlooking the impressive promenade. They offer the best places to linger around.
Koisos Kouros, Anavyssos
Koisos was a Greek warrior. His tall, naked statue is seen in Anavyssos city in Attica.
Attica points to the city of Athens in full, and up to the Cape Sounion, the last point in Athens’s Riviera.
In Greek’s culture, Kouros is known as a statue made of famous Greek marble.
This particular sculpture of Koisos draws quite a number of curious onlookers. I think the majority of them turn away in embarrassment of seeing the naked statue in huge size.
The figure is nearly 6.6 feet tall. It is one of the prominent displays of Athens’s National Archaeological Museum.
The faint smile on his face is a brilliant art.
I think the going of the places to see in Athens’s Riviera is good so far-eh?
Varkiza
It’s a dreamy capture. I think the town’s Greek name Alianthos is better sounding. This is our third stop in Athens’s Riviera. We are already into the 22nd km of the 70 km long riviera.
Varkiza town is blessed with some great beaches. Facing the sea, there are several taverns, and bars. After I watched a video of this Greek city, my visualization of the cities that dot the Saronic Gulf changed completely.
I thought I will find some historic cities that would look drab, and unimpressive. However, the scene is altogether different.
These cities are bustling with modern vibe, attractive buildings, modern hotels, and what not!
Glyfada
This one photo of the coastal city in the outskirts of Athens is enough for me to plan my next holiday in the Athens Riviera.
The Aegean Sea reveals the authentic navy blue. Â In Glyfada also, the most visited place is the marina. The city has a direct rail connectivity with Athens. Â It receives tremendous traffic from foreign as well as local tourists.
The entertainment sector has seen rapid developments. Numerous nightclubs have cropped up. Many of them are located right on the seafront.
Consequently, beaches witnessed good amenities growth. Â Restaurants and shops keep the tourists outside of their hotel rooms, most of the time.
When I roam along the Riviera,I intend to visit the following beaches.
- Altheca Beach
- Voula Beach
- Asteras Beach
I am pretty awed by the vibrant atmosphere. As I am also a history buff, the temples, and churches would keep me on my toes.
 Vouliagmeni Lake
I expected to see a huge lake that is iconic to Europe. Here, the setting is a bit exotic.
Vouliagmeni town is our next stop on the Saronic Gulf. What is unique about this lake is its source of water.
The water seeps through the earth! Incredible! That means, it is a fresh water lake, but sadly no. Only sea water is fed to the lake that was formed after an earthquake, 2000 years ago.
Lagonissi
It’s an amazing resort, in the suburbs of Athens. Look below the video. You will understand why the Americans are so fond of visiting Greece.
It is located at the 40th km of your dive through the Athens Riviera. You can reach this gorgeous spot within half an hour from Athens.
The seafront resort has several beautiful beaches that are meant exclusively for the guests. It is said to be the most scenic spot near Athens.
Alimos Marina
I should have numbered at the number 1 spot in the Riviera but somehow it escaped my attention. It lies just 8 km south of Athens city.
Alimos was once a typical ancient Greek community. But now, it wears a modern look, comparable to any European settlement.
Agios Kosmas
Sitting at 3150 feet above the Saronic Gulf, Agios Komos is a mountain town.
The city is also known for its harbour which is known as a ‘marina’ in Greece. This beautiful place is not very far from Glyfada.
 Voula
A serene place along the south west coast of Athens, it is located between Vouliagmeni, and Glyfada.
The great temple remants of Apollo and Poseidon
This is the iconic Greek temple that was dedicated to Aplollo. Known commonly as Delphi, this destination is the most visited one by the Greeks, and tourists from other countries.
Apollo was the God of Archery. You need to spend nearly 3 hours to explore the place and take ample photographs.
Temple of Poseidon
It’s a grand example of typical Greek religious architecture. Poseidon was another Olympian God for the locals.
This historic tourist landmark is your last attraction in Athens Riviera.
I believe a weekend is sufficient to see and enjoy the Riviera.
