In September, we went out on yet a spontaneous trip to explore the area around the small coastal town of Loutraki. What we found there was more than we expected. We actually found, not just one, but two new favorite places – the Vouliagmeni Lake and the Ireon Beach.

Loutraki

Loutraki is a nice little town belonging to the Corinth or Corinthia perfection and it is located about 85 km from Athens and only 4 km from the larger city of Corinth. What makes Loutraki a little special is that since 1925 it is a recognized spa town, as the city has amazing thermal baths with mineral waters and also the city’s Casino which attracts many visitors from Athens and other areas of the country. But those are not the only reasons people visit Loutraki. In recent years tourism has risen a lot and it is very easy to see why.

The town has a kind of “French-Riviera” style about it with its 3.5 km long pebbly beach that expands just in front of the city’s lively seafront, lined with modern tall buildings, hotels, bars and cafes. Most beach chairs are free to lie on but as they often belong to the cafes you may have to buy a coffee or something to drink.

Loutraki is a modern and well-planned city, mainly because the city has been rebuilt largely after large previous earthquakes. In addition, the city is situated in some very beautiful scenery. The high mountain “Gerania” that slopes down almost in to the deep blue sea complements the picture very well.

It was just these roads along the mountains we followed past Loutraki and into the “unknown”. After a quarter we reached the village of Perachora and then took left towards Lake Vouliagmeni (Limni Vouliagmenis).

Lake Vouliagmeni – Perachora

The view high from the mountain roads down to the lake is amazing. It looks like a mixture of Switzerland and a tropical island with tall green mountains in incredible formations that surround the little saltwater lake and the ocean that almost winds around the coast.

Lake Vouliagmeni is located about 16 km northwest of Loutraki, very close to the archaeological site of Ireon. It is about 1 km wide and 2 km long and surrounded by the greenest of mountains. The depth of the lake is as deep as 40m and around its sides it has sandy beaches with shallow turquoise blue waters. As said, this is a salt lake as the water from the ocean enters the lake through a 2m wide opening to the sea.

When you first get down on the little road that takes you around the lake, you think that you have landed on an island somewhere near Thailand. The hills behind the beach are lush and green all the way down to the beach and the water is clear and calm. Along the beach there are a couple of fish taverns as well as a beach-bar which in the summer months is full with guests. Here there are also sun loungers but also newly planted trees one can lay under for some shade.

This place is pure magic, a quiet haven very close to the lively city of Loutraki and just a 1.5 hour trip from Athens.

After we spent a couple of hours on the beach along Lake Vouliagmeni, we decided to explore the road that goes beyond the lake up some hills. After just five minutes (if even that) we arrived at a road crossing and what seemed to be a cape with a big lighthouse. Totally excited by the beautiful view, we got out of the car to walk to the lighthouse and enjoy the view out to the sea and that’s when we saw what we can now write about as one of our absolute favorite places!

Ireon

After we took a walk around the steep cliffs and reached the lighthouse, it was time to get back o the parking lot. It was then that we looked down to the sea on the other side of the Malagavi cape and saw a stunning little sandy beach with turquoise blue water just next to an impressive archaeological site – Ireon. Ireon’s archaeological site consists of a temple dedicated to Hera from about 700 BC, which climbs down the cliffs all the way down to the beach. This place is like taken out of a saga, we actually were speachless for some minutes as we saw it for the first time. Imagine an archaeological site surrounded by high cliffs and the blueest of seas where there is no sound but that of the waves. We’re lucky we have many photos to show you as our words are not really enough to describe the image.

The wonderful thing about this day trip to these three places – which we definitely recommend to you – is the ability they give you to combine many things. But even if you do not want to combine them, you can choose the one that suits you best.
Swim or take a picnic on the cliffs around Ireon (at the lighthouse or near Ireon’s archaeological site where there are benches and plateaus to sit on) and enjoy the unique view, rent a canoe at Vouliagmeni Lake and have a snack in one of the cozy fish taverns or take a walk in Loutraki, try out the city’s Casino and try a drink just by the seafront. The possibilities are endless!

How to get here

The easiest way to come to Loutraki – Vouliagmeni and Ireon from Athens is definitely to rent a car and take the big motorway Attiki Odos towards the town of Korinthos. Just before Korinthos you exit towards Loutraki and easily find the city on the way. If you want to continue to the lake and Ireon then you continue towards the village of Perachora and down to “Limni Vouliagmenis”. It is very well signposted all the way. It takes about 1.5 hours to get here from Athens and the charges you have to pay reach just under 7 euros.

If you can not or do not want to rent a car, you can go to Athens Bus Station (buses go from there to almost all Greek mainland and some islands) “Stathmos Kifisou” and take the bus towards Loutraki directly or to Corinthos (but then you have to ask if the bus first stops at Loutraki). The buses go to Loutraki every day of the week, almost every two hours and cost about 10 euros per person.
If you then want to go from Loutraki to Vouliagmeni Lake or Ireon you can either take a taxi from the center of Loutraki as the trip to the lake takes only about 20 minutes or take a bus from Loutraki to Perachora village at the price of 2.20 euros and a taxi after it to the lake and/or Ireon (it is 5-10 minute trip). These local buses also go about every two hours every day of the week.