When you think about Athens and Attica the first thing that comes to mind isn’t exactly a fantastic beach as Athens, in most cases, is a travel destination for those who want to experience the city’s urban pulse. But one does not always rule out the other. Especially not in the case of Athens. Around Athens in the Attica area, there are as many beautiful beaches as on any well-visited island anywhere in the Aegean or Ionian Sea. Here you will find long sandy beaches with deep or shallow waters, smaller beaches with crystal clear waters and pebbles, stone beaches with emerald green waters etc. Yes, there is something for all tastes and Untraveled has put together a list of the top 5 beaches around Athens that can be reached within an hour by car or bus from the city.
The problem for many tourists visiting Athens is that they do not like to rent a car and drive in the city and taht is fully understandable. But if you want to visit one of these suggested beaches, you don’t have to drive a lot in the city and the big national road that takes one around the outskirts of Athens as well as the smaller roads that often lead to these beaches are much easier to drive on. There are, of course, beaches quite central too – at the Athens riviera – which you can easily reach by bus or tram, but we are not here to give you the obvious and simple options. We want to give you the opportunity to explore amazing places that are a stone’s throw from the city and which are also a good tip for a day trip.
However, you do not have to rent a car to reach these 5 beaches, you can reach them all by bus from “Pedion tou Areos” – a square in central Athens quite close to “Omonia” for a small fee (you can find timetables and price lists in English at www.ktelattikis.gr).
1. Porto Rafti – Erotospilia
Porto Rafti, which we have written about earlier in a post about this particulary cozy place, is about 40 km from Athens on the eastern side of the Attica peninsula. You can easily reach it by car by taking the main road “Attiki odos” towards Markopoulo or by bus from Athens (from the square “Pedion tou Areos”). It departs every hour and cost around 4 euros.
The beach “Erotospilia” lies a bit after the town’s seafront and this is where the younger crowd hangs especially on the weekends. It’s an extremely nice beach hidden among the pine trees with pebbles and crystal clear waters. On this small hidden but well-known beach there is also a small beach bar where you can buy drinks, simple sandwiches and ice cream. To get a good place here (or to get a place at all) you should come early. This beach has no parasols or sun loungers but on one side of the beach there is a pine forest that, to some extent, acts as parasols and creates a bit of shade.
2. Porto Germeno
This beach (or these beaches) are pure magic! Porto Germeno is located about 70 km northwest from the center of Athens. If you want to go there by car, you take the “Attiki odos” or the national road towards Elefsina and turn towards Mandra and Agios Sotiras . After that, the incredibly beautiful country road leads one down to Porto Germenos through mountains and forests. The second option is to take the bus from “Pedion tou Areos” in Athens which departs every two hours and costs around 7 euros.
When you arrive to Porto Germeno you think you have landed on a green island somewhere in the Aegean sea. Porto Germeno is a small community right on the seaside where many athenians have their summer houses. Hence, the many taverns and cafes all awaiting the summer to make a living. Here there are three beaches in total, one after another in a large lush and steep bay that is protected by the high mountains. It’s breathtaking. The middle beach and the beach at the far left (or the south beach, depending on what way you look at things) are a bit longer and shallower and a better option for families with children, while the beach at the far right, which happens to be our favorite, is a bit smaller and has deeper waters.
In addition to this there is also an antique castle that looks over the houses and makes the place even more charming. Here you can undoubtedly spend a whole day! Swim in the incredibly clear waters, have lunch at one of the tavernas, discover the castle and have a coffee in the afternoon … or why not another dip in the ocean?
A tip: From here you can also go to the nearby Psatha beach.
The road taking you to Psatha beach from Porto Germeno is incredibly nice as you go up in the mountains and through a pine tree forest and the view down on Psatha is striking. The beach is a long fine beach with pebbles and a rocky cliff on its western side, but it is more lively than Porto Germeno as the area around the beach is full of bars, tavernas, etc.
3. Sounio – K.A.P.E beach
In a previous post here on untraveled.se, we wrote about Lavrio and the nearby area of Sounio that are just a stone’s throw from Athens. What we had not discovered when we wrote that post was the K.A.P.E beach located just after the Sounio temple in the direction towards the Athens Riviera.
This incredibly beautiful beach is completely tucked away from the road and the truth is that although it can be found on google maps and the road leading here is good, there is no sign indicating how to get to the beach. We actually found it by accident! K.A.P.E beach is similar to the types of beaches found on islands such as Ikaria or Samos, small beaches with pebbles and clear blue waters in small steep bays which you reach by descending a steep staircase. On weekends it’s usually full of people and you can easily understand why but on weekdays you can have the beach all to yourself. Even though it is tucked away, there is a small “kantina” here (a kind of Greek food truck) where you can buy water, coffee and something simple to eat.
You can either come here by car by taking the “Attiki odos” road towards Markopoulo and continue towards Lavrio and Sounio (turning left onto a small road just after the beach “Legrena”) or by bus to Sounio from Athens center and “Pedion tou Areos” which departs every hour and costs around 6 euros and then a taxi the last short bit.
Marathonas – Schinias
A classic choise for all athenians! Schinias beach is located in the Marathon area north-east of Athens and it is one of Attica’s, or maybe THE longest sandy beach in Attica. It is actually 3 km long and the waters of the beach get shallower the more north on the beach you are. That’s why most of the families with small children gather on that part of the beach. There are small tavernas and cafes as well as beach bars scattered everywhere but here you don’t have to pay for sun loungers and parasols – only in a handful of the places. To a large extent, Schinias is a free beach. There is also a well organized beachside campsite here called “Octopus”.
What makes this beach special is the pine tree forest by which it is located. Just behind the beach, maybe only 10 meters from the water, you find a nice and lush pine forest that can be used as shelter from the sun. The truth is that there are many visitors who prefer to lie a little further in under the trees and not on the beach itself. This forest that grows all along the beach also provides a nice walking opportunity during the warm months of the summer as the shade of the trees reduces the temperature considerably, and then you can always take a dip in the ocean if you get too hot.
Here you can either take a car towards Nea Makri and Marathon (there are a lot of clear signs towards the beach) or take the bus from central Athens and “Pedion tou Areos”. The bus to Schinias departs every two hours until the early evening hours and costs about 5 euros.
5. Agia Marina
Last but not least, we want to recommend the smallest beach of them all. The Agia Marina beach is also situated in the Marathon area but a bit after Schinias. The bus that goes to Schinias will also take you to this dreamy beach and the ticket will then cost about 6 euros.
Agia Marina beach is located right next to Agia Marina’s small harbor. From here, ferry boats go to Evia and the small town of Nea Stira. In the summer months there can be quite a lot of traffic down to the harbor as many go on day trips to Evia and then the beach can be full. You must get there early in the morning if you want to get a place but it is worth it. The waters here are an amazing turqoise color and the sandy beach is beautiful. You will believe that you have arrived to a paradise island far away from any city.
Between the harbor and the beach there is also a small tavern where you can sit and dine but also buy drinks and simple food if you want to eat on the beach. There is also a large parking area where you can leave your car for a small fee and it may be worth it when there is traffic.
