Let’s help you reimagine Athens. Perhaps you’ve already heard of the Athens Riviera beaches all the way down the city’s southern coastline. But here’s where we take things even further and open your eyes to some of the best beaches in the wider Athens area. Whether you’re on an Athens city break or just passing through, you’ll find fully organised beaches with tavernas, beach bars, water sports and dreamy swimming spots where you just throw your towel on the sand and let the Greek sunshine do the rest. They’re all between 45mins and 1hr30mins from the city centre, ideal for a day trip. So here we go … welcome to yet more beautiful beaches near Athens.
Pountazeza beach
We start our look at the beaches just outside Athens by slipping down the southern coast to the very tip of the Attica peninsula. Pountazeza is a family-friendly beach found in a horseshoe-shaped cove midway between the port of Lavrio and Cape Sounio’s Temple of Poseidon. Whatever you’re looking for in a beach, Pountazeza offers it. Sunbed and umbrella? Tick. Nothing but fluffy sand and the open sky? Tick. And there are nearby tavernas for lunch or an early dinner. And Pountazeza beach hides another little something for your imagination to tuck into. The remains of a sunken city, dating from the 4th-century BC, have been discovered in the water. So keep your eyes open. Oh and that long, thin island just opposite … that’s uninhabited Makronissos.
- Distance from city centre: 63km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, snack bar, parking
- Entrance: Free
Porto Rafti
Moving furtherup the eastern coast of Attica now are beaches of all styles, starting in Porto Rafti, a prestigious neighbourhood of Athenian summer homes. The main beach here is Avlaki, a family favourite with free access and amenities, including tavernas and other restaurants & bars right by the sea and even a diving centre. If you’re looking for something with a vibe, head to the bottom of the bay, where you’ll find a boho-style beach bar, with palm trees and luxury sunbeds & umbrellas. It only gets cooler at nightfall. But the most popular (and therefore busiest) beach near Porto Rafti is in another nearby bay, confusingly also called Avlaki (its full name is Avlaki EOT Markopoulou) but this time with an entrance fee and all the facilities to make you comfortable all day long. It’s got a Blue Flag for environmental cleanliness and assisted access for visitors with disabilities.
- Distance from city centre: 43km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, tavernas, beach bars, parking, diving centre, sea ramp
- Entrance: Paid
Erotospilia beach
You’ll find a very different beach feel if you turn left at Porto Rafti and drive the few kilometres to Erotospilia beach. Love Cave (as the name translates) is a small, wind-protected cove with sand and pebbles that attracts couples. You won’t find sunbeds here (so come equipped) but the trees on one side of the beach do offer some natural shade. Love by name, love by nature.
- Distance from city centre: 42km
- Amenities: Beach bar (occasional)
- Entrance: Free
Mikri Chamolia beach
Things get even more remote at the beach of Mikri Chamolia, which is a little harder to find but rewards you all the more for your effort. You park near a fish taverna, just outside Chamolia (which has its own, larger beach), and walk to the end of a hilly peninsula until you reach a tiny, sandy cove that has ‘hidden gem’ written all over it. Mikri Chamolia is all about peace and quiet, with clear blue-green water and a smattering of pine trees for shade. You’ll feel a million miles away from city life.
- Distance from city centre: 44km
- Amenities: None
- Entrance: Free
Schinias beach
Schinias is one of the best-known beaches near Athens. Found in the northeast of the region, it is a long (and that means long!) stretch of sandy beachfront that is given a unique character by the pine trees of a national park at one end. It’s a setting that lends itself to long, lazy walks along a beach dotted with snack bars and pockets of sunbeds and umbrellas. The shallow water makes it ideal for families. Schinias is the go-to beach for many Athenians in the city’s northern suburbs.
- Distance from city centre: 50km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, beach bars
- Entrance: Free
Zoumperi beach
Whilst we’re on this stretch of the Attica coastline, it’s only right that we pop into Zoumperi beach, near Nea Makri. The drawcard here is the seafood tavernas overlooking the beach and the all-day facilities. We’re talking sunloungers, beach bars, changing rooms, showers, a beach volleyball court and a lively vibe – all of which means that Zoumperi beach is popular, especially on weekends.
- Distance from city centre: 35km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, beach bars, tavernas
- Entry: Free
Nissakia beach
Calling all sea sports fans! Let’s point you in the right direction if you’re looking for one of the best beaches in Athens for windsurfing and kite-surfing. When conditions are right, there’s even full-on surfing at Nissakia (close to Loutsa). Unlike nearby Artemidos Beach (a long, sandy beach that attracts families and groups of friends), Nissakia is all about action and the surfer scene. You can hire equipment and get instruction on the beach and hang out afterwards at either of the surfer beach bars. And on windless days, there’s always the Stand-up Paddleboard option. Even if you’re just here for the spectacle, you’ll love the vibe.
- Distance from city centre: 34km
- Amenities: A few sunbeds & umbrellas, beach bars, water sports
- Entrance: Free
Kaki Thalassa beach
A couple of lesser-known Attica beach gems now. The landscape of Keratea is one of the most eye-catching near Athens, especially as you reach the gorge leading to Kaki Thalassa beach. Translating as Bad Sea, the beach gets its name from the Greek myth of Zeus and Hades responding to the request of locals to defeat barbarians in a naval battle. (The sea god Poseidon duly obliged.) But even on the calmest days, the name suits the setting, with dramatic rocks framing the beach and the sea quickly becoming deep. One side of the beach is organised with sunbeds, umbrellas and a beach bar and the other is sunbed-free – perfect for sun-worshipping.
- Distance from city centre: 48km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, beach bar, nearby tavernas, parking
- Entrance: Free
Daskalio
Just south of Kaki Thalassa are the three beaches of Daskalio. The beauty of Daskalio is that you can turn up and see which beach takes your fancy. The first two are organised with neat rows of sunbeds and umbrellas (and areas left clear if you prefer to lie on the sand) and beach bars with a chilled atmosphere. The third one (also known as Daskalio beach) has no facilities other than a couple of tavernas right on the beach.
- Distance from city centre: 48km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, beach bars, tavernas
- Entrance: Free
Psatha beach
The setting changes completely as you head over to the western Attica coast and reach the Gulf of Corinth. Your reward for venturing this far (it’s about a 1hr30min drive from the city centre) will be fewer people and discovering beautiful beaches near Athens that most locals don’t even know exist. Psatha beach is the first, spanning more than 2km of pebbly sand. There are seafood tavernas at either end (including a tiny fishing boat port), with pockets of sunbeds & umbrellas, snack bars and water sports rentals. Unsurprisingly, Psatha beach is a hit with families. West-facing, the sunsets from here are magical.
- Distance from city centre: 68km
- Amenities: Sunbeds & umbrellas, beach bars, tavernas
- Entrance: Free
Porto Germeno
Another long stretch of beachfront awaits at Porto Germeno, occupying the cove just north of Psatha. In fact, Porto Germeno is split into three beaches – all with a mixture of sand and small pebbles and each as inviting as the other, especially with the backdrop of forest greenery. The difference with Psatha is that there are no sunbeds & umbrellas here, meaning there’s a freer, less organised feel that draws families, friends and couples. The big bonus is the number of tavernas on the road alongside the beach. If you’re really feeling active, you can visit the 4th-century BC Aigosthena Fortress above the beach.
- Distance from city centre: 65km
- Amenities: Tavernas
- Entrance: Free
Prosili beach
There’s no way we’re bringing you this far and not leaving you with a total gem. Prosili is a small cove just off the winding road above Porto Germeno that transports you to a Greek island like no other beach we’ve looked at. We’re talking blue-green water, trees practically to the sea and nothing else but sand and fine pebbles. Pure escape.
- Distance from city centre: 64km
- Amenities: None
- Entrance: Free
12 of the best beaches up to 90mins from Athens
And that’s only the start when it comes to beach holidays near Athens. You’ll be wondering why you’ve never heard of Athens’ beaches before, given how many there are and how long the locals have been keeping them a secret.
