5 Beaches in and Around Athens You Can Visit by Public Transport

One of the reasons we love living in Athens is its proximity to the beach. We don’t own a car and don’t like to drive. Therefore, we go to the beach by tram, bus, or biking.

Granted, compared to other Greek beaches, the ones in Athens are not that special. However, we always have a great time swimming in crystal waters, chilling on the sand, and watching epic sunsets. Besides, we go to the beach all year round.

The following are our favorite 5 beaches in or around Athens. The best is Sounion, but the closest is in Palaio Faliro. Mostly locals visit all of them, so you get to experience the real local culture.

Flisvos + Bati + Edem Beach in Palaio Faliro

We bike to Palaio Faliro at least once every week. We take the bike lane from Monastiraki along the former river through Kallithea all the way to the Stavros Niarchos Center. Then loop around the Olympic Center and reach Flisvos.

If we are tired, we hop on the tram. Trams leave from Syntagma square in the center and take 30 minutes to the coast. They stop in Flisvos, Batis, and Edem.

The 3 beaches are very clean and have showers, umbrellas, and toilets. You will see locals playing racket and volleyball. We always buy pitas at a bakery nearby and eat them on the sandy-pebbled beach. There’s nothing to complain about!

Kalamaki + Akti Iliou Beach in Alimos

If we are not tired, we bike 10 more minutes along the coast to Kalamaki and Akti Iliou in Alimos. The same tram takes you to these beaches in 10 more minutes.

We usually go with friends to the Bolivar Beach Club. It has it all: great food, lounges, umbrellas, cocktails and showers. Considering how cool the club is, it’s not expensive. Besides, they host international DJs and parties at night all year round.

Now, if you don’t want to pay, there’s a free public section and a great inexpensive coffeeshop next to the Zefyros tram stop.

Asteria Beach in Glyfada

There are no proper beaches directly south of Zefyros. The area used to be the former airport, Elliniko. A massive residential project is underway that should include beaches. As of now, the next beach is in Glyfada.

Glyfada is an upscale neighborhood with grand mansions and a lovely beach. The tram takes one hour from Syntagma to Plateia Vergoti or Paralia Glyfadas. Since the road is further back, the beaches here are quieter.

There are lounges, restaurants, and fancy bars to hang with the crowd. To be honest, we don’t usually go to Glyfada. We don’t find it that special and everything is more expensive.

Voula Beach in Voula

We like Voula better than Glyfada. It’s a bit too far to bike so we take the tram. Voula is the final stop. There’s an organized paid section and a free one. We are both swimmers, so we enjoy its calm blue waters.

We go to the nudist beach next to Voula. Pikpa is the peninsula with trees, shrubs, rocks, and naked people enjoying the views. Since there’s no sand, we have to jump into the water! It can be very hot, so we usually go in the afternoon.

We take our own food and some water. It’s pretty isolated and quiet. No wonder it’s a favorite LGBT+ spot.

Sounion, the Nicest Beach near Athens

Sounion is a gorgeous sandy beach under iconic Greek temple. The beach is small and can get crowded during Greek holidays, but nothing beats swimming in the Mediterranean while gazing at the ancient Temple of Poseidon.

To get there, we take the KTEL Attikis Bus from the parking lot in front of Pedion Areos Park, just north of Omonia in central Athens. Another option is this fantastic half day sunset tour.

Though you can visit as a day trip, we strongly recommend spending at least one night there. When we need a break from Athens, we stay the night at the Aegeon Beach Hotel under the temple.