Europe dominates in a new ranking of the world’s most beautiful cities, filling nine of the top 10 spots.
22.07.2024 - 15:27 / lonelyplanet.com
Jul 22, 2024 • 6 min read
Chances are most travelers aren’t coming to Athens for its beaches. As capital of a country with world-famous islands, Athens is better known for its resplendent ancient ruins and busy cultural life than for its sandy glories. But this is Greece after all! And the coast as well as several major ferry ports are just minutes away.
If you are looking for a quick swim or a bit of rest and relaxation, there are plenty of beaches to choose from on the Athens Riviera, aka the Apollo Coast – the coastline running south of Athens from Piraeus to Cape Sounion. Do you have a whole day to spare? Then consider hopping a boat to an island in the morning and returning in the twilight glow. Either way, despair not, the water awaits you.
Best for relaxation
One of the southernmost beaches on the Athens Riviera, Varkiza is a favorite for its relative peace and quiet. Small sandy sweeps alternate with rock formations where you can hang out independently. The beach is free to visit and is surrounded by restaurants and cafes. If you want a daybed, you can pay for a chaise at the popular resort Varkiza Resort – Yabanaki Beach and join the fray of seaside umbrellas and restaurants.
Local tip: After a day of seaside fun, satisfy your hunger with a visit to Aperanto Galazio, an excellent seafood taverna offering fresh fish directly on the beach.
Best for glamour
Silky sands and softly lapping seas are only the start of what makes Astir Beach great. It feels more like Mykonos than Athens, and it’s one of the most beloved of the see-and-be-seen organized beaches on the Athens Riviera. Entrance fees vary by season and the location of your sunbed. Astir is a land of high fashion, seafront chaises and cabanas, and luxury like Nobu Matsuhisa’sAthens outpost and the Four Seasons Astir Palace.
Planning tip: If you want to go all out bougie, daybeds can be rented at Astir Beach Club, but they don't come cheap, with parasol rentals starting from €160 per two people per day.
Best for swimming
Repeatedly recognized for its crystal-clear waters with Blue Flag ratings, Schinias Beach, 45km (about 28 miles) northeast of Athens, offers a grand stretch of pristine white sand backed by pine trees. Shinias is free to access but you can also rent sunloungers for the day. The shimmering waters near the town of Marathon are a favorite for swimming and windsurfing followed by lunch at one of the nearby seafood tavernas.
Planning tip: There are sunloungers and a taverna, but no other major developments around. It gets busy at the weekend with locals so arrive early to secure a spot.
Best for nudists
Care to get (wonderfully) lost on the coast near Athens? Explore the coves and inlets along the Legrena area, about 3km (2 miles)
Europe dominates in a new ranking of the world’s most beautiful cities, filling nine of the top 10 spots.
An anti-cruise rebellion is afoot in popular tourism destinations in Greece.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) is thrilled to announce the return of HIGHLANDER Adventure, organized by HIGHLANDER, the world’s largest international hiking association. Set to take place from 7-9 February 2025, this premier long-distance hiking challenge will offer hikers and adventure enthusiasts the chance to test themselves on the spectacular trails of Jebel Jais, home to the UAE’s longest developed network of hiking trails at 80km.
Pantone is just like us, in the sense that they, too, are setting their intentions for the year — one filled with strength and energy. The Color of the Year for 2023 is Viva Magenta, which the company describes as powerful and empowering. “Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration… [It] revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint.” A year surrounded by joy and self-expression sounds like a year well spent to us.
Amid the cafes and boutiques of Athens’s Kolonaki neighborhood is a housewares shop that’s also a showcase for Greek craftsmanship. It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for Crini & Sophia, the brand that the former interior and set designer Maya Zafeiropoulou-Martinou founded in 2022. Its wood-and-rattan shelves, two-tone marble floors and furniture are all made by Greek artists, while one window is decorated with a vinelike steel and spray-paint piece by the Cypriot sculptor Socrates Socratous. The shop’s goods are designed by Zafeiropoulou-Martinou, whose inspirations include the colors in Francis Bacon paintings and the Amazon rainforest. Linens are produced in Portugal before being embroidered in Greece with patterns that often take cues from antiques on view at Athens’s Benaki Museum. Hand-painted ceramics and glassware are made in partnership with artisans in New York, Greece, Italy and France. When it comes to designing your own table, Zafeiropoulou-Martinou encourages layering. “The pattern isn’t just the plate or the tablecloth,” she says of her pieces, “but a puzzle of the two on top of each other.”
It can be an expensive and potentially damaging undertaking for a country to host the Olympics. This year's games in Paris are costing just $10 billion, according to CNBC. While that's nothing to scoff at, it's a mere fraction of the $55 billion Brazil reportedly spent in 2016.
Also known as “Lefkas”, Lefkada is distinct in that it requires no ferry or boat journey to access it—instead, you simply drive over a causeway a short distance from Prevaza airport on the mainland. Part of the Ionian Islands, mountainous Lefkada is densely forested (providing welcome shade when it’s hot) and has some beautiful beaches that are virtually empty during the shoulder seasons. Compared to better-known Greek islands, Lefkada remains crowd-free and uncommercialized (there are no international hotel brands here yet), so keep the secret to yourself. It’s also a good jumping-off point for celebrity magnet Meganisi, where you can visit Fish Taverna Errikos for lunch.
Paris is expected to welcome 11.3 million visitors during the Olympic Games, significantly increasing its population density. This surge in visitors is spurring travel demand to international destinations, such as Italy and the United States, that harness this desire to leave crowds behind, also benefiting United Kingdom, Spain, and Greece, as well as farther destinations, such as Thailand or Japan.
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