Athenian Riviera by boat: The side Athens hides in plain sight
Most visitors to Athens spend their time looking up – at the Acropolis, at the Parthenon, at the hills above the city. That makes sense. However, look south instead and you find something most tourists never discover: 60 km of coastline, clear water and a stretch of Aegean that begins twenty minutes from the center of town. The Athenian Riviera by boat runs from Paleo Faliro all the way to Cape Sounio, with beaches, sea caves, uninhabited islets and one of the most dramatic ancient temples in Greece at the far end. Athens has been hiding this in plain sight for years.
Athenian Riviera by boat: what you’ll find along the coast
The Riviera moves through several distinct zones as you head south from Athens. Glyfada comes first – lively, well-organized, with beach clubs and marinas. Then Voula and Vouliagmeni, where the coastline quietens and the water quality improves noticeably.
Lake Vouliagmeni sits just off the coastal road, neither lake nor sea but something in between. A brackish lagoon connected to the sea through an underground channel, its water stays warm year-round and carries therapeutic minerals. Locals treat it as a wellness stop. Furthermore, the setting – limestone cliffs rising behind the water – makes it look more like a set from a film than something twenty minutes from the city center.
Hidden islets and boat- only stops
South of Vouliagmeni, the coastline opens up and the boat starts earning its place. Arsida and Fleves are two uninhabited islets sitting off the Attica coast, reachable only by sea. Arsida is small, rocky and surrounded by water that runs deep blue. Fleves is larger, with coves and anchorage spots that most Athenians have never visited despite living an hour away. In addition, the waters between the islets and the mainland offer some of the best snorkeling in the area.
Varkiza, further south, has one of the widest beaches on the Riviera. Water sports operators work the shore in summer. The bay is sheltered and the approach by boat gives you a completely different perspective on the coastline than the road does. Consequently, spots that look unremarkable from the highway reveal themselves as genuinely beautiful when seen from the water.
Cape Sounio and the temple above the sea
The Riviera ends where it was always supposed to end. Cape Sounio sits at the southernmost tip of Attica, 60 m above the Aegean, with the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon commanding the headland. Built in the 5th century BC at the same time as the Parthenon, the temple served as a landmark for sailors returning to Piraeus and a place of worship for those setting out to sea. The 15 marble columns still standing are visible from miles offshore.
Lord Byron carved his name into one of them in 1810 – the mark is still there, though the practice has since fallen out of fashion.
Seeing the temple from the water is a different experience from the road. The bus drops you in the car park. The boat delivers you from below, approaching the cliff from open sea, the columns growing above you as you get closer. That approach – from the direction of every ancient sailor who ever saw it – is the one worth making. Therefore, arriving by private boat from Athens is not just a comfortable option. It’s the historically correct one.
Don Blue Yachting runs a private cruise along the Athenian Riviera that covers the full route: the coast south from Athens, the uninhabited islets of Arsida and Fleves with swimming stops and the approach to Cape Sounio from the sea.
The cruise departs from Kallithea marina and runs the full day, with snorkeling equipment, drinks and snacks included. The return crossing in the late afternoon, with the light changing over the Saronic Gulf, tends to be the part people remember longest.
VIP boat transfers along the Riviera and to Cape Sounio are also available for guests who want to reach a specific point rather than do the full route.
Book your Athenian Riviera by boat cruise and see what 60 km of Athens coastline actually looks like.
Find us at social media: Facebook – Instagram – YouTube
Athenian Riviera: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Athenian Riviera and how long is it?
The Athenian Riviera is the southeastern coastline of Athens, stretching 60 kilometres from Paleo Faliro to Cape Sounio. It runs through Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza before reaching the tip of the Attica peninsula at Sounio. The area offers beaches, marinas, the thermal Lake Vouliagmeni, uninhabited islets and the Temple of Poseidon at the southern end.
Why is the Athenian Riviera by boat better than the coastal road?
The road runs parallel to the coast but misses much of what makes it interesting. The uninhabited islets of Arsida and Fleves are only reachable by sea. Several of the best swimming coves along the coast are inaccessible from the road. The approach to Cape Sounio from the water – watching the Temple of Poseidon rise above the cliff from below – is a completely different experience from arriving at the car park. Don Blue Yachting’s Athenian Riviera by boat cruise covers all of it in one day.
What are the islets of Arsida and Fleves and why are they worth visiting?
Arsida and Fleves are two uninhabited islets off the Attica coast, south of Vouliagmeni, accessible only by private boat. Arsida is small and rocky, surrounded by deep blue water. Fleves is larger, with sheltered coves and some of the best snorkelling along the Riviera. Most Athenians have never visited despite living close by. Don Blue Yachting includes both as swimming stops on the Athenian Riviera cruise.
How do you get to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio from Athens?
The most common route is by bus or car along the coastal road – roughly an hour each way. Don Blue Yachting offers an alternative: a private boat cruise along the full Athenian Riviera that arrives at Cape Sounio from the sea. The approach from the water, watching the temple appear above the cliff as the boat moves south, is the way ancient sailors first saw it. The cruise departs from Kallithea marina and includes swimming stops along the route.
