"Green, Clean, and Serene" Vouliagmeni by Mozumbus

If you are in search of an escape from the ever-busy Athens and do not want to spend another day at a touristy attraction, then Vouliagmeni – a peninsular town some 25 km south of Athens – is something you should head for. A day trip is worth it especially when you could not plan for Greek islands and wish to at-least have a glimpse of what these islands are so famous for.

Sporadic hills, pine trees, blue-flagged beaches, sandy sea-shores, clear sea, and a fresh water lake make this green suburb very different from the noisy conurbation. The spot is equally suitable for luxury as well as budget recreation; in addition to lavish private beaches and resorts, public beaches provide with the basic amenities free of cost, however, one ought to be there early to beat local youths who come early and in quite a number. There were hundreds of seats on the beach we visited and we found an unoccupied one only after searching for it.

Weekend is preferable, when most of the tourist attractions remain close. However, keep in mind that Athenians flock to their favourite beaches on weekends, but to many tourists this only adds to the ambiance and gives them a chance to savor the culture in a local setting.

The word Vouliagmeni means “Sunken” and the town is named so may be because of its low altitude and isolated nature. Because of its unique geographical setting the beach is good for swimming even in days when the sea gets rough. And for those who want more, the town offers sea sports and activities, Nautical Clubs, and even a docking Marine at Lemos area with modern facilities for boating.

Getting to Vouliagmeni is easy; just take the fast E22 Saronida Express bus from Syntagma Square for about 45 minutes of easy ride. I understand from a forum posting that E22 is now included in Athens Transportation card, which was not the case when we visited, and we instead took the slow tram plus a bus ride to reach to the beach. Kindly email me should you have any further information in this regard so that I can update the tip.

Here I would also like to acknowledge a fellow VTer Janet Hellis whose Vouliagmeni Tip compelled me to include the beach in our European backpacking trip itinerary, which we did not regret.