Athens Port ... nearby beaches?

[livylotte]

We are in Athens on our next cruise and looking for an alternative to the City. Are there any beaches nearby? Or boats/ferries that would take us to a nearby island?

[Hlitner]

There are some nice sandy beaches along the coast road that connects Athens to Sounion, but you would need to rent a car (there are many car rental companies within sight of the port at Pireaus) to get to those beaches. Another alternative is to walk along the port towards the train station (keep the water on your left) until you see the signs for ferries to the closest Greek Island of Aegina. On Aegina (very famous for its pistachio nuts) there are quite a few beaches with the nearest one being within easy walking distance from the ferry pier. Aegina is an attractive quiet island that we like as a laid-back alternative to the hustle and bustle of Athens.

 

Hank

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Getting out to an island gives you a different perspective on Greece. Aegina is definitely the closest.

 

If Athens is a stop on your cruise, just be aware of the ferry schedules and leave lots of time to get back to the ship. If Athens is your embarkation point or disembarkation point, then you could plan an overnight on one of the islands. Aegina is one of the islands in the Saronic gulf--Poros is another which is wonderful (we stayed there for 2 nights.) They are both close to Athens, just make sure to take the fast ferry, Flying Dolphins are one type (hydrofoils.)

 

Just note that they tend to be busy on weekends, since they are popular getaways for Athenians.

[livylotte]

Thankyou for your replies. We are in Athens on a Wednesday so we will be able to avoid the weekend rush. I'll try to find out the ferry times for those islands, they both sound great but if it means we will be cutting it fine to get back to ship I might give them a miss. Hiring a car and heading towards Sounion sounds good too - the ships tour goes there but doesn't stop there for very long. We've got 2 very intensive stops on this cruise (Israel & Egypt) so we will be happy to spend some time chilling on a nice beach for our other ports.

 

Thanks again!