Athens, Greece 4K WALKING TOUR: Glyfada beach

The exotic coast of #Athens, #Greece is full of people enjoying the sunshine and swimming. It is the beginning of January 2022 and Glyfada #beach is offering unique moments to its visitors. Starting from the tram stop Κέντρο Ιστιοπλοΐας / Kentro Istioploias, the #Glyfada #public beach area goes on for another 2.5km heading #south. This stretch is not all entirely beach, there are #marinas mixed in and a few #restaurants and #cafes as well. If you are coming from the center of Athens, the tram is the easiest way to get to the beaches. From #Syntagma square it will take about 40 minutes to get to the Glyfada beach on the #tram. For #visitors to the area, this is a great way to see the #Coast! The public beach in Glyfada is towards the north of the #resort, and is actually two beaches interrupted by a headland with a nightclub and restaurant. Both beaches are long and pebbly, with none of the facilities of the private beaches, but still a stone’s throw from Glyfada’s #shops, cafes and restaurants. The #water is crystal clear at Glyfada Beach and even if the surface is a little gravelly the shore is kept clean. Back from the water’s edge there are softer patches of coarse sand on both beaches where you can lay your towel and put a parasol. Glyfada Kentro Beach This beach is a 5 minute walk from the main #Metaxas shopping street. This beach is popular in the ‘off-season’ for strolling along the waterfront. Because of it’s proximity to central Glyfada, people will pop down and walk along it to add a taste of the sea to their day. There is a newly renovated ‘fish market’ along side of this beach where you will find local fisherman selling their catch-of-the-day in the morning. #Ark cafe bar is located a bit south of this beach and #Nikolas tis #Schinoussas fish restaurant is on the other end. #Asteria #Touristico Beach I call this beach Touristico because it is a small little area located next to a famous Glyfada landmark, the touristiko periptero and Zervas Restaurant. The #city of Glyfada has added some new landscaping to all of the beaches and a few other features like tiki umbrellas, changing rooms and benches are scattered along the coast. Glyfada Beach 3 It is a large sandy beach with pebbles along the shore. There is a kiosk not too far from this beach so you can easily grab your snacks and drinks because there is no longer any cafe open on this beach. The Palmyra Hotel is a block away from this beach area. A well-to-do resort on the Athens Riviera, Glyfada is where Greek tycoons, politicians and foreign oligarchs go for sun, sea and sand a short drive of the capital. To the uninitiated it’s a kind of #Greek #Marbella, with luxury boutiques, snazzy #cocktail bars, a golf course and a string of #private beaches. There’s enough #nightlife, restaurants and shops in Glyfada that you’d only ever need to travel to Athens for sightseeing. But you could also take a look around and see what the neighbouring towns have in store. #Vari close by is known for its gigantic grilled meat restaurants, while #Vouliagmeni has a lovely natural lake that has become a spa resort. This church in Glyfada is small but a joy to behold inside and out. Saints #Constantine and Helen #Cathedral Completed in 1934, it has the #Byzantine tetraconch design (four apses). Over the last decade the interior has been entirely overhauled and the church’s old frescoes have been replaced by brilliant mosaics. These were composed by the artist Vlasios Tsotsonis who has produced Byzantine-style art for dozens of churches not just in Greece but also North America. A special time to be here is on 21 May, when people come to venerate the relics of St Helena, the Empress of the Roman Empire in the 4th century and mother of Constantine. Glyfada’s #streets have been planned like a pedestrian mall: They curve around the bay in concentric semi-circles, while the buildings have multiple levels that can be accessed from the outside on foot and are broken up by passages lined with yet more shops. And if there’s something special you need, or you just want to see what turns up Glyfada has a serious choice of stores for what is a small-ish resort. Gap, H&M, Boss Menswear, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, Mango, Sephora, Marks & Spencer, Claire’s and Pull and Bear are all here, in between locally owned #boutiques and #design shops. #riviera #lifestyle #summer #holidays #vacation #exotic #places