Greece - Korina Miller [84]
There are free beaches at Palio Faliro (Edem), Kavouri and Glyfada.
There is also good (free) swimming at Shinias, Marathon and Vravrona in the north, though these take much longer to get to and are best reached by car.
You can swim year-round at Limni Vouliagmenis (Map; 210 896 2239; Leoforos Vouliagmenis; adult/child €8/5; 7am-8pm), a part-saltwater/part-springwater lake whose temperature usually doesn’t fall below 20°C and which is known for its therapeutic mineral qualities. It is set dramatically against a huge jutting cliff, just off the coast, and has a quaint old-world atmosphere thanks to the regular clientele of elderly citizens dressed in bathing caps and towelling gowns.
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ACTIVITIES
Diving
Aegean Dive Centre ( 210 894 5409; www.adc.gr; Zamanou 53, cnr Pandoras, Glyfada; PADI certification from €390, day/night dives €35/100) organises dives between Vouliagmeni and Cape Sounion. Prices include diving equipment.
Popular with seasoned divers, the new Planet Blue Dive Centre ( 22920 26446; www.planetblue.gr; Velpex Factory, Lavrio; PADI certification from €300, dives €35-80) caters for all levels at sites around Cape Sounion. Prices include diving equipment.
Golf
Athens’ only golf course is the international-standard, 18-hole Glyfada Golf Club ( 210 894 6820; www.athensgolfclub.com; off Konstantinos Karamanli, Glyfada; 9-/18-hole green fees €42/55). Clubs and buggies are available for hire. Bookings are required for weekends and public holidays.
Skiing
The closest ski resorts to Athens are at Mt Parnassos in the northwest and Kalavryta in the Peloponnese. The season usually lasts from mid-January to late March. Day excursions to Parnassos and Kalavryta from Athens are organised by Trekking Hellas (Map; 210 331 0323; www.trekking.gr; Rethymnou 12, Exarhia) and Klaoudatos (Map; 210 578 1880; www.klaou datos.gr).
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WALKING TOUR
This walk takes in most of the main sites in Athens. It involves just over one hour’s walking, but can take up to four hours allowing for lingering at various sites and a few detours.
The walk begins at the fountain in the middle of the square at Syntagma. The square has been a favourite place for protests ever since the rally that led to the granting of a constitution on 3 September 1843, declared by King Otto from the balcony of the royal palace. In 1944 the first round of the civil war began here after police opened fire on a communist rally, while in 1954 it was the location of the first demonstration demanding the enosis (union) of Cyprus with Greece.
Standing facing the metro station, to your left is the historic Hotel Grande Bretagne (1; Click here), the grandest of Athens’ hotels. Built in 1862 as a 60-room mansion for visiting dignitaries, it was converted into a hotel in 1872 and became the place where the crowned heads of Europe and eminent politicians stayed. The Nazis made it their headquarters during WWII, and in 1944 the hotel was the scene of an attempt to blow up Winston Churchill.
To the left of the metro entrance you can see a section of the ancient cemetery and the Peisistratos aqueduct (2), which was unearthed during metro excavations.
Take the metro underpass to go across to the Parliament, stopping en route at the upper hall of Syntagma metro station (3), showpiece of the city’s swish metro system. Glass cases at the southern end of the hall display finds uncovered during construction, while the western wall has been preserved like a trench at an archaeological dig.
The underpass emerges to the right of the former royal palace, now the Parliament (4; Click here). In front of the Parliament, you will see the much-photographed evzones, the presidential guards. They stand sentinel under the striking Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which depicts a slain soldier and has inscriptions with excerpts of Pericles’ epitaph. Time your visit to catch the changing of the guard (5; Click here), every hour on the hour.
Walk through the lush National Gardens (6; Click