travisa

We will be staying for two nights in the area of Vouliagmeni, Greece (Athens Riviera). Any suggestions about this area?! Restaurants, things to do, etc.

clausar

May i ask when will you be there and where will you stay?
What are your interests? Do you want to stay in Vouliagmeni, or do you want want to visit Athens as well? ( Acropolis etc)

travisa

Hi, we will be there mid-June and staying at the Margi. We would like to go to Athens one day and the rest in the Vouliagmeni area. Due to the brevity of our visit we would like to see the most important/famous sights in Athens, do a little shopping and eat some great Greek food. Another concern that we have is transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port, and the sightseeing in between. Is the Vouliagmeni area safe? Thank you in advance for any help that you can provide.

yipper

If you have a car drive to the tip of the Sounion Penninsula and see the temple of Posidon. There is a small town called Vari famous for their Travernas that serve roasted lamb. There are some decent beaches in the area. IT has been a few years since I was in this area, but I used a Thomas Cook travel book and it had good info. Have fun.

Yipper

travisa

Thanks Yipper will look into that area

clausar

Vouliagmeni is one of the safest areas of Athens, and one of two most expensive areas of Greece ( the other one is Oia, Santorini)

It is a very nice suburb with a fantastic location on a small peninsula.
Best way to get there from the airport is with a taxi ( the Express Bus to Piraeus doesn't go over Vouliagmani, and changing to a local bus, might not be very easy for you)
Also a taxi would be the best way to go to Piraeus.

The Margi is a nice hotel, in the best area of Vouliagmeni.
I would recommend walking to Ithaki, a great restaurant for fish, with an amazing view over the small gulf of Kavouri.
Here is the link : http://www.ithakirestaurantbar.gr/en/
I wouldn't recommend the mediocre restaurant of the Margi.
There are plenty of great cafes in walking distance from your hotel.

For spending a day on the beach, just walk to the neighbouring Astir Palace complex ( a huge complex with 3 hotels, Arion, the Westin Athens and W). For an entrance you can spend your day at a great beach, among Greek celebrities, that you won't recognize....
There is also a public beach nearby ( where you will also have to pay an entrance).

In Vouliagmeni you could also walk to the Lake of Vouliagmeni, which is also in walking distance, it is a small lake with salty water, where you can swim or enjoy a drink and admire the view.

Getting to Athens can take up to 1 hour, ask the front desk for directions.
You can spend a whole day there by visiting the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum, then walking down via the pedestrianized Areopagitou Street to Thisseion, and from there via Monastiraki to the old city of Plaka.
A great restaurant for lunch is Dionysos, just opposite of the Acropolis, with a magnificent view.. ( belongs to the same group as Ithaki, both not inexpensive, but worth every cent because of the great food and the view)

In the evening ask the reception if the Island is open, and take a taxi to have a drink to one of the most beautiful spots of summer Athens. Island is bar-restaurant popular among fashionable Athenians with a superb location on the sea.

For great shopping take the bus to fashionable, neighbouring Glyfada, there are endless shops restaurants and cafes there... Glyfada is very popular for dinning among Athenians and it's ideal for people watching

Well, this is the second time that i write this post, after a PC crash...lol

Anything else you would like to know, just ask

Weadles

We've stayed at The Westin in Vouliagmeni several times. The downside is that going into Athens can be a hassle, depending on time of day and traffic. Count on about 45 minutes, maybe more, especially if you're visiting during Posidonia ( Greek shipping conference) week!

We really enjoyed Nobu-Athens, which is on site at The Astir Palace. It's expensive, but the food and views (!) were excellent.

Weadles

Just reread Clausar's comments and wanted to second the recommendation for Ithaki, which is wonderful! In fact, I'm hoping to go there again in a few weeks.

travisa

Thanks Clausar and Weadles for giving me some peace of mind, there's so much information out there to overwhelm any anxious traveler. Your advice is deeply appreciated!

Weadles

Regarding safety, don't even give it a second thought! It's a beautiful area, just a little remote/far from Athens for my taste. But it's a great place to recover from jet lag for a day or two, or unwind before the long trip back to the States.

BTW, I've heard great things about The Margi. I'd love to read a post about it when you get back!

travisa

Will definitely post about the Margi! I can tell you that so far I have emailed them with questions about transportation and they have been very quick and helpful with their reply.