Seventh heaven on the Greek Riviera
It’s Saturday night in Glyfada – a coastal suburb of Athens referred to, affectionately, by those in the know, as Chelseaby- the-sea. Judging by the broad selection of designer boutiques, chichi eateries and pashmina-style glamour of those who throng its busy streets, Glyfada may deserve its name. So, it seemed strangely dissonant to be sitting in packed Italian restaurant Peccati gi Gola, grazing on meltingly moreish warm foccacia with walnuts, figs and gorgonzola, and reading a text from a concerned friend back in the UK: ‘Are you OK? Has there been any trouble?’
Yes. I’ve overdosed on zucchini risotto, if that’s what you can call trouble. But that wasn’t the kind of trouble she meant.
She meant Greece: riots, economic instability… but I’m yet to see it. If anything, the sedative atmosphere, good food, extraordinary service and hospitality of the Athenian Riviera (a glorious stretch of coastline along the sheltered Saronic Gulf, just 25km from the city centre, stretching from the southern suburbs of Athens to the southernmost point of Attica) is about as get-away-from-it-all as it gets.
Leaving urban sprawl behind, the 30-minute drive whisks you to gorgeous, palm-fringed beaches, waterfront cafes, restaurants and shops. Greece’s capital may have taken a battering in terms of its international image. But to overlook Athens – or, more significantly, its Riviera, hitherto untroubled by the British tourist industry – is to miss a trick.
We fly into Athens on easyJet and, on recommendation, elect to use local car-hire firm Avanti. Salvos, the owner, is waiting for us and, like all Greeks in the tourist industry, aches for the image of his country and bursts with ideas for our trip. It’s a 20-minute drive to Vouliagmeni, one of the Riviera’s key districts, where we are booked at The Margi, a contemporary hotel between a scented pine forest and a pristine, sandy beach.
The service, as we find throughout our stay in Greece, is personal and salted with gratitude. As I lie beached on my poolside lounger after breakfasting on fresh figs, Greek yogurt and the country’s signature cheese pie, I wonder which of us is actually the grateful one.
From there, we move to the Divani Apollon Palace & Spa, a little further up the coast and a magnet for those who want to enjoy the health and wellbeing treatment. The hotel offers the biggest thalassotherapy pool in Greece. My husband mistakenly tries to swim in the warm, salty sea water, but is pummelled back by therapeutic jets. I elect for a facial – which is truly divine.
We do take a car ride into Athens – it would be rude not to. In winter, you can enjoy a city speckled with archaeological ruins, without the unapologetic heat of summer. But we’re happy just to enjoy the simplicity and peace of the Riviera. Think Cannes without the attitude. One lunchtime, we stop at Flisvos, a large marina on the Attica coastline, and dawdle over genuine Greek salad.
For more ancient history, there is a drive to the archaeological area of Cape Sounio, the southernmost tip of Attica, where the magnificent temple of Poseidon crests on an acropolis over the bay. (In summer, stay at Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort, a bespoke complex of elegant villas clustered on the hillside, with sweeping views of the ancient ruins.) In the evening, we enjoy genuine Greek cuisine. This is, after all, the coast to feast on sardines and other fresh fish.
As we touch down under grey, weeping skies back in the UK, I punch out a text to my concerned friend: ‘Actually, no, I’m not OK. Not because of where we’ve been… but because I didn’t want to leave.’
Avanti Rent A Car: www.avanti.com.gr
Cape Sounio: www.capesounio.com
Divani Apollon Palace & Spa: www.divanis.com
The Margi: www.themargi.gr
Yes. I’ve overdosed on zucchini risotto, if that’s what you can call trouble. But that wasn’t the kind of trouble she meant.
She meant Greece: riots, economic instability… but I’m yet to see it. If anything, the sedative atmosphere, good food, extraordinary service and hospitality of the Athenian Riviera (a glorious stretch of coastline along the sheltered Saronic Gulf, just 25km from the city centre, stretching from the southern suburbs of Athens to the southernmost point of Attica) is about as get-away-from-it-all as it gets.
Leaving urban sprawl behind, the 30-minute drive whisks you to gorgeous, palm-fringed beaches, waterfront cafes, restaurants and shops. Greece’s capital may have taken a battering in terms of its international image. But to overlook Athens – or, more significantly, its Riviera, hitherto untroubled by the British tourist industry – is to miss a trick.
We fly into Athens on easyJet and, on recommendation, elect to use local car-hire firm Avanti. Salvos, the owner, is waiting for us and, like all Greeks in the tourist industry, aches for the image of his country and bursts with ideas for our trip. It’s a 20-minute drive to Vouliagmeni, one of the Riviera’s key districts, where we are booked at The Margi, a contemporary hotel between a scented pine forest and a pristine, sandy beach.
The service, as we find throughout our stay in Greece, is personal and salted with gratitude. As I lie beached on my poolside lounger after breakfasting on fresh figs, Greek yogurt and the country’s signature cheese pie, I wonder which of us is actually the grateful one.
From there, we move to the Divani Apollon Palace & Spa, a little further up the coast and a magnet for those who want to enjoy the health and wellbeing treatment. The hotel offers the biggest thalassotherapy pool in Greece. My husband mistakenly tries to swim in the warm, salty sea water, but is pummelled back by therapeutic jets. I elect for a facial – which is truly divine.
We do take a car ride into Athens – it would be rude not to. In winter, you can enjoy a city speckled with archaeological ruins, without the unapologetic heat of summer. But we’re happy just to enjoy the simplicity and peace of the Riviera. Think Cannes without the attitude. One lunchtime, we stop at Flisvos, a large marina on the Attica coastline, and dawdle over genuine Greek salad.
For more ancient history, there is a drive to the archaeological area of Cape Sounio, the southernmost tip of Attica, where the magnificent temple of Poseidon crests on an acropolis over the bay. (In summer, stay at Cape Sounio Grecotel Exclusive Resort, a bespoke complex of elegant villas clustered on the hillside, with sweeping views of the ancient ruins.) In the evening, we enjoy genuine Greek cuisine. This is, after all, the coast to feast on sardines and other fresh fish.
As we touch down under grey, weeping skies back in the UK, I punch out a text to my concerned friend: ‘Actually, no, I’m not OK. Not because of where we’ve been… but because I didn’t want to leave.’
Avanti Rent A Car: www.avanti.com.gr
Cape Sounio: www.capesounio.com
Divani Apollon Palace & Spa: www.divanis.com
The Margi: www.themargi.gr