17 activities for families with children on the Athenian Riviera

 

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Varkiza Resort, only 40 minutes away from the centre of Athens, is the best place to enjoy the sea and play in the sand at a sizeable organized beach. The beach offers sunbeds, restaurants, beach bars, water sports and infrastructure for activities such as beach volleyball or beach tennis.

You will enjoy an excellent and extraordinary experience in Vouliagmeni Lake, which is famous for its healing properties and enchanting natural landscape. The lake is among the most recognized thermal springs in Greece; the water emerges from hot springs 50 to 100 meters deep, while its temperature fluctuates between 22-29°C throughout the year. The area around the lake is organized with sunbeds and umbrellas. At the same time, there is also a lifeguard & medical staff available, a children’s corner, WiFi, lockers, changing rooms, showers with hot water, etc. There is also an all-day café restaurant around the lake area.

A unique family hangout where children will come into actual contact with nature and realize its value in everyday life and in Greek cuisine. Here you will taste delicious dishes with raw ingredients straight from the orchard (guests over 11 years old are welcome).

A large playground awaits you in Kavouri. A stone’s throw from the beach and local taverns (after a full-day getaway by the sea), you’ll find wooden toys and plenty of sand for your kids to play with under the shade of pine trees.

Voula’s A’ Plaz or “Athens By the Sea”, is located 18 km from the centre of Athens and 20km from Piraeus. It is organized, with sunbeds and umbrellas and is the best destination for everyone to enjoy swimming in the clear blue waters and build castles in the sand! There are also restaurants offering food, coffee and drinks served on the beach through special menus. It is should be noted that an entrance fee is required, while there is an extra charge for sunbed-umbrella sets.

Voula Square may not be one of the first tourist destinations you’ll look for in the southern suburbs, but it’s worth including in your options if you’re looking for family-friendly destinations (that give you plenty of choices). So, in Voula square, in addition to many shops, you will also find several restaurants and cafes with tables on the large pedestrian street so you can relax while enjoying your coffee or food and the children play around.

A stone’s throw from the centre of Glyfada (about half an hour from the centre of Athens), Glyfada Golf course “Konstantinos Karamanlis” is one of the most beautiful golf courses in Europe. Τhe all-day café restaurant “Colonial” operates within the course (you do not need to be a member of the golf club to enter the facilities), where you can enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner in front of the green garden. It’s an ideal place to visit in the afternoons with your kids to play on the lawn in front of the “Colonial” and enjoy a cool aperitif.

The Experience Park is just the first sample of the massive Metropolitan Park of Ellinikon, which is currently under construction and, in a few years’ time will be the largest coastal park in Europe. A vast area with dozens of water jets for the most fun games, a unique playground inspired by the planes of the old Athens airport that were once housed in the area of “Ellinikon”, and paths for walking are some of the reasons to come all the way here. Street food canteens also operate in the area.

At a relatively close distance from the Ellinikon site (10 minutes by car), lie the sports facilities of Agios Kosmas. You will find basketball or football courts there, a playground and plenty of space to play. There is also a lovely cafe for parents right next to it.

Alimos beach is ideal for walking and cycling, but what child will be able to resist the giant inflatable structure floating in the sea just a few meters from the beach?

The highlight of the Municipality of Palaio Faliro is the impressive Flisvos Marina, with cafes and restaurants offering a cosmopolitan atmosphere, as well as an organized playground with inflatables for our little visitors. Right next to it is the Park of Maritime Tradition with the battleship “Averof”, which played a vital role during the Balkan wars and today functions as a museum.

Flisvos Park is a refreshing oasis on hot summer days close to the marina. Walking through its tree-lined pathways, you will be led to the wholly renovated playgrounds, one for younger and one for older children. In the evenings, the “Flisvos” open-air cinema on one hand and Tasos Konsta’s “Karagiozis” on the other, offer a spectacular experience under the starry nights.

Another large park not far from Flisvos Marina is Trokadero park, where one can find green playgrounds, some picnic tables (note that you may have difficulty finding one available) and plenty of shade under the trees.

 

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A vast historical collection of toys from all over the world, which cannot fail to impress children, is in a fairy-tale “castle” open from 10 am to 6 pm. It is located very close to Flisvos Marina, so this could also be an experience that will complete the full-day excursion in the Faliro area.

A public space with free access that includes the facilities of the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, as well as Stavros Niarchos Park, is one of the largest green spaces in Athens, covering an area of 210 acres. Here you will enjoy playing in the park and playgrounds and various activities such as kayaking in the Canal (note, however, that many of these require online pre-registration), a performance at the National Opera or – if you’re lucky – an evening concert at the Lighthouse. Ask for Information about “Researchers’ Backpack” and other children’s or family activities. City bikes are also available for rent both for adults and children.

Water Square is famous for the concerts that take place there during the summer months. Throughout the rest of the year, it is an ideal meeting point for cyclists of all ages who will either head towards SEF Stadium or go up the Esplanade bridge to get to the SNFCC. Kallithea Marina is also located nearby. The vast area that stretches to the Olympic beach volleyball facilities is ideal for children to learn how to ride a bike, or skate or run and play to their heart’s content. There are also vast areas of white sand where children can play with their sea buckets. In the area, construction work has already started in the context of the regeneration of Faliro Bay, which you will likely encounter during your walk there.

It may not be a purely tourist destination and may not be located on the Athenian Riviera, but in the “hinterland” of the southern suburbs Nea Smyrni square is an ideal destination for families. A pedestrian area with plenty of greenery and many options in restaurants and cafés, is a great choice if you feel like enjoying your coffee or your meal while the children play freely or ride their bikes. There are many shops around the square, where you can do your shopping on weekdays and Saturdays.
For an even “greener” excursion, Nea Smyrni Square is joined via Karyllos Square to the Nea Smyrni Grove, where the Municipality organizes concerts and excellent artistic performances.