Beach clubs on the Athens Riviera

The beach clubs on the Athens Riviera run about 30 km down the Attica coast, from Alimos in the north to Varkiza and Sounio in the south. Twelve are worth knowing, and they split hard by area. The north end is cheap and loud, while Vouliagmeni and Kavouri hold the marquee luxury names.

This is a city coastline, not an island escape, so locals fill most of the sunbeds. The season runs May to September, sometimes into October, with July and August the busiest. Prices swing wider than anywhere else in Greece, from about €7 to get into a municipal beach to €320 for a front-row set at Kavouri.

Alimos is the accessible party end, a short tram ride from the centre. Glyfada and Voula mix a luxury resort club with easy all-day cafes, Vouliagmeni and Kavouri hold the high-end scene, and Varkiza is the big family beach. The Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau keeps an official Riviera guide if you want the local view.

For the rest of the country's coast, see our guide to beach clubs in Greece. If you're pairing the mainland with the islands, Santorini has its own black-sand club scene.

What is the best beach club on the Athens Riviera?

For old-money luxury, Astir Beach on the Vouliagmeni peninsula is the flagship, a sheltered cove that hosts Dior and Chanel pop-ups through the summer. For the newest ultra-luxury option, Manko Beach Club at the One&Only Aesthesis resort in Glyfada is the one to beat.

If you want a party, Bolivar Beach Bar at Alimos flips from beach day to dancefloor after dark. For a quieter, cheaper day, Zen Beach in Vouliagmeni or the municipal sand at Varkiza Resort do the job for a fraction of the price.

How much does a day at an Athens Riviera beach club cost?

It depends entirely on where you go. A municipal beach like Varkiza Resort charges about €7.50 to €8.50 to get in, with a sunbed pair from around €20. At Alimos, a set at Akanthus Summer Club runs €20 on weekdays and €30 at weekends, towels and drinks included.

The luxury end is a different world. Front-row sets at Astir Beach start near €100 and reserved daybeds run €160 to €320, while cabanas at Manko Beach Club and 91 Athens Riviera start around €315. Book the marquee names ahead in July and August.

The northern end at Alimos is where the Riviera parties, and it's the cheapest, easiest stretch to reach from the centre.

Bolivar Beach Bar

Bolivar Beach Bar sits on Akti Iliou in Alimos, and it's a proper institution, now in its 22nd summer. The look is tropical, with a pool, sunbeds and parasols on the sand.

By day it runs a full restaurant and bar. After sunset it flips to a dancefloor with DJ sets and live concerts, so it's as much a night out as a beach day.

Entry is about €6 for adults on weekdays, with a sunbed and umbrella around €15. Reserve tables and gazebos online, especially at weekends. €€

Akanthus Summer Club

Akanthus Summer Club is the other big Alimos name, running since 2007 on the Akti tou Iliou stretch. Days are relaxed, then it turns into a neon-lit club with electronic sets and themed nights from Wednesday to Sunday.

The sunbed sets are good value and bundle in towels, two drinks, water and a locker. A set for two costs about €20 on weekdays and €30 at weekends.

It's open May to September, and the after-dark crowd dresses up. Come for the sunset-into-party swing rather than a quiet lounge. €€

South of Alimos, Glyfada and Voula trade the party energy for polished resort clubs and easy all-day cafes.

Manko Beach Club at One&Only Aesthesis

Manko Beach Club is the beach club and Peruvian restaurant at the One&Only Aesthesis resort, set on golden sand in a protected Glyfada pine forest a few minutes from the centre. It's the newest ultra-luxury option on the coast.

Book a sunbed, eat ceviche and chargrilled meats by the sea, and dance on the sand to the resident DJ at weekends. The crowd is quiet-luxury resort, and children aged five and up are welcome.

This is the top of the market. Couples cabanas start around €315, so it's a splurge day, not a walk-up. €€€

Bungalow 7

Bungalow 7 reopened the historic Asteria beachfront in Glyfada as an all-day bar, restaurant and pool club. It's laid out like a sprawling beach house, with waterfront views across the Saronic Gulf.

There's a large outdoor pool and jacuzzi plus two private beaches, one adults-only and one for families. Chef Dinos Fotinakis runs a Mediterranean menu with Asian technique, and Thursday club-dining nights bring music and a livelier crowd.

It's open from mid-morning to late, roughly 10am to 11:30pm. Prices sit at the upper-casual end, so book for weekends and sunset. €€€

Balux Cafe: The House Project

Balux Cafe: The House Project sits on Asteras Glyfada Beach, an open-plan beach-house cafe, bar and restaurant. It's built like a real house, with a library, a playroom and lounge areas.

In summer you use the beach with water trampolines and inflatables, which makes it a hit with families. The kitchen runs to pizza, sushi and bowls, and it keeps long hours from breakfast into the early hours.

It's casual and all-day rather than a sunbed-and-cabana club. Good for a relaxed day with kids. €€

Just south in Voula, one address plays by different rules.

91 Athens Riviera

91 Athens Riviera is a Domes resort in Voula that runs more like a private members' club than a public beach. It pairs glamping-style suites with a beach club, and access leans toward booking and membership over walk-up day passes.

On site are tennis courts, the Soma Spa, the Athlos fitness centre and the Barbarossa restaurant. The crowd is health-conscious and well-heeled.

Cabanas start around €315, in line with the coast's top resorts. It suits a full day of pool, spa and sea rather than a quick sunbathe. €€€

Vouliagmeni and neighbouring Kavouri are the heart of the luxury scene, where the priciest sunbeds in Greece sit on a run of sheltered coves.

Astir Beach

Astir Beach is the Riviera's flagship, a sheltered cove on the Vouliagmeni peninsula with the ancient Temple of Apollo Zoster on the sand. It hosts luxury-brand pop-ups from the likes of Dior and Chanel through the summer.

Pre-book classic sunbeds, reserved daybeds or cabanas online, with towels charged separately. On site are the Privilege Beach House lounge and 40Forty, the day-to-night bar-restaurant that shifts to DJ dining under the stars.

It's the priciest end of the coast. A-row sets run €100 to €180, reserved daybeds €160 to €320, and there's a Black Card membership around €800. Book well ahead in high summer. €€€

The Royal Beach Vouliagmeni

The Royal Beach Vouliagmeni is a members-style club on the golden sand near the heart of Vouliagmeni. It has a polished, all-day feel with luxury sunbeds and brunch served on the beach.

At sunset the Japanese-South American Goya Gastrobar takes over, hosting DJ parties into the night. So it works for a slow lunch or a night out, depending on when you show up.

Reservations are the norm, and it's firmly upscale without matching Astir's peak prices. Book for weekends and sunset. €€€

Krabo Beach

Krabo Beach is a pine-fringed bay in Kavouri, about 15 minutes from central Athens, with tiered terraces of sunbeds and private wooden huts. The mood is boho and laid-back, and it's one of the few dog-friendly clubs on the coast.

The Mediterranean restaurant is the real draw, and yacht owners anchor in the bay and use the tender service. Entry is free, and a set of two sunbeds with an umbrella runs around €50.

Beachfront sets go for €80 to €160 and private cabanas more. It's open roughly April to November, longer than most. €€€

Zen Beach

Zen Beach is the quiet, family-friendly private beach in Vouliagmeni, with clear water, soft sand and friendly service. It's the antidote to the party clubs up the coast.

The bar does cocktails and the kitchen leans to Greek taverna food and seafood. It's calm enough for a full day with kids or a book.

Sunbeds run about €35 to €65, and drop roughly half before noon and after 4:30pm, so time your visit. €€

Further south, Varkiza swaps polish for size and value.

Varkiza Resort

Varkiza Resort is a large organised beach at Varkiza, formerly Yabanaki, fully renovated under new owners in 2024. It packs in several bars and restaurants, water sports, cabanas and a big stretch of sand.

Entry is cheap, about €7.50 on weekdays and €8.50 at weekends, and sunbed prices climb toward the front rows. It's a family day out that turns into beach parties at sunset.

A sunbed pair with an umbrella runs roughly €20 to €60 depending on the row. Good for water sports, kids and a low-cost beach day. €€

One more sits well south of the core Riviera, on the road toward Sounio.

Grand Beach at Grand Resort Lagonissi

Grand Beach is the beach at Grand Resort Lagonissi, on a peninsula south of the main Riviera. It trades party energy for space and calm, with a VIP waterfront deck, a taverna and deep-water moorings.

There's even a private helipad for arrivals, which tells you the crowd it's after. It's the pick if you want room to breathe away from the busier northern beaches.

A VIP waterfront deck runs about €100 per person at weekends. Worth the drive only if you want quiet, uncrowded luxury. €€€

Frequently asked questions about Athens Riviera beach clubs

Do you need to book Athens Riviera beach clubs in advance?

For the luxury names in July and August, yes. Book sunbeds and cabanas at Astir Beach, Manko Beach Club and The Royal Beach Vouliagmeni ahead, ideally a week or two out. The municipal beaches like Varkiza Resort are more walk-up friendly, though front-row beds still go early at weekends.

When is beach club season on the Athens Riviera?

The season runs from May to September, sometimes into October, with July and August the busiest and priciest. As a city coastline, some venues stay open year-round for food and drinks. Krabo Beach keeps a longer season, roughly April to November, so it's a good shoulder-month bet.

How do you get to the Athens Riviera from central Athens?

The coastal tram runs from the city centre down to Glyfada and Voula, which covers the Alimos, Glyfada and Voula clubs. For Vouliagmeni, Kavouri and Varkiza, take a bus or taxi, around 20 to 40 minutes from the centre depending on traffic. Driving is easy, but summer parking near the beaches fills up fast.

Are there cheap or free beaches on the Athens Riviera?

Yes. Municipal organised beaches like Varkiza Resort charge only about €7 to €9 to get in, and there are free public stretches between the paid clubs. You pay more for a sunbed at the front, but a basic beach day here can cost very little next to the luxury cove clubs.

Which Athens Riviera beach club is best for families?

Varkiza Resort is the easy pick, with water sports, a kids' area and cheap entry. Balux Cafe: The House Project in Glyfada is built for families, with a playroom and beach inflatables. Zen Beach in Vouliagmeni is calm and shallow, good for younger children.

Which area has the best beach clubs on the Athens Riviera?

It depends on your budget and mood. Vouliagmeni and Kavouri hold the marquee luxury clubs like Astir Beach and Krabo Beach. Alimos is the cheaper party end, Glyfada mixes resort clubs with family cafes, and Varkiza is the big-value family beach.