Athens Coast

Coast Story : Xavier

Xavier is a French-American living and working in the southern suburbs of Athens.

Why do you choose to live along the coast?

I’ve always been a coastal person, need to see the sea every day and open air.

Which is your favorite beach and why?

Yabanaki, good bars, good music, good cocktails, good people and wakeboard! As an alternative, there are also all the coastal hotels which charge a minor entrance fee, and you can use their pool/bar all day long with your friends.

What is your favorite area to spend time in during the day and why?

It depends on the day, either cafe on the coast, or shopping in Glyfada, or a hike on the mountain near Varkiza.

For a night out, which area do you prefer and why?

That’s the beauty of Athens, all is ‘nearby’ and depending on your mood, you can usually find anything that would suit your food mood within a 10 minute drive, in Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Voula, Faliro, there are hundreds of great restaurants, and great bars to go to. On weekends (summertime) Holy Spirit in Glyfada is always a good choice, although a change of venue is always needed, and new places to try out with your friends are always great!

A photo posted by Holy Spirit (@holyspiritbar) on

Is there anything else you would like to add?

As a dog owner, I also appreciate the fact that a lot of bars in the south (like Molly Malones, Nelly’s, Holy Spirit, etc..) accept me bringing my dog (a 35kg Doberman) for a drink… which cannot be said for many places… Furthermore, there is a great service for dog owners, near the Golf in Glyfada, called 4 feet, which is a giant doggy daycare which is run by the greatest group of girls which love dogs. (They also have a pension/doggy hotel for when you have to travel).

What should the rest of the world know about the Athens Coast?

It’s the Greek Riviera, and although there is a ‘Crisis’, it isn’t really felt on the Athens Coast, it is a micro-kosmos, economically and socially.  There are many things to do in the south.. cinema, beaches, clubs, bars, shopping, enjoying the weather, coffee with feet in the sand, etc…

Maria

Full time internacional mom, part time interviewer