🌍 Travel: Escaping the Athens Concrete: My Winter Weekend Oasis in the Riviera (With a Dog!)
Traveling the world full-time while running an agency sounds like a non-stop highlight reel, right? Most days, I love my DN life. But let me give you some candor: sometimes you find yourself staring at a grey apartment wall in central Athens, realizing the "city living" is slowly draining your soul.
I am staying in Kaisariani. If you don't know it, imagine a concrete box inside a concrete maze. I needed an escape. I needed ocean breezes, trees, and to not feel like the city was crumbling around me. So, my son, Midnight and I packed our bags, jumped in a taxi, and headed for a weekend getaway to the Athens Riviera.
Here is the good, the bad, and the outright ridiculous of navigating the Greek coast in winter, and how I finally found my zen in a seaside bungalow.
The "Fake Luxury" Trap (And How to Dodge It)
When I first started looking for beachfront hotels in Athens, my scam radar went haywire. The Greek hotel scene on third-party booking sites can feel a lot like the US: places boasting 5-star ratings that are actually run-down relics from the 1980s. They use clever photography to hide the worn carpets and slap a nearly $500/night price tag on a room that smells like a damp basement.
I almost booked a spot in Glyfada until I realized the "beach" was basically an urban strip next to a busy highway. No thank you. If you want true luxury and zero concrete, you have to look further south to Vouliagmeni and Kavouri.
Pro-Tip: Ditch the overpriced crumbling hotels and look for Airbnbs in Kavouri. I scored a gorgeous, modern luxury bungalow with a private terrace just 50 meters from the sea for a fraction of what the grand resorts were asking. Plus, having a ground-floor garden is a massive game-changer when you are traveling with a dog!
The Vibe: Welcome to the "Beverly Hills" of Athens
Vouliagmeni is the absolute antidote to central Athens. It’s strictly zoned for low-density housing, meaning instead of graffiti and grey blocks, you are surrounded by massive Aleppo pine trees and stunning villas.
The demographics here lean heavily toward the affluent—it’s where wealthy Athenians and expats retreat to escape the chaos. The streets are pristine, the air smells like pine needles mixed with sea salt, and it feels incredibly safe. However, where I stayed, I wouldn’t say it’s quiet luxury at its finest. It was quiet alright.
Winter Weather on the Riviera
If you are visiting the Riviera in February like I did, don't expect to be tanning in a bikini.
The Temps: Highs hover around 55°F–57°F (13°C–14°C) and drop into the high 40s at night.
The Vibe: It’s moderately chilly and slightly breezy. It is "sweater weather" perfection. The summer crowds are completely gone, leaving the beaches empty and peaceful.
Things to Do (When You Aren't Working)
Even in the off-season:
The Kavouri Promenade: This is a paved, car-free path right along the water. You can walk for miles with the ocean breeze.
Vouliagmeni Lake: A sunken geological marvel fed by underground thermal springs. The water stays a constant 72°F (22°C) year-round. It is nature’s ultimate spa day. I saw they charge. I didn’t feel like paying for nature.
Astir Beach & The Coves: While the famous Astir Beach is the epitome of exclusive luxury, there are dozens of smaller, rocky coves along the peninsula where you can sit and watch the sunset without the crowds.
The Food Drama (And The Delivery Save) ~ My Experience
I always keep it real, so I have to mention the food scene. Vouliagmeni has some incredible dining so they say. It usually is when catering to the rich. One thing I will spend all my money on is quality food so I go where the good food is but here in Athens there’s a lot of mediocracy I can’t afford. Prices are ridiculous. The first place was interesting- they let us sit outside for a long time, we didn’t even know the inside was open as we couldn’t see the people. After 1/2 hour of sititng outside the server came to get us. We were too deep in conversation to care and my son had misunderstood what he said- but at least the food was delicious. I had one of their common foods by the ocean- fish soup. It’s squash puree served on top of fish with some herbs. Pretty simple, pretty delicious. We were once again left waiting really long when we were done and wanted to pay. A man who looked like the owner lounged around without a care in the world and went to the register when it was time to pay. Whatever dude.
I tried ordering from a highly-rated traditional Greek taverna, only to be met with some worse archaic, racist energy. They didn’t greet us. The place was chaos. We had to walk all the way inside to the kitchen pretty much. They ignored us as long as they could. The bus boy set up the table and totally pretended we weren’t there. When the waiter came he did not say hello even after my son said hello 3 times. At the 3rd time he finally said it and the entire time he stared down at his little order-taking pad not looking at us one time. While my son looked down at the menu I stared at the big-belly, miserable-looking older man in silence until he looked up at me. We made eye contact and I gave him my “f*@k you” look. I got up and told my son “let’s go.” We were out of there.
Side note: One of the MANY times I experienced this same thing for an extended period of time was in a flight. I was stretching by the bathrooms and a blonde blue-eyed flight attendant ignored me the entire time. It was 30 to 45 minutes at the least. She did not look my way once even though I looked at her many times while I stretched. It became comical because I recognize that “I’ll-pretend-you-don’t-exist” racist energy. I can’t help but laugh. They’re THAT mad that they’re in position of service to people they think are less than them! It’s the saddest thing ever.
I have story after story of racism, agism, sexism- I could fill books. If you say I’m imagining it either you’re white and have no idea what I’m talking about or you’re living in LaLaLa Land or you have never been around other ethnicities. The other flight attendant that finally came to the area looked at me right away and said: “Hi, do you need some water or anything?” while smiling. I smiled back and said “No, thank you, just stretching.” I SO regret not saying to her in the most lovingly, sarcastic way while pointing at the rude flight attendant, “she needs to retake the customer service training (and the discrimation one too!).”
Don’t you hate when you think of things after the fact!
As an entrepreneur who has spent decades building a life on my own terms, I have zero tolerance for this very well-known behavior. I don't care how good the reviews are; I don’t care how hungry I am and how popular the place is; you don't get my money. Get a life, I say.
Instead, we went to a fancy cafe kind of place called Rumors. The crowd was much younger and “hip.” Definitely wealthy by their clothes. We stood out like sore thumbs. Dishes were overpriced of course and the vibe was just- very Athens- as I’ve had people confirm- even Greeks themselves who don’t like it here.
After the racist and xenophobia experience and eating at two restaurants we pivoted to the Wolt delivery app during our last night there. I completely bypassed the Greek tavernas, found a fantastic, high-end Italian spot, and ordered a phenomenal meal straight to my bungalow (still overpriced of course). We enjoyed it with Midnight at our feet.
Problem solved, additional drama averted.
You can keep your “Athens Riviera.” It didn’t even look like it’s where the wealthy live. They just have the coast. Nothing to rave about.
Fun Fact
Oh! On the way there some very interesting buildings caught my eye and I said “let me take a pic!” to my son and the taxi driver said:
“Those are Masonic buildings.”
My son didn’t know what that meant. I said “ As in Free Masons?” He was looking at me through the rear view mirror and nodded and said “yes” waiting for my reaction.
Aaaaahh!! Now I understand what vibes I’m REALLY dealing with! Can’t wait to GTFOH! Turkey! Here I come!
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