Athens : Out of an economic crisis, a city surges back by GISELA WILLIAMS and TRAVEL/Explore the Athenian Riviera, Greece/AMANDA DARDANIS/ ESCAPE

Vibrancy and innovation can bloom even in hard times. Exhibit A is Greece’s ancient capital, which was hit hard by the global economic crisis and yet is seeing change at sites old and new. First the old: At the Acropolis, the famous Caryatids statues continue to get a restoration in 2014; the process will be on view in the Acropolis Museum through the end of the year. And the new: The National Museum of Contemporary Art opens this spring in a former brewery complex. Neighborhoods have also seen a resurgence, including the quickly gentrifying Monastiraki and the still gritty Kerameikos-Metaxourgeio; the latter will get a cultural lift in 2015 from the biannual ReMap art event. Travelers will have a new lodging option by summer, when a revived Emporikon Hotel opens on Aiolou, a street that is also home to a host of new dining spots.— GISELA WILLIAMS/


TRAVEL/Explore the Athenian Riviera, Greece/AMANDA DARDANIS/ ESCAPE
http://au.greekreporter.com/2014/01/13/sunday-telegraph-explores-the-athenian-riviera/

Hellas heaven : The comeliest coastal stretches have been privatised into paid beaches and leisure complexes. Source: Supplied
"For Athens alone of her contemporaries is found when tested to be greater than her reputation."

Pericles

THERE we were, polishing off the last of the marithes (tiny fried picarel), when it happened again.The children were capering down at the shore, luring baby crabs into beach buckets, while two fishing boats anchored inside the pine-studded cove nodded gently at a flybridge cruiser entering the neat azure bay. The Saronic Gulf island of Aegina etched its whimsical tattoo on a faultless horizon. Our Australian visitor picked up his Mythos beer and remarked: "It's hard to believe this is Athens." The enchanted lifestyle of the Athenian Riviera had bagged another convert.
People set the bar so low with Athens. The Greek capital is often straitjacketed by its reputation as a dysfunctional teeming metropolis: a city that manages to appear all white but grubby at the same time. Then along came the crisis with its riot squads in Syntagma Square and Athens became about as enticing as mouldy feta. Little wonder the inexhaustible delights of the verdant strip of southeast coastline known as the Athenian Riviera have remained "off grid" for most. In reality, southern Athens is a fantastic multi-tasking destination for couples, families and business travellers seeking to unwind and experience "island magic" without having to step foot on a ferry. Starting at the upscale seaside neighbourhood of Glyfada, about 25 minutes' drive from the city centre, the Riviera catchment ends at Cape Sounion, on the tip of the Attiki peninsula. In between lie dramatic ancient temples, fertile mineral lakes and panoramic mountain hikes. Beautiful beaches with blue-flag certified waters and bang-on-the-sand fish taverns sharing postcodes with buzzy "Miami-style" clubs and Nobu, the world's most recognised Japanese restaurant chain.
Happiest of all, there are the summers that stretch for five months - 150 consecutive Groundhog Days of brilliant skies and virtually no rain. Tick off the Parthenon, then effortlessly while away an idyllic Riviera fortnight without visiting the same place twice.

Beach life

Athenian beaches come in two modes - free and private. Beach purists can go native and head for the jut of coast between Vouliagmeni and Varkiza famous for its many free swimming coves.Look for where all the young Athenians have parked their cars by the side of the paraliaki (coast road) to discover unadorned swimming coves straight out of The Big Blue. Elsewhere, the comeliest coastal stretches have been privatised into paid beaches and leisure complexes. Average entry prices are about Euro 8 ($12) - prohibitive to the average Greek earning Euro700 a month. But where Athenians have suffered (one mayor went on a hunger strike to protest against the carving up of Riviera coastline), tourists have undeniably gained. Paid beaches provide the ease of sunbeds and umbrellas, waiter service, lifeguards and showers, along with an island resort vibe. Visit the expatriates' favourite, Yabanaki park in Varkiza, for a complete day out. Family friendly Yabanaki is a long, shallow-water beach with consistently clean swimming and excellent aqua sports. Take out a windsurfer or banana boat for a watery tango with the Aegean, then linger over octopus meat balls and very drinkable house wine at the superb contemporary taverna,Yialo-Yialo. Come siesta time, sun-sceptics can retreat to airconditioned cabanas equipped with DVD players and beds (for hire by the day or half-day.) Nearby Akti Vouliagmenis is also a favourite with aqua-park inflatibles and tennis courts. Inside and out the Cape Sounion Grecotel is best known for Greek island splendour in an exclusive pinewood setting. Source: Supplied

Vouliagmeni - Jewel of the Riviera

Sitting pretty on the south-western foot of the Hymettus mountain range, Vouliagmeni is to Athens what Cannes is to the Cote d'Azur. With its palm tree-lined boulevard, marinas and shockingly near absence of graffiti, deluxe Vouliagmeni flaunts some of Hellas' most expensive real estate. The perfect Vouliagmeni day starts at Moorings in Marina Vouliagmenis. Skip breakfast Greek style and sit over an icy frappe while admiring the sweep of Vouliagmeni bay (and all those Russian oligarchs' mighty vessels). Then hit the beach at nearby Astir Palace or Akti, depending on your budget. Lunch is served at Lambros, opposite Lake Vouliagmeni, a local institution for more than half a century thanks to its magnificent bay setting and nostalgic ambience. Go for simple classics such as grilled barbounia (red mullet), fresh calamari (many Greek taverns serve frozen), mydopilafo (mussel rice) and horiatiki (the ever-present Greek salad), aided by a crisp Santorini white wine while you watch the yachts jig about on the crystalline seas. (Stay with seafood as the meat dishes are just average.) Walk off lunch with a gentle hike on the popular Mount Hymettus trail above Vouliagmeni's cafe strip and be rewarded with hypnotic views of Athens and the Saronic islands. Before heading home, refresh in the healing mineral waters of Lake Vouliagmeni, a large sunken cavern fed by underground currents that are a constant 24C.Be prepared for the small black fish, kalogries, that can disconcertingly nudge your feet when you first climb in.Stunning architecture in Cape Sounion.

Cape Sounion

Greeks have always watched the sea for news of war; for the return of loved ones - and Cape Sounion, 70km from Athens, offers the most rousing seascape imaginable. Perched upon the Attiki headland, nearly 60m above sea level, rest the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, erected in the Golden Age of Pericles, around 440BC. There are Santorini sunsets … and there are Cape Sounion sunsets. Discover the nightly symphony of nature that made English poet Lord Byron swoon (his graffiti can still be read among the ancient Doric pillars).

Glyfada (Bondi meets bond Street)

The American air base cleared out in the 1990s, but the Riviera capital - home turf to millionaires, popstars and Australian fugitive crime lords - still retains a Yankee echo with its retro shopping malls and fastfood giants.Glyfada's main retail artery of Metaxa St can appear soulless. Venture to the upper end to tap into a jazzy post-crisis dining precinct of salsa bars and souvlaki grillhouses; while in nearby Pandoras St, they're trekking from all over Athens for new neighbourhood superstar Route Nationale 7, a Manhattan-feel eatery and wine bar. Uncover more of the "real Glyfada" in the leafy side-streets where a wave of new start-ups is creating an energetic SoHo village vibe. The area around Laodikis, Esperidon Square and Kiprou in particular is loaded with edgy boutiques (Pinko, Stenia, Zilly); cosy outdoor bars (Mikro, Holy Spirit, Soleto); and inventive culinary ventures such as the new beatnik-styled Food Mafia where the menu hero is the granulated burger.

Compulsory Viewing

The ingenious Balux House Project on the Glyfada seafront resembles something Richard Branson might have built to entertain his famous pals. House Project is a vast open-plan, glass-fronted beach house stuffed with oversized beanbags, vintage rugs, potted-plants and rocking chairs. To further encourage the all-day "hang", there are games rooms, a homey library alcove and multiple dining options.Directly outside is a sandy beach with requisite plush loungers and a well-equipped children's playpark. At Euro25 a person on weekends, Astir Beach is Athens' priciest summer playground - but that gets you creche facilities, hammocks and posh hairdryers, plus the excavated ruins of the Temple of Apollo Zoster. There is no better place to observe beautiful Athenians at play. Go in May or October when entry prices are slashed.
Voula seafront. Picture: Amanda Dardanis

Food with a view

Indulge in the Riviera staple of the long Sunday lunch at:
Nobu Matsuhisa, Apollonos 40, Astir Palace Hotel
Garbi, Iliou 21, Kavouri seafront;
Akti, Poseidonos 6, Vouliagmenis;
Elias Fish Restaurant, Sounion Coast, Sounio.

Pillow Talk

Take advantage of off-season deals in the months of May, September and October at top Riviera hotels:
Glyfada (Kiprou Street).
Grand Resort Lagonissi - best for private pool bungalows;
Aegeon Hotel - best for birdseye views of Poseidon's Temple at reasonable rates;
Astir Palace - best for Astir Beach and celeb spotting;
Cape Sounion Grecotel - best for Greek island splendour in an exclusive pinewood setting;
Divani Apollon Palace and Spa - best for its thalassotherapy.
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