Athens COVID19 lockdown partly suspended – No tourism yet

• May 3, 2020

After several weeks in quarantine lockdown, the residents of Athens are free to move around the city from Monday at 06:00 am, with many businesses like restaurants and cafes still shut. 1008 hours in quarantine and it felt like much more than that.

It feels strange not to have to notify the authorities that you are going out of home for a walk. Hopefully the COVID19 crisis in Greece is near the end. There was only one death announced today, if that can be considered good news, with 6 new infections.

International flights are not expected to resume for at least another month, pending also from EU-wide decisions from Brussels. For the time being greeks can enjoy the spring outside their homes which is a major breakthrough.

It is certain that residents will start visiting parks and the beaches within the Attica region, as the temperatures have risen and summer feels very near. If there is no serious outbreak of the virus, the remaining quarantine measures will get relaxed over the next few weeks and we might see again restaurants and coffee shops opening.

Athens has so much to offer as both a holiday and business destination. There are countless kilometers of coastline just in Attica region alone and given the opportunity it is worth considering if you are not planning to visit the islands. Most remote beaches are perhaps near the Sounio area, the location of the ancient temple of Poseidon. It is an ideal spot to watch the sunset. Most such places are within an hour’s drive.

Near Athens the local tram network covers a major part of the Athenian Riviera with the beaches of Floisvos in Faliro, Glyfada, Agios Kosmas and Voula on its route. The famous Vouliagmeni Lake is also reachable by tram from the center of Athens.

Towards the North East, the beaches of Porto Rafti, Rafina, Nea Makri and others are also worth the visit.