Athens Riviera
The Port of Piraeus to the south of Athens is the jumping-off point for many a Hellenic holiday come the summer months. But tell your taxi to drive on and marvel as the city’s suburbs give way to a glorious stretch of coastline known as the Athens Riviera, which unfolds all the way down to Cape Sounio.
A short drive brings you to Glyfada, a forested enclave surrounded by lavender fields on one side and sapphire-blue waters on the other. Nearby, in Vouliagmeni, a lake with natural healing powers rubs shoulders with all-day beach restaurants, making it a wonder that the Acropolis stands proudly just half an hour away.
This year, the One&Only Aesthesis will breathe new life into the Athens Riviera when it opens in Glyfada.
Made up chiefly of secluded villas with their own pools, its design draws inspiration from ancient Greek elements and the mythology of the surrounding Attica area. Its use of natural stone and timber will be offset with playful, mid-century design details and plenty of woven leather, giving it more than a whiff of more glamorous Riviera days gone by (oneandonlyresorts.com/aesthesis).