What can I do in Glyfada?

In the southern suburbs of Athens, Glyfada has a shopping center with many clothing stores, jewelry stores, etc. but also cafes, bars, restaurants with greek and international cuisine, fast foods, pastry shops, cinema and bowling. On the beach you can walk to see the marinas with the boats, the sunset and in summer to swim. Read more in the travel guide .

How can I get to Glyfada?

By car, taxi or Tram. The Metro reaches up to Elliniko and from there you have to continue by your own means or by bus. Also by Metro up to the station Neos Kosmos or Syggrou - Fix and then by Tram. From the Airport with the Express X96 bus. Read more here .

Glyfada Travel Guide

John Karkalatos7 December 2021

Glyfada is not just a coastal suburb of Athens but a central city in the southern suburbs with its own culture that makes it stand out from the rest of Athens. On the one side the sea and on the other the mountain range Ymittos give it a beauty that you do not easily find in Athens.

In this guide

More about Glyfada:

Whether you visit Glyfada for a walk, shopping, night out, holidays or for a getaway to the beaches of the Athenian Riviera you'll find plenty of things to do.

So what's special in Glyfada apart from the beach? There are cafes, bars, restaurants, fast foods, cinema, bowling, pizzerias, sushi bars, pastry shops, clothing stores and many other related stores. And all these gathered so that you can walk them.

1. Walking in Glyfada

First of all you need to know how to walk Glyfada to find what you want without making useless circles.

The walks most times begin from Agios Konstantinos, the church with the characteristic white domes since there is a parking lot and is the entrance of the city from Athens and Piraeus.

Walking towards the center you'll encounter the best fast foods in the city: Goody's Burger House, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Everest, Spitiko Apla for souvlaki and McDonald's (at the junction of Metaxa and Poseidonos). A real paradise for fast food lovers, the place where you can eat Big Mac, greek burger, souvlaki, hot dog, sandwiches and KFC chickens.

Goody's Burger House at the beginning of Metaxa Avenue

From Goody's begins Konstantinoupoleos Street, the well-known to the locals Biftekoupoli (city of burger). Personally I don't recommend eating there because the food is a tourist version of the greek traditional food at exorbitant prices. Anyway as the name implies it is known for its burgers and not for any other specialty.

The Tram lines cross a circular road that is none other than Metaxa Avenue, the most central road and the heart of Glyfada. Busy with large sidewalks and plenty of greenery, you'll find there several clothing stores and small malls, the plazas as the locals call them.

You continue the walk at Metaxa following the Tram lines, you pass from several clothing stores with beautiful shop windows that are worth to take a look.

Metaxa Avenue with the Tram lines

The first major junction is with Lambraki Street. Upwards through a pedestrian street you reach a large playground for young and older children with plenty of toys to play for hours.

Downwards Lambraki you'll encounter Starbucks, it's worth a stop for the favorite frappuccino caramel or for mochaccino, TGI Friday's and then you reach Asteria and from there you can continue your walk on the beach.

At Glyfada beach

Continuing Metaxa, as the Tram lines go, at the next junction is Zisimopoulou Street, well-known for the cafes and the cinema. There you'll find Kayak with the excellent ice creams and sweets, Baron, Living cafe - bar - restaurant, Mr. Puffs Dessert bar and Town Cinemas, the cinema of Glyfada.

Kayak at Zisimopoulou for ice cream and dessert

Over Zisimopoulou is Esperidon Square with a playground, Starbucks and various other stores.

After Zisimopoulou there are only scattered stores with the main point being Nymphon Square where you'll find a chinese restaurant, mexican, italian and sushi bar.

Starbucks at the junction Lambraki and Lazaraki

2. How to get to Glyfada?

Athens Metro doesn't reach there, it reaches Elliniko station at Vouliagmenis Avenue and from there you have to continue by taxi. Alternatively by Metro until the stations Syggrou - Fix or Neos Kosmos and from there you can continue by Tram until the center of Glyfada.

Athens Tram in Glyfada

From Piraeus: you take the ISAP train at Piraeus station. At the next station Faliro you disembark, you cross the pedestrian bridge of Poseidonos Avenue and from there you take the Tram from the stop Peace & Friendship Stadium. You'll reach directly the center and the beach of Glyfada
From Athens center: by Metro until Syggrou - Fix or Neos Kosmos station and from there continue by Tram until the center of Glyfada. Otherwise by Metro until Elliniko station and from there continue by taxi. Also you can get the bus A3 from Akadimias Street
From the airport: by bus Express X96 Piraeus - Athens Airport. In order to get to the Airport from Glyfada you take it from the Poseidonos Avenue stop opposite the main square (Vasso Katraki)

For your transfers to and from Glyfada you can use the Glyfada Radio Taxis.

A tram stop

3. When is the best time to visit Glyfada?

During winter Glyfada is not that attractive, a normal thing for a coastal city. Athenians prefer the central suburbs for going out however it still attracts people for shopping and coffee on Saturday mornings.

In spring the weather gets hotter, especially after May, and the athenians seek connection with nature and the sea breeze and now the traffic peaks in Glyfada and Poseidonos Avenue. At this time it's difficult to find an available table especially on Saturday nights. At the same time the beach bars are opening for frantic night entertainment. Traffic in Glyfada lasts until autumn.

Walking with a summer full moon

If you have young children check this interesting playground

4. How did so many stores come together there?

Glyfada as you may have understood is a mixture of greek and foreign influences and this is not coincidental. Since the 1950s, when the american base of Elliniko started operating, it was the hangout of the american soldiers that were then crowded at Biftekoupoli and the american bars of the city for some entertainment and fast food. It's not an exaggeration to mention that it's the first region in Greece that learned about Coca - Cola and the american burger.

Almost every American fast food that has passed through Greece had a store in Glyfada: McDonald's, KFC, Wendy's, Lebel, Hambo, Applebee's, Dunkin 'Donuts, TGI Friday's. Today only McDonald's, KFC and TGI Friday's remain along with the greek Goody's and Everest.

In the early 1990s, when the americans left Greece, several stores closed, but from the 2000s, a dynamic recovery took place again.

Where to stay in Glyfada - The 7 best hotels