Four Destinations Near Attica Ideal for Family Getaways

This is a place that can work beautifully as a day trip combining pleasure with easy learning, although we suggest staying at least one night in Delphi or the wider area for a more fulfilling experience. From Athens, the drive to Delphi takes roughly three hours. Especially on a clear day, the view from the town toward the olive grove of Amfissa and the Corinthian Gulf is truly memorable.

The jaw-droppingly beautiful archaeological site of Delphi is an excellent gateway for introducing children to the mysteries and events of the ancient Greek world. During the drive, you can begin by telling them what they can expect to discover there: The Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi, with its famous Pythia oracle, was founded on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, the Sacred Mountain of the ancients, within the imposing landscape formed between the two towering rocks of the Phaedriades.

For many centuries, it served as a spiritual and religious center, as well as a symbol of unity for the ancient Greek world. Through the institution of the Amphictyonies, it signaled the ideals of friendship and peaceful coexistence, which formed the fundamental pursuit of the Delphic Idea.

According to tradition, the area of Delphi was originally home to a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Gaia, guarded by the dragon Python. Apollo, god of light, arrived at Kirra, the port of Delphi, transformed into a dolphin and accompanied by the Cretans. After killing Python, he founded his own sanctuary. This myth survived through various festivals, and, of course, through the celebrated Pythian Games, which included musical contests and athletic competitions, as well as through the many architectural remains found at the archaeological site. Touring the archaeological site and museum is a unique experience for people of all ages and backgrounds. Make sure to wear the right footwear however, since the route includes steep uphill stretches.

Another village in the area well worth visiting is Chrisso. It has retained its traditional character and lies just 10 minutes from Delphi, and 10 minutes from the seaside town of Itea. You will also find good, affordable family accommodation options there.

Another family-friendly suggestion is Vagonetto. Giona and Parnassus are two Greek mountains closely associated with bauxite production, and around 40 kilometers from Delphi there is a theme park dedicated to the region’s mining past and present. The Fokida Mining Park, Vagonetto, is partly housed inside an old gallery opened in 1967, whose deposit was exhausted in 1972.

Where to Stay

Where to stay

Amalia Delphi Hotel is a reliable four-star classic with generous public areas, gardens, a large pool, valley views, and easy access to Delphi’s archaeological sites. Nidimos Hotel has gained its reputation as a well-run, family-owned hotel with 34 spacious rooms, balconies, views toward the Amfissa olive grove and Itea Bay, and a Greek-products breakfast. Kastalia Boutique Hotel is a comfortable boutique hotel with 24 rooms, modern and traditional interiors, valley and sea views, and an in-house restaurant with an open veranda.

Where to Eat

To Patriko Mas is a long-standing Greek-Mediterranean restaurant with broad valley views, a proper sit-down menu, and a setting that suits families after the archaeological site. Taverna Vakhos is known as a family-run tavern in Delphi serving traditional Greek cooking, homemade dishes, and familiar mountain-town hospitality in a central location. Elia Restaurant is located within the Kastalia Boutique Hotel and serves salads, light meals and local cuisine, on an open veranda with views toward the valley and the sea.

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We consider Kalavryta the ultimate family-friendly destination. Not far from Attica, about two and a half hours from the center of Athens, it has good, well-kept infrastructure and a very good road network, especially given that it is a mountain destination.

One of the first things you see as you enter the town is the station of the so-called “Odontotos” rack railway. It begins in Diakopto and, after passing through Zachlorou, arrives in Kalavryta, completing a magical route over the forested river bed. The name “rack railway” describes the toothed rail system used by trains in order to climb steep gradients. Crossing the Vouraikos Gorge, the little train covers 22 kilometers, climbs to an altitude of 750 meters, and reaches Kalavryta after about one hour.

Today, the route is tourist-friendly and deeply impressive, with the train crossing the Vouraikos gorge through points where beauty and wildness intermingle. The most striking section is the area known as the “Dikastiria,” while other places with impressive views include the “Katarraktis” location and the so-called “Meteora of Zachlorou.”

Other places children will especially love include Planitero and its unique plane-tree forest, watched over by Mount Helmos, as well as the springs of the Aroanios River, which emerge, for the most part, from the bottom of a spring-fed pool at the base of a rock on the southwestern side of the mountain. The waters burst forth, flow, and leap between stones and rocks, forming a scene of fairytale-like beauty that stays in the memory.

Nearby is the Cave of the Lakes, a natural attraction that’s ideal for kids. It lies about 15 kilometers from Kalavryta and is unique of its kind in Greece. This is not one of those caves that impress chiefly because of their stalactites; its defining feature is the one that gives the cave its name; the lakes create an other-worldly setting.

Of the cave’s 13 lakes in total, the visitor’s route takes you to three. Walking above them is an unforgettable experience, especially in spring, when visitors will see more gushing water, along with small stepped “stone waterfalls” formed by waters that have solidified.

If you are in the area on especially hot days, you can drive to Pounta Beach, around 40 minutes from Kalavryta, to refresh yourself and swim in the Corinthian Gulf, known for its white pebbles and crystal-clear waters.

Where to Stay

Kalavrita Canyon Hotel & Spa is a central four-star hotel with 36 modern rooms, spa facilities, and immediate access to the town’s pedestrian streets, shops, and restaurants. Finday Eco Boutique Hotel offers a quiet hillside stay on a six-acre property at the foot of Helmos, with independent guest units, garden paths, and walking access to town. Anerada Hotel is a small hotel above the town, about 750 meters from the center, with mountain views, private parking, and a location on the road toward the ski center.

Where to Eat

Varvitsiotis is a well-established Kalavryta tavern known for traditional Greek cooking, generous mountain dishes, and a steady local reputation. Peri Orexeos is a cozy, central tavern serving cooked dishes, grilled meats, meze, and local wine in a family-friendly setting. Avli Taverna you can enjoy what you’d wish for from a straightforward local place serving handmade pies, grilled meats, and hearty Greek cooking in an informal setting suited to families.

Vamvakou, a Laconian village on the western side of Mount Parnon, is around two hours and 45 minutes’ drive from Athens. Until recent years, the village, whose school had more than 200 pupils in the mid-19th century, was following the fate of many places in alpine Greece: abandoned, uninhabited or half-ruined houses, with less than 10 permanent residents.

However in 2018, when the social cooperative enterprise “Vamvakou Revival” was founded, they made it their goal to bring sustainable development to the village. It was established by a group of friends whose roots lay in this part of Laconia and who associated the village with happy childhood summers. The project has had, and continues to have, the financial and moral support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, since Vamvakou was Stavros Niarchos’ ancestral home.

Since the community’s ambitious rehaul, the village’s image has changed dramatically. They created the Voureiko restaurant-cafe, the Rouga Vamvakous guesthouse, and hiking and cycling trails were cleared and restructured. The redevelopment of Vamvakou’s playground moved forward, and, the School was converted into a venue for educational programs, cultural events, and innovation workshops held at V.Lab, the Vamvakou Technology Lab. V.Lab is a modern engineering and technology laboratory where a series of classes and activities connected with science, information technology, and the arts take place. The activities are designed and implemented by museologists, musicians, teachers, and educators, and are free of charge.

Where to Stay

Ruga of Vamvakou Homes is a restored guesthouse formed from three old village houses, created as part of the Vamvakou Revival initiative and suited to travelers who want to stay inside the village. Arachovitika Kalyvia, Karyes offers what you’d expect at a practical three-star hotel in nearby Karyes, about 12 kilometers from Vamvakou, useful when village accommodation is limited or fully booked. Meterizi Guesthouse, Varvitsa is a traditional-style stone-built mountain guesthouse in nearby Varvitsa, closer in spirit and geography to the Laconian side of Parnon, with a quiet village setting and a more suitable base for combining Vamvakou with the surrounding mountain villages.

Where to Eat

Voureiko is the main café-restaurant in Vamvakou serves Greek and Mediterranean dishes in a restored stone building and on the village square under the plane tree. Go to Taverna Areti, Karyes to experience a meal at a historic (since 1890) family tavern in nearby Karyes, known for village cooking, local ingredients, grilled meats, and cooked dishes in a traditional stone setting. Taverna Koukounari, Tsintzina is a mountain tavern in Polydroso, also known as Tsintzina, serving traditional food and local flavors, with reservations recommended during busy periods.

Central Evia is the most developed part of the island in terms of tourism infrastructure, yet it also is rich with natural landscapes, ancient sights, and charming spots that feel almost untouched by tourism. Importantly, this central section of the island is reachable by land, via the bridge connecting mainland Greece with Chalkida, as well as by sea, from the port of Oropos, with ferry routes to Eretria.

This is an area of magnificent nature, with picturesque villages and seaside resorts that will reward you especially when traveling as a family. In Eretria, in central Evia, visit its seaside pedestrian promenade. On one side of it lies the port, with little boats and ferries coming and going constantly. In the middle, there is a long row of all-day cafe-bars, restaurants, and tavernas, with outdoor tables looking out to sea. At the far end, you will see the once-famous “Island of Dreams,” or Pezonisi, which can be reached on foot and also has a large beach suitable for swimming.

The promenade combines, in one strip, all the pleasures of Greek summer life. Behind it, however, Eretria reveals, with ease, its old, luminous image, as well as its ancient past. Every other step seems to lead to one of its scattered yet charming traces.

If you are interested in visiting a pretty mountain village and going hiking or enjoying other nature-based activities, it’s also worth visiting Steni, about 40 minutes drive from Chalkida.

Where to Stay

Negroponte Resort Eretria is a five-star beachfront resort near Eretria with sustainability-friendly sea-facing facilities, dining, family activities, and a convenient position for exploring central Evia. At Avantis Suites Hotel you’ll find a modern seafront suite hotel near Eretria, with studios and suites, a family-friendly atmosphere, and views over the South Evian Gulf. Miramare Hotel Eretria is a polished four-star seaside hotel outside Eretria, that’s ideal for families as it has a new water park, expansive gardens, pools, sports facilities, family rooms and beach access.

Where to Eat

Remezzo, Eretria, a seaside restaurant on Eretria’s waterfront, serves Greek seafood and home-cooked Greek cuisine in a relaxed coastal atmosphere, with dishes such as grilled fish and shrimp saganaki. Lykos Restaurant & Winery, Eretria is a polished Greek-Mediterranean restaurant connected with Lykos Winery, with a countryside setting outside Eretria, good local wines, and dishes such as grilled meats and slow-cooked lamb. To Limanaki, Amarynthos is a popular harborfront fish tavern in Amarynthos, with a simple, high-quality seafood focus, waterside tables, and dishes such as fresh fish and lobster pasta.