From the Peloponnese to Evia, there are beautiful places near Athens that are ideal for a day trip or for relaxing weekends. We have gathered four nearby destinations for a change of scenery and to get your fill of nature.
If you dream of a getaway to slip into nature for a while, there are beautiful villages and lush green places near Athens, ideal for last-minute short escapes that will help you relax, unwind and return with morale… at its peak to everyday life. Below we have gathered four wonderful destinations for day trips but also for weekend getaways - express ones, at most two and a half hours from Athens. Grab your friends or family, put on athletic shoes, charge your phones and get ready for lots of photos.
Short getaways from Athens: 4 destinations to become one with nature
Krya, Livadeia
How about an escape to a verdant oasis with running waters, small waterfalls and huge centuries-old plane trees? And yet, this place is not in some forest, but in the heart of Livadeia. The Krya Springs, the jewel of the city of Livadeia, make an ideal destination for a day trip, just an hour and a half from Athens (140 km). The river Erkyna, with its springs in the Krya area, lends the city of Livadeia a distinctive natural beauty.
With dense vegetation, running waters, canals, small waterfalls and towering plane trees, the Krya area will enchant you. Cobbled lanes and little stone-arched bridges complete the idyllic scene. On both banks of the river there are cafés and tavernas where you can of course enjoy the famed Livadeia souvlaki with views of the springs.
Steni, Evia
Built at the foot of Mount Dirfys, Steni is one of the most picturesque villages of Evia, just 30 km from Chalkida. Lush vegetation and running waters create an idyllic landscape in every season. Choose this village if you want a short escape immersed in nature and the scents of the forest. The village consists of three settlements: Ano and Kato Steni and the almost abandoned settlement of Pyrgos, also known as Skouteri. The heart of the village is the stone-paved square from where narrow paths set off and branch to the very edge of the village.
In the square there are quaint fountains with abundant running water, while many large plane trees cast their shade over the picturesque cafés and the renowned grill tavernas. The most famous of the many nearby springs is the doctors fountain, five hundred meters after the center of the village, in a plane-tree-shaded ravine with gurgling running waters. In Steni’s forest there are many trails, ideal for nature lovers, which end at crystalline springs, while in a very beautiful location 8 km from the village lies the mountain refuge.
Pavliani
Built on the verdant slopes of Mount Oiti, at an altitude of 1.040 meters, Pavliani is one of the most mountainous villages of Fthiotida. Just two and a half hours from Athens, a magical destination amid firs and lush nature, beside the waters of the springs of the Asopos river, awaits you to discover it in every season of the year. It is divided into Ano and Kato Pavliani and is traditionally built with architecture based on stone and wood.
The village features a uniquely beautiful recreation park, crafted by its residents with care and respect for the natural environment, making it an ideal destination for families with children. The entrance to the park is marked by a bridge - piano that plays music as you cross it! Inside the park you will come across playful signs, hammocks between the trees, quirky benches and other imaginative constructions that invite you to live a unique experience and to become kids again for a while too. From the village many short or long hiking routes also start, such as the one that leads to the Throne of Zeus with a panoramic view as far as the Maliakos Gulf, and the one that leads to the iron Throne, a construction that evokes our own Game Of Thrones.
Lake Doxa
It could be a lake in the Alps, but it is in Greece and specifically in mountainous Corinthia. Near the village of Feneos , at 900 meters altitude, the artificial Lake Doxa is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Peloponnese. In its blue-green waters the snow-capped mountains and the colorful mixed forests of Mountainous Corinthia are reflected. Nothing suggests that you are just two hours away from Athens. In the center of the lake stretches a narrow peninsula, where there is the small, picturesque chapel of St. Fanourios, while higher up, on a slope about 2 km away, stands the historic 15th-century monastery of St. George of Feneos amid the beautiful nature. There, you will taste the monks famous rose preserve and enjoy from the wooden covered balcony the unique view of the lake.
The wider area of Doxa and Feneos lends itself to a nature escape with stops in stone-built mountain villages, abundant outdoor activities (hiking, mountain biking, 4×4 etc). and rustic flavors that will stay with you. It is worth visiting the main village of Goura with its old stone-built houses and beautiful square, as well as the villages of Feneos, Kalyvia (Ancient Feneos), Steno and Panorama.
