Nea Makri is a small coastal town on the Attica Peninsula, 25 km east of Athens, facing the Aegean Sea along the Petalioi Gulf.
It is located 7 km north of Rafina and 8 km south of Marathon. Athens locals use it as a weekend and summer escape, as it is close enough to reach without a flight, yet far enough to feel like a different pace.
This town is well-known for being home to some of the best beaches near Athens.
This article covers how to get to Nea Makri from Athens and the airport, where to stay, and what to expect from the beaches and the town
Contents of Beaches Near Athens – Nea Makri
How to Get to Nea Makri from Athens Airport
The fastest option is a taxi. The ride takes 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic and costs around €55. For a group of three or four people splitting the fare, this is the most practical choice.
If you’re traveling solo, there are cheaper routes.
Option 1: Bus via Pallini (€8.90, ~3 hours) Take the X95 express bus from the airport to central Athens (€6), then make your way to Pallini to catch an orange KTEL bus toward Marathon or Grammatiko. Get off at Nea Makri. The KTEL fare is €2.90 one way. The full journey is slow and involves transfers, but it’s the cheapest option if time isn’t a factor.
Option 2: Metro to Pallini, then KTEL bus (€8.90, ~2 hours) Take the metro from the airport to Pallini (€6, about 15 minutes), then connect to the same KTEL bus as above. The total cost is identical to Option 1, but the first leg is faster and more reliable.
Option 3: Bus to Rafina, then taxi (€18, ~1 hour) — recommended KTEL runs direct buses from Athens airport to Rafina (€3, about 40 minutes). From Rafina, a taxi to Nea Makri costs roughly €15 and takes under 15 minutes. This is the best balance of cost and travel time for solo travelers.
One caveat: if you land late in the evening, bus services may not be running. In that case, the taxi from the airport is your only realistic option.
Getting from Athens Airport to Nea Makri by Bus
You can take the X95 express bus or the metro to get to Athens, and then take a regular Ktel bus to Marathon or Grammatiko. You need to get to Pallini to take these buses. If you are keen on trying this route, take a look at the orange ktel buses timetable here.
The price of a X95 bus ride is 6 Euro, one way. The Ktel bus ride to Nea Marki, one way, is 2.90 Euro. Unfortunately, you can expect this journey to take three hours, if not more. You’ll save some money, but you’ll waste a lot of time.
Getting from Athens Airport to Nea Makri by Metro and Bus
At the airport, you have to take the metro to Pallini. The ride takes about 15 minutes. You can find the timetable here. From Pallini, you have to take the orange Ktel bus, just like in the first option. The cost of the 90 minute metro ticket to Pallini is 6 Euro, so the total cost of the trip is the same as in the previous variant.
Getting from Athens Airport to Nea Makri via Rafina
There are Ktel buses that go from Athens airport to Rafina. The cost of the one way ride is 3 Euro and the journey takes about 40 minutes. As Rafina is only 7 km away from Nea Makri, a taxi ride would probably cost you around 15 Euro. I’d say this is the most sensible option. Beware, though ,everything depends on the time of your flight. If you land on the Athens airport late evening, you may only have the taxi option, as not all of these buses run by night time.
Where to Stay in Nea Makri – Accommodation Options
Nea Makri has a mix of small hotels, apartments, and studios along or close to the beachfront promenade. Most are family-run and modestly priced compared to central Athens or the Greek islands.
One option worth mentioning from direct experience is Nireus Hotel, a two-star property close to the seafront. Rooms are basic and the decor is dated, but it’s clean, the sea views from the balconies are good, and the price makes it one of the better-value options in town. Breakfast is not included, but there are plenty of tavernas nearby that open early.
For a wider range of options, searching on Booking.com or Google Hotels for “Nea Makri” will show current availability and up-to-date pricing. Filter by beachfront or sea view if that’s a priority, as the difference in experience between a sea-facing room and an inland one is noticeable in a town this size.
Note that Nea Makri gets busy on summer weekends when Athenians come down for the day or stay overnight. If you’re visiting in July or August, booking a few days in advance is worth doing.
How Is the Beach in Nea Makri?
Nea Makri’s beach runs as a single long stretch along the seafront promenade. The shoreline varies as you walk along it. Some sections are wider and sandier, others narrow down to a mix of fine sand, small pebbles, and flat rocks.
The water is clear and shallow, which makes it a good option for families with children or anyone who prefers to ease in gradually rather than drop into depth immediately.
Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for hire along the organized sections. Free access spots exist as well if you bring your own gear.
Crowds are manageable even in early summer. In June the beach is quiet enough to feel like a local spot rather than a tourist destination. You’ll share it mostly with Athenians rather than other visitors.
July and August will be busier, particularly on weekends when day-trippers come down from the city.
The beach is not spectacular in the way that Aegean island beaches are.
The backdrop is a promenade town rather than a cliff or a pine forest. But the water quality is good, the setting is relaxed, the huge palm trees along the promenade are spectacular, and the proximity to Athens makes it worth the trip if you need a beach day without committing to a ferry.
What to Do and Eat in Nea Makri
If you want to experience mindfulness for a few days, Nea Makri can be the perfect retreat. You can walk on the promenade, use the fitness equipment in the park, swim, take photos of flowers, crabs, clouds and food, and enjoy the present moment.
Most tavernas use the traditionally Greek blue and white combination. However, this owner has decided to switch to red and white. It doesn’t look bad at all.
The beachfront promenade is huge. You can walk for about one hour from one end to the other. Many people do jogging in the evening or early in the morning.
This is the view from Nireus Hotel. I should have probably removed the wires, but I wanted to show you the real thing.
This is the view of the sunset from our balcony. Apart from those wires, everything looks just great.
The promenade takes you along between fat palm trees and beautiful lawns. Everything looks neat, and there’s barely any garbage on the streets. This is so much better than the center of Athens!
The seaside resort gets busy during weekends. Even so, it’s a tranquil spot, an excellent choice to enjoy beaches near Athens without the crowds.
Beaches near Athens are peaceful off season. If the weather is good, you can feel like 30 or 40 years ago, before the “organized beaches” were invented.
Tasty and refreshing, the Greek salad is perfect for any moment of the day.
These are the best fried shrimps in Greece, you have to take my word for it! They serve this dish at a small, family-owned restaurant on the main street.
While here, you can take a trip to Marathon to see where this competition had been invented. You can also visit Rafina or take a ferry to your next Greece destination. Whatever your Greece holiday, think about saving a few days to spend them on these beaches near Athens. You’ll be glad you’ve done it.
