Greek Beach Clubs
What do you think when you think of Beach Clubs? Do you think Nammos? Do you think Mykonos?
Even though Mykonos is renowned for its beach club culture, you will find beach clubs everywhere on most islands and mainland Greece. They are sections of the beach with sunbeds, beach umbrellas, cabanas and day beds. You pay for your spot and enjoy the day.
We were lucky enough this trip to go to a number of beach clubs, enjoy our club sandwiches and laze the day away!
The famous turquoise and white striped umbrellas at Nammos, Mykonos
Nammos in Psarou beach is the queen of them all! Food, alcohol, beautiful service staff, famous clientele and pumping music have attracted party goers for a number of years. This is THE place to see and be seen… Sun, crystal clear beach, champagne, cigars, Dior beach bags, designer bikinis and Camilla kaftans are everywhere.
Some shopping at Nammos village, Mykonos
And when you get tired of all the above, you can stroll through the manicured gardens of the exquisite Nammos village for some exclusive and amazing shopping. Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Burberry are all here along with jewellery stores, beauty treatment rooms, cafes.
Two sunbed and an umbrella will set you back (from) €150.
The cool design of Ftelia Beach Club, Mykonos
Further to the north of Mykonos is the picturesque Ftelia beach and there you will find Ftelia beach club. Being an interior designer, I love checking the design of different places and Ftelia has a unique feel and colour palette from most beach clubs I have visited, a retro/mid-century aesthetic which I love! Design and aesthetic aside, it is a lot more quieter than most beach clubs with a relaxed chilled vibe, great music and scenery.
The shopping here consists of a vintage Kombi van selling handmade jewellery! Goes so well with the mood of this place
Two sunbeds and an umbrella will set you back €50.
Shopping Ftelia beach style, Mykonos
Halkidiki is in north of mainland Greece, a very popular destination for locals and tourists a like. In one of the towns called Pefkohori, we visited Elephant beach club. A boho/jungle themed beach club right on this most pretty coast line full of pine trees (Pefko - pines hori- village). We got there early so we had prime position right on the beach. Cool music, a lot more locals were enjoying this beach club and again a very chilled vibe. We could go around the many areas of this beach club and have a drink or food, there were many cool places to sit. The beach here was amazing.
Two sunbeds and an umbrella were €40 redeemable on food and drink.
The crystal clear waters at Tortuga, Naxos
Tortuga Beach Bar and Restaurant in Naxos was a pleasant surprise. It has a bit of a boho-meets-Mexico vibe what with some amazing cactus and weathered timber structures. The music was great and the beach was spectacular. Great aesthetic and service makes for good times.
The cabanas for two started at €30 for back row going up to €50 for the front row.
The restaurant at Tortuga, Naxos. A perfect spot to get out of the sun!
Pool or Beach, you can do both at Santanna, Mykonos
Another very popular beach club in Mykonos is SantAnna in Paraga. It has a big saltwater pool, shops, restaurant and bar. It has day beds, cabana sunbeds, pool pillows, it has everything! Catering to a young, hip crowd, this place has a great atmosphere. The staff were very friendly, explained the facilities and showed us around.
The prices vary here based on where and how you want to spend your day. There is sunbed/cabana hire prices and a day here can cost you up to €150 for cabanas. We were there high season and there was also a minimum spend. Strongly recommend you prebook online.
It is a requirement that every beach in Greece has a section for the general public which is free. So if you just want to grab a towel, some sunblock and a bottle of water, you can enjoy some of the most amazing beach in the world, for free!
Kefalonia
Kefalonia isn’t the first Ionian Island I have visited. In 2016, on the way to the seaside town of Parga, we stopped by Lefkada for the day. I was so amazed by the crystal clear, turquoise blue waters of its beaches and I knew I wanted to see more of these lesser known islands on the west side of Greece.
On this trip, we decided to spend a few days at Kefalonia. I didn’t know much about Kefalonia apart from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - the book and movie based there in World War Two.
We based ourselves in the capital of Argostoli, hired a car and spent the whole time driving to beautiful beaches and pretty towns. Kefalonia is one of Greece’s biggest islands, so I can’t recommend hiring a car enough.
While I have swum at many beaches, I have to say the THE most beautiful beach I have ever seen is Myrtos Beach. The whitest tiny pebbles make the water so blue, it is beyond words. It literally looked photoshopped. The drive to Myrtos was interesting to say the least - we drove through very windy, mountainous rounds and along the way we saw so many goats laying on the road. It was wonderful.
We were there late June, so the tourist season hadn’t really kicked in yet. It was a great time to be there as it was still very warm and the water was beautiful but we could enjoy the beach without fighting for a spot to sit.
Not far from Myrtos is a gorgeous fishing village called Assos. All pastel-coloured buildings and pretty boats on a little harbour - so picturesque. Assos has been dubbed an “Instagram famous” towns because of its charm and I can see why.
About 40km out from Argostoli is Xi Beach. With white cliffs and red sand, Xi beach is unique to say the least! A popular tourist destination, this is a well organised resort area with sun beds and umbrellas for hire along with many accommodation options. Although we drove here, we opted to return to Argostoli on the ferry for something a bit different!
Another highlight for me was visiting the Monastery of Saint Gerasimos, the patron saint of the island. I had the opportunity of going to a Sunday morning service which was quite a spiritual experience.
Kefalonia has many beaches and pretty towns. While we stayed for five days, we could have easily stayed for another five and still not have seen everything. Most beaches are well organised with food, sunbeds and umbrellas. There are various accommodations options to suit most budgets and tastes. The food was so tasty and fresh again with numerous tavernas and cafes. I can see why so many people recommended Kefalonia for us to visit!
WHERE WE STAYED:
Kefalonia Grand Hotel, Argostoli - Loved the interiors of this hotel, all soft linens, greys and white, as an interior designer its inspiring. It was very close to everything in town, but the best thing about the hotel was its amazing staff - they went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Oh and the breakfast was pretty amazing as well!
HIGHLIGHT:
Without a shadow of a doubt - Myrtos Beach. I could have gone back again and again and again. That water is beyond anything I have seen.
IMPORTANT TIP:
Make sure you book a car, Kefalonia is big and you really need to drive to be able to enjoy it!