Exactly where is Schinias located?

In 490 BC the Battle of Marathon occurred at Schinias on the Marathon Plains where the Athenians defeated the Persians. The Greek army sent a runner to Athens, near the Acropolis, to announce the victory. This historical event gave birth to the modern Marathon Run. Today, Marathon Avenue pretty much follows the route of the original Marathon Run of about 40 kilometers (25 miles). However today, unlike in ancient days, travel time not distance is the primary consideration, especially during traffic hours. The following table gives times from Schinias to several locations within the Athens area and the local Marathon area

What is so special about Schinias Beach?

Schinias Beach is perhaps one of the best beaches in the world for small children and adults alike. It is exactly 5 minutes from our villa by car. The water is crystal clear and shallow. The beach is protected and rarely has waves of any size. It does not have any currents or tides to endanger children. Small children can wade approximately fifty to one hundred meters (yards) out to sea and still be in water that is not over their heads. Adults must wade about 200 meters out to reach chest deep water where they can either laze around chatting with friends or swim long distances unimpeded by waves and currents. Unlike most beaches in Greece, Schinias Beach is a sand beach with a pine forest growing down to the water's edge. It is a perfect place for picnics. Needless to say, it is very popular with Greek parents. Located at the beach are numerous seafood restaurants and resort clubs offering a large variety of water sports. Access to the Beach from our community is immediately adjacent to our guarded entrance. Parking at the beach is plentiful and free.

Yahoo Travel rates the Schinias beach in its list of the ten top attractions for Athens area. Here is what they say about Schinias:

"The east coast of the Attica Peninsula can be reached within less than an hour from central Athens. This area is the site of Schinias Beach, one of the most beautiful bathing spots of Greece located near Marathon. The major draw of Schinias is the picture-perfect coastal pine forest that reaches the water's edge as well as the fine sand of the beach".

A number of tavernas cater to the needs of day trippers from Athens. Hotels can also be found a few kilometres from Schinias.

How far is your house from the Athens Airport?

The Schinias Marathon area hosted several Olympic events in rowing and kayaking. The impact of the Olympics on the area was immense from the perspective of transportation improvements to and from Athens and the airport. We now have a new four lane divided highway connecting us directly to downtown Athens and to its airport. The distance to the airport is approximately 50 kilometers and the driving time is between 50-60 minutes depending on traffic.

Are mass transit services available?

Yes. If you do not wish to drive into downtown Athens, you can take the bus that connects into the excellent mass transportation system in Athens (subway, surface rail, and bus, thanks again to the Olympics). Please be aware that driving around Athens is difficult because of traffic, lack of parking, narrow crowded poorly defined streets, and poor maps. I highly recommend public transportation. There are numerous bus stops in the Schinias/Marathon region. I prefer the one at Marathon because of the frequency of the bus service (every hour) and because seats are always available. The buses are all modern and new, again thanks to the Olympics. The buses are airconditioned and SMOKE FREE!

The first morning bus leaves Marathon around 6 AM and the last bus from Athens arrives around midnight. The bus takes about 45 minutes to reach the nearest subway stop in Athens and between an hour and to one and a half hours or more to reach downtown Athens as the bus is captive to traffic the same as other vehicles are. The subway is immune to surface traffic and can rapidly take you to all of the sites of antiquity and museums, as well as connect you with high speed rail service to other Greek cities and to the airport. The subway also interconnects with Athens’ new tram system serving the waterfront and Piraeus.

The bus to Schinias leaves from Mavromateon Street at the Pedion Areos Park (the nearest metro station is Victoria).

For the current bus timetable call the following phone number 30 210 821 0872.

Do I need my own transportation?

Yes. The distances from the house to the bus stops, local restaurants, super markets, etc. are too far for walking. You can rent a car from the airport.

How do I stay at Villa Stella?

First, contact us. To reserve the house we need a 25% non-refundable deposit. The remainder of the rent is normally due upon arival. We can change your scheduled arrival or departure dates as long the changes do not impact another rental. There is no charge for doing this. Before you send any money, either to us or anyone else, make sure that you have confirmed air line reservations to and from Greece. As I said, we do not mind nor do we charge for slipping or accelerating arrival and departure dates as long as it does not impact upon another rental. This is not the case with a lot of others.

What makes the Schinias Community so special?

Schinias is within the township of Marathon. Marathon is located on the fringe of the Athens urban sprawl but it still retains its rural character. Many of its inhabitants commute daily to their jobs in Athens using either their private automobiles or the local bus service. Day trips into Athens are easily done by private car or by using the local bus. Access to the national highway and day trips to other sites of antiquity are fast and easy.

Our house is located within the planned community of "Dikastes kai Eisangeleis" on Schinias on the top of the hill by the sea. Most of the land within the Community Dikaston Eisaggeleon Schinias is set aside as "green" areas with only about 30% used for building lots. The Community Dikaston Eisaggeleon Schinias is gated with a guard and is very secure. The homes in Schinias range from small summer cottages to large villas.

All of the geographic area of Schinias is a National Environmental Park as well as a European Union Environmental Preserve. Only one road enters the park and it has no exit. The only road into our community branches off the park’s road and also has no exit. All of this means that we have very little automobile traffic. This makes our community very private, very quite, and very safe. The lack of traffic makes our roads ideal for walking and jogging. We have a road and walking path that parallels the coast line just a few meters above the sea that is great walks in the cool of the afternoon and early evening. (Due to Greece’s location relative to time zones, we have day light almost until 10 pm during the first part of June.) If you are into hiking, one interesting day hike is to walk across country to the ferry port of St. Marina, take the ferry to the island of Evia, hike on the island then return to Sxinias.

Is the Schinias Community secure?

Yes. Community Dikaston Eisaggeleon Schinias is very secure even though access is not legaly restricted. The community is gated with a guard. During the summer when government dignitaries are in residence, we often have secret police and military guards on patrol. The Greek fire department keeps a fire watch over the Marathon Plains from the hill by our entrance. During the recent Olympic Games the countries of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China rented homes here to house their Olympic rowing teams rather than have them stay in the Olympic Village.

What about day trips to Athens and other sites of antiquity?

The best way to see Athens is to take the bus into the city and use its excellent subway system. Three alternatives exist for visiting sites outside Athens such as Delphi, Epidavos, etc. The first alternative is organized day trip bus tours to these places. Their current fees vary from €50 to €100 Euros per person. The second is to hire a taxi to take you which runs from €150 to €180 euros dependent upon the distance. The third is to drive your self. Driving outside Athens is not difficult and easily done. For most groups, the taxi or rental car options are definitely more economical than an organized tour and are far more rewarding as you can stop or deviate when ever you wish.

What are your rates?

Our rates are posted on our homepage. Rates may be lower if you are bringing children. Make sure you contact us!