A Small Picnic Paradise In Varnavas

Parents are often asking where the best places are to show their children the experience of fall. Many expat parents remember those September and October autumn days in their home countries with colored leaves, chestnuts and walks in the forests. And the general idea is that this is something one can only find in Greece’s countryside, but not in Athens. Yet, there are many places in and around the city that can give you that autumn feeling. Family Goes Out shows us one of them:

On a warm Sunday morning in September, my friend Sofia invited me and the girls to drink a coffee near Kapandriti.  Kapandriti is situated in the green corner of North Attika,  37 km from Syntagma square. Sofia said that she knew a ‘small paradise’, a picnic place where the children would be able to play in the forest and we would be able to watch them and relax.

When we got there, I could not agree more with my friend. This place is indeed a small paradise.

It is called Kioski and is actually just a kiosk on the side of the mountain road in between the villages of Kapandriti and Varnava. The kiosk is surrounded by oak and chestnut trees and there are picnic tables and a hammock around. Behind the kiosk is a steep staircase carved in the mountain that leads to an exciting river. The river was almost dry in this period of the year but has lots of water in the winter time. A wooden bridge leads across the river and can be the start of a beautiful hike. The kiosk serves coffee, (alcoholic) drinks, small snacks like toast, crisps and ice cream and some freshly prepared mezedes. There is a mobile bathroom near the kiosk and there is a small parking area.

The children played in the sand near our table whilst we had our coffee. Later they climbed down to the river and played around the water. The water was only a few centimeters high and because all of our children can swim, I did not worry. A romantic wooden bridge took them to the other side of the river and they had fun throwing stones in the water. Later on, they relaxed in the Kioski hammock, climbed in trees and collected stones and leaves. We ordered lunch and the children had ice cream. We had a lovely morning.

To read more, please visit: Family Goes Out