{"id":14490,"date":"2026-04-13T10:16:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:16:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:16:45","slug":"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"Athens winter swimmers find relief in the cold"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u00a0Come rain or snow, Stavros Nikolaou is always there for his swim. For five decades, he has walked the one-kilometer distance every day from his home to Palaio Faliro, where the Batis Winter Swimmers Club \u2013 founded in 1980 \u2013 is based. As the 70-year-old tells Kathimerini, he does not formally belong to any club. \u201cWe are the core of a group of friends who meet here every day. People come and go, but we all share the same love for the sea,\u201d he says, while also pointing to the rejuvenating effects of cold-water swimming. Studies have shown that winter swimming boosts the immune system, improves circulation, and accelerates metabolism. It also helps reduce stress, as physical exertion raises endorphin levels, creating a sense of well-being and mental uplift.<\/p>\n

\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold0\"\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold1\"
Winter swimmers are a \u2018special breed.\u2019 They return to their spots daily because, as they tell Kathimerini, \u2018the cold sea is adrenaline.\u2019 [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI feel good \u2013 really good. If you\u2019re feeling down, you come here and it disappears,\u201d Stavros says. \u201cI always warm up before going into the sea \u2013 just a few exercises, mostly stretches \u2013 so I don\u2019t get cramps. My doctor doesn\u2019t really take a clear position. But I tell him that I feel fine, that I get dizzy not when I swim, but when I don\u2019t come for three or four days.\u201d That, he says, seems to have convinced him. \u201cHe tells me to keep coming, just not alone and not for too long.\u201d These days, he notes, the water temperature is relatively high, around 18 degrees Celsius \u2013 \u201cvery warm for the season.\u201d He concludes with a laugh: \u201cYou can dive in too.\u201d\u2028<\/p>\n

The sea beckons<\/h3>\n

It is a sunny day, and swimmers arrive at Edem Beach in Alimos one after another. For Stavroula Vraka, the sea is home. Originally from Petra on the island of Lesvos, she cannot imagine a day without at least \u201cdipping a finger\u201d into the water, as she tells Kathimerini. \u201cMy home is the water and the sea. To me, it almost feels warm,\u201d says the 84-year-old. \u201cUnfortunately, the climate has changed, and that frightens me. In the past, even in August, if you put your foot in the water it would freeze. Now it\u2019s scalding,\u201d she says regretfully.<\/p>\n

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Stavroula Vraka, originally from Petra on the island of Lesvos, walks to the beach every day from Nea Smyrni, where she lives. [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just the water that gives you health and euphoria \u2013it\u2019s also the sun. We get the vitamin D we need. Greeks have low levels, despite our long exposure to sunlight,\u201d Vraka adds as she quickly gets dressed. \u201cStill, we swim even when there\u2019s no sun. The only things we avoid are rain and lightning.\u201d She stresses that caution is essential: \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t stand around afterward in your swimsuit. You need to put something on immediately, otherwise you risk pneumonia. You mustn\u2019t be careless. Swimming in icy water requires rules \u2013 warming up, gradual entry, a short stay, swimming close to shore, and immediate warm clothing and hydration afterward,\u201d the experienced swimmer advises.<\/p>\n

\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold4\"\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold5\"
Research indicates that winter swimming can strengthen the immune system, enhance circulation, and speed up metabolism. It also helps relieve stress, as the physical exertion increases endorphin levels, promoting a sense of well-being and mental vitality. [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few meters away, beneath a rock, Giorgos is enjoying his swim with his group of friends. Winter swimmers for many years, they always meet at the same spot. \u201cWe\u2019ve earned rights to this beach. If someone doesn\u2019t show up for more than a day, we call them,\u201d the 70-year-old says, describing their bond. \u201cCold-water swimming saved me,\u201d he tells Kathimerini. \u201cI have Parkinson\u2019s \u2013 and look at me. I don\u2019t know what I would do without this. My doctor calls it a miracle,\u201d he says, gesturing toward the vast blue horizon. Still, he adds a note of caution: \u201cI would advise everyone to consult their doctor before trying it, because every case is different.\u201d His friends jokingly refer to him as the \u201cpresident\u201d of their informal winter swimmers\u2019 association.<\/p>\n

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Giorgos, seen with his friends at Batis Beach, considers the cold water a \u2018cure,\u2019 as it has helped him cope with Parkinson\u2019s disease. [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kostas Nakopoulos also speaks of \u201cmiracles.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

A former seafarer, he has logged many \u201cmiles\u201d as a winter swimmer. He recalls a trip to Norway: \u201cWe\u2019re talking about latitude 62 degrees. It was August 15, in a beautiful fjord. There were 2,500 people in swimsuits. How many were swimming? Ten. I understood why as soon as I got into the water. It was 8.5 degrees. Me, trying to act tough, I lasted five minutes. It felt like needles piercing me,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have to be careful. Since winter swimming is mostly practiced by older people, we need to be mindful and not exceed our limits.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Winter swimmers meet daily on the beaches of southern Athens. [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He recounts two cautionary tales. \u201cThere was a woman about 20 years younger than me. I swim for around 20 minutes; she stayed in the water for an hour. Then she disappeared. One day I ran into her on the street. \u2018Don\u2019t ask,\u2019 she told me. \u2018I got pneumonia.\u2019 Another man, also younger, stayed in for only 15 minutes, but afterward sat on the sand in his swimsuit for an hour, sunbathing. Pneumonia as well. We shouldn\u2019t overdo it. As for me, the sea doesn\u2019t bother me at all. Do you know when I don\u2019t swim? Only when I have a fever \u2013 and that hasn\u2019t happened in years,\u201d Kostas says. \u201cAthletes also use cryotherapy. [Christiano] Ronaldo goes into a lake at minus 4 degrees to treat injuries. Cold is therapeutic; it rejuvenates everything. And here in Greece, with kilometers of coastline, we don\u2019t even like swimming,\u201d he concludes before preparing for his dive.<\/p>\n

Beats the cafe<\/h3>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need a psychologist \u2013 I have the sea,\u201d says Panayiotis Kokolakis, a former shipping executive. \u201cWhat should I do instead? Sit in a caf\u00e9 and smoke? Here, I\u2019ll live to a hundred. Even at home, my shower has no hot water \u2013 I never needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold10\"\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold11\"
Panayiotis Kokolakis, the \u2018guardian\u2019 of the beach in Palaio Faliro and an experienced swimmer, also serves as an informal lifeguard. [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s our guardian, our protector,\u201d insists Elvetia, who always keeps a place next to him. Kokolakis also points to the dangers the sea can conceal. \u201cMany people have been lost here. They swim beyond the buoys \u2013 I alone have rescued dozens,\u201d he says proudly, pointing to the lifeguard\u2019s chair, empty during the winter months. \u201cThere should be someone here even in December. So many people come to swim, and most of them are elderly,\u201d he stresses.<\/p>\n

A few kilometers south, in Kavouri, on a small \u201cgem\u201d of a beach as visitors call it, 35-year-old Makis explains that he took up winter swimming just four years ago, after the Covid pandemic. While winter swimmers are usually older, more and more young people are following suit.<\/p>\n

\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold12\"\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold13\"
Makis started winter swimming after the Covid pandemic. Today it is an essential routine. [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cYounger people are a bit afraid of cold water,\u201d Makis says, managing to steal time from his office job in Piraeus to come here. \u201cBut after the Covid pandemic, I noticed a shift. If you come on a Sunday, there\u2019s nowhere to park. Some people go to psychologists \u2013 but the sea is psychotherapy in itself, whether you\u2019re just looking at it or swimming in it.\u201d At this time of year, he swims for about 20 minutes. \u201cLater, in February and March, the water temperature can drop to 8 degrees. Then I can handle about 10 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold14\"\"athens-winter-swimmers-find-relief-in-the-cold15\"
Kostas Nakopoulos, a former sailor, has many \u2018pneumonia\u2019 stories to tell, because, as he stresses to Kathimerini, icy water \u2018requires caution.\u2019 [Nikos Kokkalias]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBut what I enjoy most is daydreaming \u2013 sitting here, reading a book, poetry or prose, and imagining that I\u2019m not in Athens but somewhere else, in a dreamlike place,\u201d he says, returning to his reading. \u201cIt\u2019s an idea. The cold is just an idea,\u201d exclaims a woman nearby, ready to dive in. \u201cThere\u2019s a northerly breeze today, but you should still try it. Your senses will wake up \u2013 you\u2019ll forget everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n