The Saronic coastline is gaining interest from the 19th century, when swimming in the sea becomes part of people's lives. The shore is gradually being organized offering facilities such as changing rooms and sunshades. During the 1950s Greece is financially weak, in the process of restructuring, from the natural and economic catastrophes caused by the war. The implementation of the Marshall Plan puts into operation the process of modernization of Greece. Tourism is part of the country's development policy, it becomes massive and many projects are being launched to enhance the new reality. During this period, the development of the coastline is considered particularly profitable for the tourist development of Athens and includes the modernization of the coasts based on western standards. This process will overturn the "ritual" of swimming and will introduce people to innovative facilities and technologies that until then were unprecedented.
The subject of this research is about the development of the Saronic coastline focused on the post-war reconstruction, its image at the late 60’s, when its formation was almost complete and the relations among the people with the shore and swimming in the sea, during that time. In the first section, starting from Delta Falirou, there is a “tour” of the shore up to Sounio, as it was gradually formed until the late 60’s. There is also a description of the process of getting to the beach, an integral part of swimming, as it was experienced at the time. In the second section there is an observation of the shore. Its facilities as well as the behavior humans have there, are studied and described. Finally, the impressions of the developed coastline and the general opinions of the “Athenian swimming” are presented, as published in the Press of that time, and some thoughts that derive from modern observation.