, Guides
A day at Athena, hour by hour
From the first swim at ten to the last song under the lights — how a day on Elegushi Royal Beach unfolds.
Athena opens at ten in the morning and closes at three the next morning. That is seventeen hours on the water, and the best days use more of them than you might expect.
Morning: the pool is glass
Arrive early and the lagoon pool is still. The cabanas are just opening, the loungers on the sand are empty, and the only sound is the Atlantic. It is the quietest the beach will be all day.
Afternoon: seven kitchens at once
By one, every counter in the food hall is cooking — suya off the open flame at Dundun, platters from the grill at Tamtam, pizza at All The Good Stuff. Order from more than one; that is the point of a food hall.
Golden hour: the statue catches the light
Around half past six the sun drops towards the water and the statue at the head of the pool turns gold. Olympus fills. This is the hour people photograph.
Night: the stage
When the light goes, the rigs come on and the sand becomes a dance floor. Some nights end at three. See what's on, or book a table and ask.