"Experience real Greece in the Saronic Gulf and enjoy the magic of Poros and its many surrounding islands while being just 1 hour from Athens. Haven on Earth has personal knowledge of the Saronic islands and will do their best to make your holiday a positively enjoyable experience. For those who enjoy dining out they will be spoilt for choice along the harbour and beachside with waterfront restaurants offering friendly service as well as fantastic sea food. There are many historic sites to visit and with the mainland at Galatas less than 3 minutes across the water there is plenty of opportunity for exploration. Poros is ideally placed for an island hopping experience with fast or slow ferries at the harbour waiting to take you to other Saronic islands or back to Athens from where many more islands can be visited. Discover Poros.. the Athenians` best kept secret.
Poros is very close to the Greek capital of Athens. It is also very close to the mainland, making Poros possibly the only island in Greece which is accessible 24 hours a day. Travel to Poros may be achieved either by sea, or by driving from the mainland. From Athens International Airport you can take the E96 bus. This stops immediately outside the arrivals terminal, and goes straight to Pireaus, the main harbour. From here, you have the choice of a ferry boat or hydrofoi, the Flying Dolphin to Poros. Journey time to Poros is about 2 hours 15 minutes by ferry, or an hour by hydrofoil. By car from Athens, take the highway to Korinth. After the exit Loutraki, take the next exit Epidavros. Follow this road until you reach Palea Epidavros, and then take the road to Kranidi, Porto-Heli. At the village of Trachia, turn left at the sign for Galatas - Poros . Carry straight on and you will find youself in Galatas village.
Ferrys run from Galatas to Poros every 30 minutes, and the crossing is only 10 minutes. In Poros you can travel by bus, taxi or taxi boat. There are 2 buses one going to Askeli - Monastery, and one going to Neorio, the Love Bay and the Russian bay. The taxi boats connect Poros to Galatas every 10 minutes and during summer they will take you to some of the lovely beaches. Hiring a bicycle, moped or car will give you the opportunity to move in the island more freely - just remember your driving licence for the car or moped.
Poros is an easy and delightful island to visit and is only an hour by hydrofoil from Athens. At first glance, this enchanting island appears like a stage set. Seemingly glued onto the conical hill are clusters of sparkling white houses with ocean-blue shutters, terra-cotta roofs, bright flowers and laundry hanging from the windows. Caques, fishing boats and sailboats rock gently alongside the busy waterfront. In the kafeneons, animated locals play cards or flick their kobolo (worry beads), sipping metrio (semi-sweet Greek coffee) or frappé (ice coffee).
This island is crossed by climbing, winding alleys splashed with jasmine and bougainvillea, leading to the square with its landmark clock tower and memorial cenotaph honoring its dead from the last two wars. Poros was a favorite retreat for Greek poet George Seferis, winner of the 1963 Nobel Prize for Literature, as well as the reclusive movie star Greta Garbo in her later years.
The ruins of Troizinia, near Galatas on the Greek mainland Known as Kalauria in ancient times, Poros is separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow 800-meter strait. Small motor boats and ferries carry passengers and cars across from the island to the mainland village of Galatas, so close it is often mistakenly referred to as part of Poros itself.
The imposing mountain range beyond the village suggests the shape of a sleeping woman, hence the Greek name Kimomeni. From Galatas it is only a short and worthwhile drive to the protected lemon forest known as Lemonodasos. An elderly couple runs a rustic taverna tucked high up in the citrus groves, offering a magnificent panorama and a coarse retsina, a resin-based Greek wine.
Sandy beaches near Galatas do not come by the dozen, but the Aliki Beach, near the Lemonodasos is a popular spot for bathers and water skiers. Small taxi boats depart from Poros in the morning for the beach. Vassos Karadimos family-run fish restaurant, set directly on the Aliki waterfront, serves a fresh plate of fried kalamari (squid) and homemade moussaka to hungry swimmers. On warm summer nights, locals from the village also come here to catch a breeze and enjoy a meal under the stars.
On Poros, the Temple of Poseidon sits atop the Palatia Plateau, the highest point on the island. In 322 B.C.E the great orator Demosthenes, who had roused Athens to rebel against Macedonia, fled to this temple, which is dedicated to the Greek god of the sea and the storm (and brother of Zeus). There, Demosthenes committed suicide to avoid surrendering to his Macedonian pursuers. Today, there is little more to see of the temple than the foundation stones.
While the Palatia Plateau is easily accessible by car, local bus, or rented motorcycle, only some parts of Poros can be reached by land. Throughout the summer, boats leave each morning from the main waterfront for daytrips around the island.
Pushing south, hidden among the pine and cypress trees, is the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi the life-giving source. The waters of the fountain outside the monastery are reputed to have curative properties, and many people still come to stock up on the water.
Back in town, one can visit the archeological museum in the Plateia (square) Alexandros Korizi. It features pottery from Poseidons Temple and a copy of a stone tablet found in Troizinia, a few kilometers out of Galatas. The tablet details the evacuation plans of the Athenians who fled to Troizinia in 480 B.C.E to escape Xerxes and his invading Persians.
All this sightseeing should be scheduled around the Greek way of life. Traditionally, most Greeks take a nap after lunch in the summer and come out only when the heat has died down. Smartly dressed, they go for their ritual volta, a leisurely walk along the waterfront, and then sit perhaps for an ouzo, the licorice-flavored aperitif, and some grilled octopus.
Greeks only start contemplating dinner around 10 p.m. For a true Greek dining experience, O Vlakhos, a family taverna run by Thanassi and his wife Eleni in Galatas, is a perfect place to mingle with the locals and dip your bread unabashedly in the Greek salad and zanzinki (yogurt and cucumber dip).
While staying in Poros, it would be a terrible shame to pass up the opportunity to spend an evening in Epidavros. Only a two-hour drive up the coast from Galatas, classical Greek plays are performed in modern Greek by the National Theatre Company in a magnificent amphitheater. The experience is truly unforgettable, despite the language barrier.
Every summer Poros greets some 1,500 tourists daily, many simply passing through for a couple of hours on a cruise ship tour. With the Olympics, reservations are picking up and we hope they will continue to increase, says 52-year old Marinos Hatziperos, a Poros tourist operator and agent for Hellas Flying Dolphins hydrofoils.
According to the World Tourism Organization, Greece receives some 12 to 15 million visitors a year. Some firmly believe it will continue to be a popular holiday destination. Hatziperos connects this phenomenon mainly to Greeces weather, beaches and hospitality, though Greece is not cheap, he adds. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by the Greek English-language newspaper Kathimerini, Greeks wanting to take a holiday in their own country during the Olympic Games will be faced with higher prices both at popular resorts and less well-known destinations. The survey suggests that room rental rates have risen enormously so be prepared."Information taken from www.havenonearth.co.uk
