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Poros

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I had no connection to Poros when I visited it. None of my friends is from there; none of my acquaintances was from or had ever visited it; I hadn't even heard the slightest thing about it. The closest thing to a connection to it was the fact that my mother was born and raised in a little village in the Peloponnese

Why is that the closest thing? Well, yes, Poros is an Argo-Saronic island, but here's the thing: the only thing separating it from the mainland at Galatas in the Peloponnese is a 400-m passage - which is also where the island takes its name (poros=passage).

It's been about fifteen years since I visited Poros and it was the first island I visited without taking any of my close friends with me. It was me and my sister instead. My sister's name is Sophie and she's two years younger than me. That was the first trip we ever took together, something that makes Poros surprisingly special to me.

greece poros - poros map

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So, what does Poros look like?


Poros consists of two islands from different geological periods. The first one is Kalavria, pine-forested and blessed with countless quiet sandy coves; as for the second one, its name is Sferia and, even though it's smaller than Kalavria, it's where most of the action takes place. Sferia is a volcanic bubble that popped out of the sea during the eruptions at Methana on the mainland. Poros t own, capital and port of the island, clambers all over Sferia: a pretty place of white houses with terracotta-tiled roofs and wonderful views over to the mountains of Argolis.

greece poros - kalavria greece poros

Are there any places I should not miss in Poros?



poros - zoodochos pigi monastery

First of all, there's Moni Zoodochou Pigis. Built around the island's only spring, it's immersed in woods and decorated inside with a lofty gilt i conostasis and good icons. It's a very beautiful place to visit, even if you're not a believer.

greece poros - archaeological museum

Poros also has a small archaeological museum in Plateia Koryzi. The museum hou ses finds from the ancient Troezen area, including a lion spout gutter from the fabled Temple of Aphrodite.


At this point, let me also suggest something else. The Saronic Gulf seems like a lake. If you sail through the straits of Poros on a large ferry boat you can almost touch the balconies of the waterside buildings.So, you know. do that.



What about the archaeological and historical sites of Poros?



poros - poseidon temple

The one thing that comes to mind is the Ruins of a 6th-century hilltop Temple of Poseidon, near the centre of Kavala. The temple was first b uilt in brick by the Mycenaeans, but it was then rebuilt in marble c. 500 BC. It was next to it that the orator Demosthenes poisoned himself in 323 BC, rather than surrender to the Macedonians. In antiquity, the site was linked to ancient Troezen in the Peloponnese. The temple has unlimited access.

Other than that, there's nothing else coming to mind. Luckily though, Poros I within easy driving distance of major sights in the Peloponnese: Epidauros, Nafplion, Mycenae, Troezen and Galatas. As you can guess, Poros makes an ideal base for exploring all those places.



Are there any good beaches in Poros?


greece poros - love bay

There are several beautiful beaches in Poros that you can visit. As I already said, Kalavria is blessed with innumerable quiet sandy coves. Unfortunately, they're inaccessible by land, but you can hire a small boat to reach them (trust me when I say they're worth the effort). But they're not the only ones; the other side has several beaches as well.

One of them is Askeli beach, located on one side of the village of Askeli. Askeli beach is a beautiful beach, long and large, with golden sand and deep, crystal-clear waters.

Kanali is on the other side of Askeli, opposite Askeli beach. It's long and it has fine sand, with crystalline waters. You can also eat at the superb fish taverna lying by the sea near the beach with a view to it.

The Lover's Bay is a charming bay. People have actually described it as "heaven on earth". It has fine white pebbles and crystalline emerald waters and it's surrounded by pine trees.

Finally, don't forget to visit Neorio Beach. Neorio Beach is truly one of the best beaches in Poros, lined and shadowed by pine trees that descend until the sea. The waters are wonderful.

Where should I eat in Poros?



greece poros - cheese pies

Poros has many quite good restaurants you can eat at. A great example is Taverna Karavolos. Karavolos means "big snail" and it's the nickname of the taverna's complaisant owner. Snails are the specialty of the taverna,but they're not the only great dish there: the mezedes like taramokeftedes (fish-roe balls) and the main courses like pork stuffed with garlic will take your breath away.

Taverna Platanos is quite good and very popular as well. The seats are beneath a large old plane tree. This restaurant specializes in spit-roast meats; sp ecialties include kokoretsi (offal) and gourounopoula (suckling pig).

Sailor taverna is great for lobster and anything else from the grill. Caravella, on the waterfront, has an excellent selection of Greek and international dishes. As for Mourthoukos, its specialties include delicious stuffed pork and soufflé.

What about Poros' nightlife?

poros - nightlife

This may come as a surprise, but Poros has a very good nightlife. Most of the bars and nightclubs can be found in the waterfront of Poros town.

One place you should not miss is Poseidonio Bar. Built over a hill in different levels, it's one of the best bars in Poros. Open from early in the morning, it mostly plays chill-out music and it has an excellent view to the island.

Sirocco club is perhaps the best dancing club of Poros. Located on the east side of Poros town, it plays Greek and international hits all night long.




How do I get to Poros?

You can reach Poros by sea, by car ferry or hydrofoil from Piraeus, Aegina and Methana several times per day.Car ferries will also get you to Galatas on the mainland every 30 minutes. Once a week in high season there are connections to the Corinth Canal and Nafplion.

Book online your ferry tickets to the greek islands and have them delivered at home easily.

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