Porto Heli

When the jet set of the Cote d'Azur move to Greece, they search out the large, waterfront villas of Porto Heli. Situated in a natural bay on the southern Peloponnese Argolid coast opposite Spetses and Hydra, the proximity of Spetses and Hydra makes Porto Heli and Costa a magnet for the yachting set as well . If you have Greek friends staying here, bring your jewels, your address book, your cocktail kaftans and suntan lotion, but don't forget your guide book to the magnificent sites of the Peloponnese, and your Nike sports wear for the great sporting possibilities.

Best for

Water sports, swimming, calm seas, child friendly beaches, great tourist facilities, easy access from Athens (Porto Heli is about 190km from Athens by road or 55 Nautical miles from Piraeus Port.) and as a base for exploring the magnificent sites of the Peloponnese, Nauplion, Mycenae, Epidauros, Monemvasia, and Spetses and Hydra

Worst for

Undistinguished landscape and modern, charcterless town.

Would suit

Those wanting to occupy a prestigious seaside villa along with wealthy Athenians who have snapped up all the best real estate for weekend and summer houses, those with yachts wanting to chill with friends in the villas, and those wanting to explore the Peloponnese

Would not suit

Aesthetes and Romantics in search of Zorba or their own undiscovered Greek island idyll, those wanting a dreamy honeymoon spot, with deserted beaches and picturesque island photo-opportunities.

Activities

The real reason to come to Porto Heli!

Festival of Art & Culture - during July/August there are nightly concerts and recitals held in the village (on the Manessis estate) over a 15 day period. Fun Fair on Costa road, try Lepitsa taverna and beach (in Koilada) for freshly caught fish dishes and seasonal salads on the beachfront where children can play in the shallow sea or on the beach under the shady trees whilst parents eat.

Water sports

The hot, calm weather makes this a great place for sports and swimming; Scuba diving, world class competitive water skiing, windsurfing. For sailing, scuba, skiing and windsurfing have a look at www.portoheliwatersports.com, www.poseidonsports.com and www.waterskigreece.com. Porto Heli Scuba Club, www.greekdiving.com & Kallianos Diving Center. www.kallianosdivingcenter.gr Bicycle rental - Renting a mountain bike for a day or so means that you can explore the local area for swimming and snorkelling, and beach bars for midday snacks and cold drinks. There are 2 public tennis courts in Kranidi which is a five minute drive, and the AKS hotel in Hinitsa has 4 tennis courts available to the public.

Excursions

Porto Heli is ideally suited for daytime excursions to a number of interesting places.

Didima is about 20km from Porto Heli and has a number of subsidence craters, one of which has the tiny chapel of St George carved/built into the rock. The chapel is dated roughly as 13th Century and the craters were used as shelter both for animals and humans during inclement weather.

Koilada is small fishing village and also one of the most important fishing ports in Greece. The immediate coastline is gorgeous with numerous bays for swimming and sunbathing and the village itself is renowned for the quality of the seafood.

Kranidi is about 7km from Porto Heli and is practically untouched by tourism.

Epidavros is about 50km from Porto Heli and is the shrine to the Greek god of healing, Asclepios and the site of one of the best preserved amphitheatres in Greece. They have an excellent museum and the ancient dramas are performed in the amphitheatre (in various languages and by different theatre groups) during July and August. The performances of the Epidavros Festival 2008 as well as a number of cultural, theatrical and musical happenings all over Greece..

Nafplion, the 19th century capital of Greece with its mixture of Venetian, Ottoman and neo-classical buildings is a delight: 90km away The view from the Palamidis Fortress towering above the town is great and you can either walk up the 999 steps or drive most of the way up and complete the climb on foot.

Mycenae is about 100km from Porto Heli, and is the site of the Tomb of Agamemnon and the famous Lion Gate. There is a path through the ruins to the top of the castle from where there is a fantastic view of the surrounding area.

Epidavros, Mycenae & Nafplion can be combined into one day-long excursion either with an organized tour, by pre-booking a taxi or by hiring a car. For more information on these and other sites of archaeological interest in Greece, see the Greek Ministry of Culture website.www.culture.gr

Corinth is a little further away but still a lovely drive, about 1 1/2 hours and apart from the ancient town where ST Paul preached and the museum housing the finds from it, there is the Corinth Canal to be explored.

Spetses is a pretty island with a mixture of traditional and modern buildings. The Bouboulina Museum, www.bouboulinamuseum-spetses.gr (the islands' heroine for her part in the war against the Turks) sited in the house she used to live in is a must-see.

Hydra is a small, rock island with an international reputation among artists.

Monemvasia is best seen via an organized tour on a traditional Greek Caique as the hydrofoil services do not leave you enough time to explore, unless you wish to stay there overnight. Monemvasia is joined to the mainland by only a narrow causeway. The old town, built inside the walls of the fortress, has more than thirty beautiful Byzantine churches and a number of hotels have incorporated parts of the old fort into some of their rooms.

Motor boats or yachts can safely moor along the Porto Heli quay, in the bay or in one of the numerous little bays along the coastline. At Franks Boat Yard (27540 52380) . Porto Heli Marine Service (27540 52388 or 6976837320)

Grateful thanks to Izzy Backhouse for invaluable research! www.portoheli.net

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