Poros

General Information Poros is a small, volcanic little island of great beauty. It is very close to Athens Greece, and is a popular summer resort to both Greeks and foreigners. Many Athenians have summerhouses here, which can be noticed in the weekends, since the island livens up a lot then.

The island's name means narrow strait, and is separated from the Peloponnese and the picturesque town of Galatas by a 370 meters canal. It is considered a very romantic place, but is also great for families or backpackers. Poros is a very green island, as the ferry aproaches you can admire the pines that cover the small hills and the beaches. The town of Poros is build on the small peninsula of Sferia mainly on the small hill overlooking the port. Towards Mikro and Megalo Neorio you will find marinas for yachts and boats. The tourist season starts already from the middle of April as the island is very near to Athens and is ideal for day trips.

Poros History The god Poseidon was especially worshipped on the island that was called Kalavria during the Greek Antiquity. An ancient Myth tells that Poseidon gave as an exchange for Poros, Delphi to Apollo because the island firstly belonged to the god of the Sun. Several excavations shows that the island was inhabited from the prehistoric times and also during the Mycenaean times.
Poros had a peak period in the 6th-5th century BC especially when the temple of Poseidon became the main place of worship during the times of the Kalavrian union, a league between Athens, Nafplion, Aegina and other city states of that era.

Because of its closeness to the mainland, Poros had commercial and political connections with both Athens and the Peloponnese. Demosthenes, the orator, took his life here according to tradition.

The island had many foreign rulers, just like the rest of Greece, through history. Because of Hydras power in the 18th century, Poros was quite outshone, but the island contributed to the war of Independence that started in 1821. In Poros where confirmed the first borders of Greece in a meeting between the fist Greek Governer Kapodistrias and the ambassadors of Great Britain, France and Russia in 1828. The fist naval base and shipyards of Greece after Greek Independence was founded in Poros as well as the first school of Naval cadets. The famous battle ship Averof was docked in Poros until recent years, now the ship is docked in Faliro.

What to See The ruins of the temple of Poseidon from the 6th century BC and the monastery Zoodochos Pigis ("Life-giving Source") are just about the two only proper sights on the island.

There are also many old, interesting buildings in Poros town. The clocktower offers a breathtaking view, and it is nice just to stroll around here.

What to Do :You can do watersports on Poros like wind surfing and paragliding, you can also take some nice walks in its beautiful nature. You can also visit the lemon forest of nearby Galatea. Small taxi boats takes visitors from one side of the canal to the other .
A lot of people choose this island to be close to Athens and the many ancient sights on the mainland. There are daily excursions to the Acropolis and Mycenae, Delphi, Epidauros and Naupflion.

Beaches Poros has both sand and pebble beaches. Most of them are on the south coast of Kalavria and a lot of people also take one of the many small boats over to Galatas beach on the mainland. In General, the beaches on Poros are very calm, since they are situated in sheltered little bays. Between Megalo and Mikro Neorio there is a nice beach, another one located in Askeli.

Nighttlife:There is a very good nightlife on Poros. There are many bars and discos along the beach in Poros town, and it can get quite hectic, especially in August and during weekends, when the Athenians come over.

Food-You'll find many taverns in Poros town. There is a choice between Greek and international food, a special kind of lemon juice and local sweets. In the restaurant Rota right on the promenade you can enjoy Greek specialities in reasonable prices. There are also nice small taverns in the pedestrian street paralel to the beach front..

Shopping:  The shops sell all the souvenirs: textiles, leatherbelts and rugs, as well as clothes and things for the house or the boat. Because Athens is so close, you usually get a couple of hours on your own when you visit the capital, which is a shopping paradise.

Getting Around There are some buses and taxis on the island, as well as mopeds and bicycles for rent. You can also take small boats to some of the beaches, as well as the mainland. The resort of Askeli is only 2 miles north eatst of the town of Poros. There you will find the monastery of Zoodochos Pigi and he nice beach of Askeli. A visit to Galatas and the famous Lemon forest (Lemonodasos) is a must, the crossing is only a few minutes with the numerous taxi boats, if you have a car there is also a ferry that gets there many times during the day. From Galatas you can visit many historical places of the Peloponesse in the area of Troezin.

Getting There :The nearest airport is in Athens and from Piraeus there are several ferryboats and hydrofoils a day. The island is also connected with the other Saronic islands of Aegina, Hydra and Spetses and with the Peloponessian resorts of Methana and Galatas. The journey with the hydrofoil is about over an hour.

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