37.50° N · 23.45° E
An island in the Saronic Gulf, 2 h 40 by ferry from Piraeus: a town beneath the clock tower, Askeli beach, the sanctuary of Poseidon and the boat to Galatas.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Walk · 1 h · Free · White stairways from the quay to the clock tower and the view of the strait and Galatas
Museum · 45 min · €5 · Mycenaean finds from Troezen and Hermione in the house of Prime Minister Koryzis, five minutes from the harbour
Ruins among pines · 1 h · The remains of the temple of Poseidon at the top of the island, where Demosthenes died, with a view over the Saronic Gulf
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From May to June and in September and October, with a good sea and the excursion boats less full. In July and August, at weekends it fills up with Athenians. In winter the island lives its quiet life; many hotels and tavernas close and there are fewer boats.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Poros is an island to visit without a car: boat from Piraeus, the town on foot, beaches a few minutes away by bus or taxi and a boat to Galatas for the lemon forest. From the airport, the X96 bus goes straight to Piraeus.
Poros is reached by flying to Athens, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continuing by boat from Piraeus. From the airport to the port, the X96 bus goes direct; the Saronic Ferries ferry takes about 2 h 40 and the fast boats, less.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Poros works with children because everything is close: the boat is already part of the trip, the town is covered on foot, the south-coast beaches have calm water and you cross by boat to the Peloponnese in five minutes.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: A beach hotel on Monastiri bay, 3.5 km from Poros harbour, with every room facing the sea, a private beach, two pools and a spa.
Why we like it: A family hotel on Askeli beach, 2 km from Poros town, with pools, a rooftop bar, sunbeds on the beach and pets accepted.
Why we like it: A family-run neoclassical house on the Poros harbour promenade, below the clock tower, with balconies over the channel, continental breakfast and a roof terrace; no lift.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: swordfish or tuna carpaccio to start, an island fish grilled with oil and lemon, and the kakavia if there is any left
What to order: the house seafood dolma, a raw dish of the day and the fisherman's pasta with mussels, octopus, prawns and squid
What to order: choose from the trays of the day's stews, with some oven-baked giant beans, and ask about the house kalogeraki
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
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Tips
The ticket arrives by email and check-in opens 48 hours before.
The town changes when the excursion boats leave.
The upper quarter is all steps.
In winter there are fewer boats.
Poros is two islands joined by a narrow isthmus, 200 or 300 metres from the Peloponnese: Sphairia, small, volcanic and covered by the town, and Kalaureia, large and full of pines. From the quay you see the houses of Galatas on the other side of the channel, as if it were a river. It works well with children: calm-water beaches on the south coast, a town of white steps beneath the clock tower and boats to the Peloponnese every few minutes. From Athens it is 2 h 40 by ferry: better with a night than as a day trip.
By boat from Piraeus. Saronic Ferries ferries run the Saronic Gulf line with stops at Aegina and Methana and take about 2 h 40 to Poros; they carry cars and tickets are bought online. Hellenic Seaways' fast boats take less time, cost more and don't carry cars. From the airport, the X96 bus goes direct to Piraeus; from the centre, metro line 1.
By car overland is also possible: via the Corinth motorway, Epidaurus and Methana to Galatas, about two and a half hours, and from there the small ferry crosses the strait in a few minutes. You don't need a car on the island.
From Spain, you fly to Athens with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, and carry on by boat. If you arrive in the morning, you can be on Poros by mid-afternoon.
The town, first: climb the steps from the quay to the clock tower, with the view of the strait. On Korizi Square, five minutes from the port, the Archaeological Museum shows the Mycenaean finds of the area; €5, Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00.
On Kalaureia, among pines, are the remains of the sanctuary of Poseidon, where Demosthenes poisoned himself in 322 BC, and on the south coast, the Zoodochos Pigi monastery, above Monastiri bay. For swimming, Askeli beach, long and shelving gently, 2 km from the town.
And across the strait, on the Peloponnese, Galatas and the lemon forest: you cross by boat in a few minutes and walk among lemon trees, which blossom in spring.
A day trip is possible, but it is more than five hours by boat. With a night, you see the town at sunset, when the excursion boats leave, and have the morning for the beach or for Galatas. You have a plan in the excursion to Poros from Athens. If you already know Aegina and Hydra, Poros is the one that needs the most boat time and gives the most beach.
In Monastiri bay, 3.5 km from the town, Sirene Blue, with all rooms facing the sea, its own beach, two pools and a spa. On Askeli beach, New Aegli, a family hotel with pools, a Kids World, a rooftop bar and pets admitted. On the same harbour promenade, beneath the clock tower, Manessi, a family-run neoclassical house with balconies over the channel, 70 metres from the fast-boat quay: the option without a car or taxis.
On the harbour promenade, Poseidon, run by a family of fishermen since 1997, with fish from their own boats, raw dishes, seafood pasta and a children's menu; open seasonally. At the end of the promenade, in Punda, the old fishermen's quarter, Primasera grills the island's fish and makes lobster pasta and kakavia. And for a beach lunch, the Taverna Vassilis, in Megalo Neorio since 1939, with home-style stews of the day; you get there on the boat that leaves every hour from the old harbour, from April to October. Sirene Blue also has a beach taverna at Monastiri.
Questions
About 2 h 40 on the Saronic Ferries ferry from Piraeus; fast boats, less. By car via Methana and Galatas, about two and a half hours plus the crossing.
No. The town is covered on foot and the beaches are a few minutes away by local bus or taxi.
Askeli, 2 km from the town, long and shelving gently, or Monastiri bay, further east.
Yes: from Galatas boats and a small ferry cross in a few minutes.
Aegina for the Temple of Aphaia and the pistachios, Hydra for the car-free town, Poros for quiet beaches and being a stone's throw from the Peloponnese.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/attica/poros
