Askeli is a small residential area on Poros with all facilities to be self-sufficient. Askeli has its own supermarkets, restaurants, beaches, bars, bike and scooter rentals, water sports facilities, etc. A regular bus service provides the connection to Poros Town. During the summer it is also possible to take a taxi boat to Poros Town.
When you take the road from Poros Town to the naval base, you keep right when passing the ‘Canali’ bridge, and follow the road uphill. Then go over the hill, pass the Golden View Hotel and once you have taken the corner at Hotel New Aegli you see to your right a fairly long, sandy beach. This is Askeli Beach, which is in the summer very popular with younger guests.
At the end of the beach, there is a road that goes left (near the Aegean Village apartments). If you take this way you discover after 40 meters the Odyssey Suites on your right hand. When you continue the road, when you’re driving a bicycle or a motorbike, you find 2 large supermarkets and some other shops.
Neorion is the other residential area outside Poros town. There are less facilities around, but the view over here is always beautiful. Neorion is known for its many restaurants, beaches and water sports facilities. A regular bus service provides the connection to Poros Town.
When you’re going on the road from Poros Town to the naval base and take the left turn immediately after you cross the ‘Canali’ bridge, then you follow the direction of Neorion. After about 200 m you will see on your right Hotel Theano and seaside Restaurant Spiros on your left. Going further you’ll come across all kinds of apartments and pass a few beaches, some large hotels, and eventually you’ll end up in Russian Bay. Here the road continues as the ring road around the island.
Neorion is popular with the Greeks themselves who have more often been Poros and also with the residents of Poros. The area is more quiet then Poros town, however the restaurants here provide an unexpected high quality at a competitive price and you have a wide choice of different small and medium beaches, the one even more stunning than the other.
Poros possesses a typical island city center: narrow walkthroughs, whitewashed stairs everywhere, no house that is equal to another and friendly people everywhere. The ruins of a windmill is a popular destination for visitors as well as the clock tower where many people make it a sport to discover the road towards the tower through the narrow streets of Poros.
In the city center located in the main square you’ll find the church of Saint Georgios, where several traditional style shops sell their products, such as bags and fabrics woven on a traditional loom at Ergani. If you have a chance, it is certainly advisable to discover yourself in the narrow and charming streets of Poros. The machine shop of the brothers Pavlou on the main square is also worth a visit. You will not get lost, that is sure, however sometimes you might get a brief feeling of disorientation.
When you continue the path upwards you’ll stumble upon the woods that cover the hills of Sferia. Here you will find the old mill that used to mill the flour for the inhabitants of the island. In spring you can enjoy all the scents and colors of flowers and plants that most people grow in their mini size gardens.
Poros is famous for its naturally formed harbor, in the earlier days the port of Poros was already popular. And up to today, a large number of yachts that sail the Greek waters, makes it at least once to the friendly port of Poros. Ferry boats, hydrofoils and many other types of boats that carry passengers and / or vehicles, stop at the port of Poros. Especially between 10:30 and 12:00 is the harbor bustles with all kinds of activity, a perfect decor while enjoying an iced coffee in one of the many terraces along the seaside boulevard.
The natural protected area which forms the port on the west coast of Poros, in the direction of Neorion, is also an ideal training venue for the canoe and kayak school of Poros. Not so strange that at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Dimitris Mougios from Poros, won a silver medal in the lightweight double scull for men!
There are 2 marinas for yachts in Poros. The oldest and most famous is located on the east side, stretched along the quay. The new marina was built a few years ago on the west side. Both marinas are equipped with modern facilities and provide water and electricity connections. Next to the new marina, one finds the traditional harbor of Poros. This is the place where all large motor yachts and sometimes a 3 – or 4-master anchor.
Poros has one attraction for those that love ancient history. Poros possesses one of the largests (though leveled) sanctuaries of the god Poseidon. The story is as follows, the larger island of Poros Kalavria was offered to Apollo, but as he was more interested in Delphi, he exchanged Poros for Delphi with fellow god Poseidon. For Poseidon a large and beautiful temple was built in 520 BC on one of the higher points of the island. The actual site has stunning views in the direction of Athens and looks down on a rather flat area of which some say was used for sports games in the ancients days.
The main Temple was built in Doric style, though some of its columns were Ionian. It was a place of importance those days because it functioned as the center for the Amphictyonic League, a voluntary “cooperative” of city-states in both civic and religious matters, which included nearby places such as Hermione, Epidaurus, Aigina, Prassies, Athens and Orhomenos.
The famous orator Demostenes came to Poseidon’s Temple just after the death of Alexander the Great in search of sanctuary as Philip, the King of Macedonia was chasing him. The king had heard of his escape to Poseidon's temple on Kalavria and sent his best men to capture Demostenos. Demostenos knew his end had come and decided to take his own life so he would not die honourless in the hands of what had become his enemies.
These days you will only find the ruins of what once was Poseidon’s Temple. It is an excellent place for meditation where some say you can still feel the energy of the sanctuary.
Journey Athens Airport to Poros Island-2015 Odyssey Activities offers no flights to Greece. However we can be of service for the transfer from the airport of Athens to Poros , and if you seek help when booking a flight we will share our experiences with your. Below are some useful links for flight and ferry information. In addition, we have prepared a comprehensive PDF document for our customers that describes the journey from the airport in Athens to Poros and vice versa.
Because we offer flexible arrival and departure schedules for most holidays we offer, youare able to select the most convenient flights with respect to arrival and departure days. Booking a flight 3-5 months in advance often provides a favorable price, but there are also often various limited time / weekend offers where flight companies give 5 to 10 % discount on the standard airfares.
The traveling time from England varies in between 3,5 to 4,5 hours for a direct flight. Flights with a stopover take at least an hour longer. Then you have to calculate at least 2 hours to get to Poros, see also the explanation of the journey from the airport to Poros. You can also come by car, please contact us if you would like some advice for such a trip would have.
A flight to Athens you can book the following companies: www.skyscanner.net [flights, recommended], www.aegeanair.com, www.ba.com and www.easyjet.com. A good alternative could also be https://www.stagkissbudapest.com/blog/how-to-find-cheap-flights/. Also useful are the departure and arrival of the fast and slow boats from Piraeus to Poros: www.hellenicseaways.gr (english and greek language). Car hire from the airport can be arranged through the website of the airport Eleftherios Venizelos: www.aia.gr (english and greek)
Poros has many beaches located on the larger island Kalavria. When you reach the Canali bridge (coming from Poros) and take a left towards Neorion, you first pass the ‘Mikro Neorio’ beach, and a little further (behind the hill) you will find the beautiful beach of ‘ Megalo Neorio’. The next beach you encounter is the romantic “Love Bay”, and once you’ve passed this one, you can’t miss “Russian Bay ‘.
At ‘Canali’ bridge you see on your right hand (Poros town behind you) a big beach named after the bridge: ‘Canali beach’. When you take the road ahead of you and keep on the right, you go towards Monastiri, and you’ll pass the wide and long beach at Askeli. Following the coastal road you will lead you to the Blue Serena Resort hotel and finally to the beach below the monastery. This is ‘Monasteri Beach’. The number of restaurants that you find here is unfortunately somewhat reduced, but the Greeks say that the sea at Monasteri is the cleanest.
At the ‘back’ of the island another beautiful beach is located with a name that most people find hard to pronounce : “Vagionia” Beach. Freely converted into English, the word ‘Vajonja ” would come closest. This beach is not so easy to reach, but that is one of the reasons many guests consider “Vagionia” as a jewel among the beaches of Poros.
