Porto Heli

Porto Heli is a popular destination all year round. The famous seaside resort of Argolida is built in a wooded bay, with yachts and sailing boats docking at the piers, a promenade filled with visitors, fine restaurants and café-bars and many accommodation infrastructures.

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Porto Heli is a popular destination all year round. The famous seaside resort of Argolida is built in a wooded bay, with yachts and sailing boats docking at the piers, a promenade filled with visitors, fine restaurants and café-bars as well as modern accommodation infrastructures.

The safe harbor of Porto Bizato (or Eel Harbor) as the Italians called it in the 18th century, was one of the 6 in the Peloponnese listed on Venetian charts as early as 1692. As a traveler of the earlier times wrote: "The bay of Porto Heli in an ellipsoidal shape curving into small bays with a depth at the entrance of 14-16 fathoms, is the most secured of all the ports of Argolida and looks like a swimming pool crowned with pine hills. Because of its unique mirroring it is called Laco de como".

However, the history of the area takes us much further back in time, to the Early Helladic period. At that time, it is thought that there was the first settlement on the south side of the bay, opposite the recent one. Much later, at the end of the 7th century BC, the powerful ancient city of Alieon (fishermen) was founded and flourished from 600-300 BC. 

Its acropolis was located on the top of the Kastraki hill. It was surrounded by a circular wall of almost 2 km, with towers. Inside it, remains of at least 20 houses, industrial facilities and a religious center were found. Due to the rising of sea levels, in late Antiquity the northern end of the city sank. Areas outside the wall investigated by archaeologists include a sanctuary of Apollo that was in use as early as the 7th century BC. It too is submerged in the Porto Heli bay. 

Herodotus mentions that the city took its name after the inhabitants' occupation with fishing. At the same time, they collected and processed shells from which came the famous purple dye (porphyra) the so-called 'royal dye'. The shells were transported to the neighboring Hermione to be processed and dyed into yarns and textiles. 

Because of its great beauty and fantastic coastline from 1965 onwards the area of Porto Heli attracted wealthy businessmen and VIPs who built large villas with access to the coast. At the same time, investments were made so its infrastructure has been further modernized.

In the summer you will stroll along the promenade to the so-called "Instagram corner" - the old pumping station that has been converted into a popular hangout. Then continue to the pedestrian street which is the epicenter of the night life, lined with café-bars and restaurants. 

From Porto Heli you can hire a boat for cruises to Spetses and Hydra islands. There is also a diving school. 

Next to Porto Heli is the Ververonda lagoon, where a ski school operates since 1982.   

See the beaches around Porto Heli.  

Did you know that

Porto Heli is 85 km from Nafplio and 174 km from Athens. Sea transport links its port with the islands of the Argosaronic Gulf and Piraeus. From the neighboring Costa one can reach Spetses in a very short time.

Location

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