The Vouliagmeni lagoon in Perachora

Vouliagmeni Lagoon is a great place to relax and get away from it all, whatever time of year you visit. It is near to Loutraki and to the famous archaeological site of Heraion at Cape Melagavi, so you can easily fill a day exploring the area.

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Vouliagmeni Lagoon is a great place to relax and get away from it all, whatever time of year you visit. It is near to Loutraki and to the famous archaeological site of Heraion at Cape Melagavi, so you can easily fill a day exploring the area.

The lagoon is a large enclosed basin of water which shimmers in the sun as you approach it. If you go in the summer you’ll find sandy beaches with umbrellas and loungers, swimmers. moored boats, canoes, and restaurants full of people. In winter a few taverns remain open during weekends. The place is quieter and the coastal road is an ideal destination for walkers and cyclists. It is a lovely peaceful route, with the fragrance of the pines and the relaxing lapping of the water keeping you company as you walk along the side of the lagoon.

In ancient times the lagoon was known as Eschatiotis, but also Gorgopi, after Gorge, the daughter of Megareus, who drowned in in the lagoon when she learnt of the death of her children.

The lagoon is a saltwater lake which is 1 km wide and has a maximum depth of 40 m. Diving with bottles is prohibited, but if you wear a snorkel you can see rare small fish and molluscs, and there are also a lot of starfish in the depths. 

At the edge of the Vouliagmeni lagoon there is a 6 m wide channel that was dug at the end of the 19th century. Thanks to the ebb and flow of the tide, water comes into the lagoon from the Corinthian Gulf and refreshes the waters.

A few meters to the west of the canal, the archaeologist J. Fossey of the British School of Archaeology discovered a settlement from the Early Helladic period.

Did you know that

A few kilometres to the west of the lagoon, the peninsula of Perahora ends at Cape Melagavi. There is the archaeological site of Heraion and the lighthouse.

The Vouliagmeni lagoon is 16 km to the west of Loutraki.

Location

Find the destination on the interactive map below.