Porto Heli

While not as internationally celebrated as Mykonos or Santorini, Porto Heli enjoys a certain fame as a summer destination for Greeks and other Europeans — and has kept much of its small fishing-village charm.

Located in the southern Argolis region of the Peloponnese, Porto Heli can be reached from Athens by car, bus or ferry in around two and a half hours.

Archaeological surveys show the area has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic, close to 50,000 years ago. Directly across the bay from the modern town, the ancient city of Halieis dates to the 7th century B.C. At its most powerful, around 500 B.C., Halieis was a walled city of some 2,500 residents, large enough to mint its own coins.

Today the bay is a natural harbour for yachts, with a lively waterfront of tavernas and cafés, and the islands of Spetses and Hydra a short hop away by sea taxi or ferry.