The visitor of Porto of Heli has various choices to spend his free time. At the same time it is a good starting line for daily excursions. Ideal for summer holidays, it also constitutes an exceptional destination for few days escapes.
Traditionally the visitors of Nautica Bay Hotel, visit Porto Heli for their summer holidays.
The beaches that the visitor can select are: the Asterias beach, Petrothalasa and Kounoupi on the east side, the Limanakia, Saint Aimiliano – with the small nominal church and Kostas on the south-east side, and finally the Chinitsa beach, Ververonta, Maistraki and Kyparisakia on western and north-western side.
All of them azure, clean and with an exceptionally mild temperature of the water, which usually have a tavern named after the place.
Visiting Spetses is also a proposed daily excursion with the easy access from Porto Heli but also from the Kosta beach. It is worthwhile visiting the Museum of Spetses. It is accomodated in the mansion of Chatzigianni Mexi, one of the most powerful sovereigns of the island during the Revolution. The two-story mansion was built the years 1795 – 1798. Bouboulina’s house is open to the public daily.
For lunch time you should visit the old harbour with the fish taverns by the beach. The beach of Saint Anargiron is accessible by sea taxi or bus and has a nominal tavern that serves at midday but also in the evening.
Each year a leading cultural event is the feast of Armatas. The second Weekend of September is dedicated in celebrating events witch combine the celebration of the Virgin Mary of Armatas (near to the Lighthouse) with the anniversary of the sea battle on the 8th of September 1822. The events climax with the representation of burning the Turkish flagship in the central of Spetses harbour.
Kostas beach is located 4km from our hotel. From there the visitor can leave for the Spetses island. The distance of 2 miles is covered in 5 minutes by sea taxi or 20 minutes by the traditional caique. The taxis departure immediately,and usually all day long and the caique departure until late at night. With a charge, the departure for Spetses can take place from the jetty in front of Nautica Bay hotel.
Hydra is a beautiful island with traditional architecture and unique atmosphere.
Hydrofoils or Catamarans departure daily from Porto Heli to Hydra. The distance is covered approximately in 45 minutes. Alternative caique exist that covers the distance approximately in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Caique usually include Hydra and Spetses in the daily excursion.
The daily excursion to Hydra is very popular.
In Hydra the visitor will appreciate the absence of wheeled vehicles, he will walk in the alleys of the island and will enjoy his coffee in the harbour. There is a variety of proposals for the lunch time dinner. Exceptional are the taverns in the small alleys of the island. The tourists in the high season will give a cosmopolitan air to the island with a lot of celebrities arriving daily. It is worthwhile visiting the Mansions of the island, to view the harbour from the hill, to admire the sunset from the Kiosk and the Cave, but also to visit the 6 Monasteries and the 300 Churches of the island.
Ermioni is a lovely village hardly 16 kilometres from Porto Cheli. The old beautiful harbour is famous for the bars but also for the fish-taverns. The Mpitsi grove in the cape of Ermioni has a view to Hydra and it is ideal to enjoy a walk.
Kilada is located before Kranidi (3km.) and is named after the fish village of the area with a big piscatorial fleet, if we take into consideration the population of the village (hardly 1.000 residents). It has a very nice harbour full of caiques, boats, trawls and dragnet boats. In a very short distance it is found the private owned island Koroni. On the back side of the village lies one of the most beautiful beaches, Lepitsa with the nominal tavern.
People across Greece come to Kilada in order to build their wooden piscatorial (and tourist) boats in the two big ship yards, while the village is popular for this kind of constructions
The name of the village came from the twin tops of the twin mountains, that are raised above the fertile valley where the village is placed. A special landmark of the landscape offer the two caves Dolines , which are located next to the village and to the foothills of the mountain.
The 2 small churches inside the big cave – which is not visible from the road and it is circled by the pinewoods – are Saints Georgiou (right in the entrance) and opposite is the Saints Sotira. Saint Sotira is celebrated on the 06th of August each year. The entrance to the big cave requires particular attention.
Porto Heli is located 180 kilometres south-western from Athens. Scenery coastal village built amphitheatrically in one of the best naturally sea shelters of Peloponnese, Porto Heli turned in a cosmopolitan destination because of the geographic place and the mild climate.
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