Holidays in Porto Heli - Hinitsa - Kosta - Ververoda

John KarkalatosDecember 4, 2024

Between the Saronic Gulf and the Peloponnese Porto Heli combines unparalleled natural beauty with tranquility. The rolling hills end in secluded bays with beaches in fantastic colours making it an ideal destination for relaxation and peace.

I have lived in Porto Heli for 6 years so what I write is first-hand experience.

Porto Heli is a closed pine-covered bay as beautiful as a painting. Sailing boats come and go to dock at the marina giving a sense of movement to this peaceful haven. It is not particularly developed in terms of tourism so whatever you do will be around eating, swimming and relaxing. If you need nightlife and crowds it is better not to visit it, even bars are hard to find here. However it has developed into a paradise for holiday homes, with several holiday homes giving the opportunity for other types of business to their owners.

The owners hide behind the anonymity of the offshore companies that they use to launder money that they could not justify otherwise. It is a legal way of laundering money and theoretically there is nothing illegal. If they establish many offshore companies and transfer the same property from one to another they launder more money. They do not have tax exemptions but they do not need to explain the source of the money, in other words, the offshore companies' money, although we do not know where it comes from, is magically baptized as legal! The most impressive villas, and the most laundering of course, are located in Agios Aimilianos.

An expensive villa in Agios Aimilianos

Porto Heli and the wider area of Ermionida are called the "Riviera of the Peloponnese" especially now that the international luxury hotel chains AmanZoe and Nikki Beach have chosen it and have taken the area somewhat out of its tranquility and made it more cosmopolitan. In fact scenes of the movie "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 2" were filmed at AmanZoe, with Daniel Craig (the former James Bond), Edward Norton and Kate Hudson.

Near Porto Heli are the seaside areas Hinitsa, Kosta and Ververoda which are a delight for the eyes. I have written a separate article for Agios Aimilianos because it has nothing but villas. Check the map at the end of the article for the locations.

Some years ago, in the bays of Porto Heli the former King Konstantinos spent his summer holidays with his grandchildren on the traditional boat Afroessa. Below I have a photo from those moments with the former King on the left in the striped shirt.

The former King Konstantinos on the ship Afroessa. He can be seen on the left wearing the striped shirt

Where to eat

Papadias (Παπαδιάς) is synonymous with authentic fish dishes with a history that begins in 1958. With a deep knowledge of the art of fish and a passion for tradition, it combines genuine traditional flavors with modern touches
Salt and Pepper (Αλάτι και πιπέρι) mainly cuisine of Constantinopole that is called politiki. Some dishes are too heavy for me. The pastourma pie with cheese is one of the best dishes
Piazza Italia is located on two floors and offers a magnificent view of the harbour, creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy genuine italian food. Specialties are cacio e pepe pasta and carbonara
Costa Rica for souvlaki and a rich menu with homemade dishes such as stuffed meats, pastitsio and several meat dishes at reasonable prices
Rozos for a menu with traditional flavours
Artigiano another italian for delicious pasta and pizza
Veranda del Vino various original flavours that you will not find anywhere else
Ippokampos (Ιππόκαμπος) the sea meets gourmet gastronomy with exquisite seafood that will take your dining experience to the next level. And with sushi

What to do

a walk to the Evangelistria Church and continue to Baltiza, a picturesque pine-covered bay with boats. There you will see the Elli Tower, a gothic tower of the 1920s

At Baltiza
a visit to the Agios Aimilianos chapel is a must, to see the amazing 360-degree view and some islands of the Saronic Gulf: Hydra, Dokos, the islet Trikeri and Spetses

Agios Aimilianos chapel
go for drinks and to eat by the pool of Nikki Beach Hotel with the best time being at sunset when the sun is reflected in the waters of Porto Heli bay

At Nikki Beach
watch a movie at the open-air Star Cinema
another must is the trip to Spetses. Access is easy with regular routes from Kosta port. On Saturday nights my favorite activity, like many others, is going out to Spetses. Since Porto Heli has no nightlife the thought of going there is effortless. At midnight the return is by sea taxi but keep in mind that there are only enough taxis at the peak of the tourist season, July and August. I have been there in June and wait for over an hour for a taxi to return to Kosta
the beaches are amazing. In Porto Heli there is one in front of the AKS hotel but is nothing special. The most popular are Ververoda, followed by Hinitsa, Kyparissi and Kosta. All of them are excellent. For more, read my article about the best beaches in Ermionida

You may have heard about the archaeological site of Halieis but it is not open to the public and has nothing special to see.

The activities you can do are scuba diving at Porto Heli Scuba Club and water skiing at the Ververoda Lagoon at Ververoda Lake Waterski Center.

If you find yourself in Nafplio I suggest you take the tour of 6 unknown but important monuments in Argolida that I organize: the fortress of Fichti village, the castle of Argos, the pyramid, Lerna, the royal tomb of Tiryns and the Mycenaean bridge of Kazarma. For more information visit the link below:

You can get to Porto Heli by road or by ferry. It is 180 km or 3 hours by road from Athens. By ferry you can get it from Piraeus port from the Saronic islands gate. Please note that you cannot take your vehicle with you on the ferry. If you want to combine Porto Heli with a trip to nearby destinations then your options are Nafplio, Epidavros, Ermioni and Spetses.

Here is the list of hotels I recommend, all of them are well-known:

(€€) AKS Porto Heli (⭐ 8.7) the most well-known hotel in Porto Heli in a prime location overlooking the bay, with a swimming pool, spacious rooms and a garden restaurant and rooftop
(€€) Nautica Bay (⭐ 8.5) rooms with bay view, swimming pool and restaurant with the best view in Porto Heli
(€) Rozos (⭐ 8.6) cheaper but very good option for stay in the center of Porto Heli

Search for hotel deals in Porto Heli

Top choice to stay is AKS

Here is my list of the best Airbnbs with sea views:

(€) Porto Panorama (⭐ 8.9) a villa with pool in the hills of Ververoda which is rented not as a whole but for every room separately at a very good price
(€€) My Cool House (⭐ 8.9) a detached house in a secluded spot in Porto Heli for absolute peace and quiet
(€€€) Villa Thalia Floating Heaven (⭐ 10) ideal for many people, with a swimming pool and unobstructed views of Spetses and the Myrtoon sea as it is located on the highest hill of Agios Aimilianos

And of course since it's Porto Heli a list of villas for rent couldn't be missing (they are only suitable for large groups):

(€€€) Villa Apollo Porto Cheli an ultra-luxurious villa in a remote spot on the edge of the Korakia forest. With a magnificent view and amenities that will give a special meaning to your holidays
(€€) Angelico (⭐ 9.9) in the hills of Ververoda a luxurious villa with amenities, swimming pool and amazing views
(€) Kostavilla (⭐ 10) a luxurious villa in Kosta, with swimming pool and view of Spetses

Hinitsa

A landscape of unparalleled natural beauty with the irregularly shaped Hinitsa islet in the middle of the bay. It has two neighbouring sandy beaches with the AKS Hinitsa hotel dominating. What I like is that you can swim next to the yachts without fearing that the waters are dirty. The first sandy beach has the AKS umbrellas but as far as I know non-residents can also swim. For the second beach I went through the Hinitsa tavern, I don't know if there is another way.

Hinitsa beach

AKS Hinitsa hotel is pure magic for coffee and to eat with a view of the beautiful island. Non-residents of the hotel can also eat there.

It is worth eating at the tavern Hinitsa or Taverna tis Giagias for delicious seafood dishes. It has a waterfront with tables where you can sit without the fear of waves. Sometime that I went there for a lunch the former king Konstantinos happened to be eating with guests on the eve of the wedding of his son Nikolaos.

Kosta

Kosta port is the entrance to Spetses, from there the ferry boat and the sea taxis depart for the short trip to the opposite coast. A point of reference is Drouzas tavern with homemade dishes that are prepared in pots and pans. It is the best spot to watch the traffic of the port while also having the best view of Spetses in all of Ermionida. It is impressive that part of the tavern is in the sea but probably when it was built the beach was further in.

The tavern in Kosta

It is important to point out something for those thinking of visiting Spetses from Kosta. If you are going to park your vehicle be careful! In some alleys with holiday houses, parking ban signs have been placed and you may find unpleasant surprises. On a recent visit the traffic police had handed out fines and removed plates so be careful because if you return from Spetses and find your car without plates it is a guaranteed stroke.

You may see on the internet about swimming at Kovas beach but do not be misled because it is inaccurate information. Whoever wrote it does not know the area. It is a private beach with white sand from exotic islands of the Indian Ocean and of course public access is not allowed. If you go there for a swim you will most likely be greeted by a a muscled guard and thrown out.

Ververoda

Here is the largest beach in Ermionida with pebbles outside and sand inside. It is a fantastic beach with an equally fantastic sunset with the sun setting behind the mountains of Peloponnese. I consider it a piece of paradise, here I learned that beaches where light comes from the seabed are next to us and are not exclusive to the islands.

Sunset at Ververoda Beach

The only drawback is that there are smooth rocks as you enter that you have to jump over to continue. There are no such rocks on the left end of the beach.

The fish tavern Maistraki offers excellent dishes with a menu mainly fish but also cooked and meat dishes. It is located on the beach and has a very nice courtyard from which you can enjoy the sunset. At the end of the beach there is a beach bar.

Here is a map of Porto Heli.

* If you find the information useful, you can book your stay or your activities through the affiliate links so I can earn a small commission and continue writing more useful content.