Ermioni

Ermioni is a small natural inlet in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the waters of the Gulf of Hydra. It houses a quaint fishing village and a small port used mostly by fishing boats and as a departure and arrival base for boats and hydrofoils from Athens and neighboring islands.

The bay, small in size, represents a good anchorage both because it is well sheltered from all winds and because of the characteristics of the seabed. One can be comfortable within it, in short, it offers shelter from all winds and the sea and presents no particular dangers.

In summer there is occasionally a late afternoon breeze from the south, which usually mounts at 6 p.m. and lasts just over an hour. It can still be treacherous for anchoring; be careful.

There are three options within the bay: anchor to the north, anchor to the south, and look for a place in the very small harbor. Within the harbor, however, the depth is only 2 meters and the maximum length allowed for boats is 9 meters. There is no marina, so services are absent. In summer, the marina can be crowded, and in addition a not very good bottom is reported.

The best area to anchor is the south side: good tenor bottom, depth around 15-20 meters, so give plenty of chain. Watch out for late afternoon breeze, as explained above. The whole shore is banked, there is room for about 20 or 30 boats. The staff at the taverns that line the waterfront are usually very helpful and may be able to help you with mooring; if you eat at their place, then they will provide water, electricity and wi-fi without any problems.

You can also opt for the southern part near the entrance to the bay: beautiful view of the gulf and in front of you (a hill covered by a pine forest), very deep seabed as mentioned, be careful to make sure the mooring holds well since it is the least sheltered area.

As for services, there is a fuel disributor in the village (you will have to go there with jerry cans), stores, supermarkets, banks, post office.

One can also moor on the north side of the bay, but construction work should be underway on the new private super marina that is to accommodate yachts and large boats; therefore, it is not certain that the area will be usable.

If you cannot find room in Ermioni, either in anchorage or in ports, you can head south to the larger Kapari Bay, which, however, is much more open and offers no shelter from winds or sea except in its southernmost part. Only here can you anchor with some peace of mind: the bottom is about 3 meters deep and consists of sand, mud and seaweed. As mentioned, however, the bay does not offer good shelter, in case of uncertain weather better to aim for Ermioni