By Nicolas Bard

Porto Heli is a seaside town of the prefecture of Argolida, with a permanent population of around 2,200 inhabitants. It is 78 km from Nafplio and is built in a natural, windless port. They often call it as a “Greek Riviera” because it exudes island air, despite being in the mainland. Porto Heli has evolved into a secular tourist destination, attracting shipowners, big businessmen and members of royal families from around the world. From the port of the settlement, boats depart for the nearby islands of the Argosaronikos, as well as the opposite coast of Kynouria, while the surrounding beaches gather a large number of visitors in the summer.

The name of Portocheli is, according to the prevailing view, to a gradual linguistic corruption of the name “Fishermen”, the ancient city that was in place of today’s settlement. The name fishermen changed to carriers and then to eel. To be distinguished by the nearby village of Heli (which is now renamed Arachi), he also took the nickname “Porto” because it had a port. The area has become one of the most famous tourist centers of the Peloponnese and the whole country, with many celebrities having cottages there and vacation.

One of the celebrities who loved Porto Heli was the late Sean Connery. The award -winning actor went to Argolida and in 2013 decided to get his own villa there. Sean Connery and his French wife painter Miselin have long wanted to buy their own home in the area so that they could spend quiet moments in an earthly, Greek paradise. The luxurious house they bought is in the same “expensive neighborhood” that has a house by the most King of the Netherlands William – Alexander worth 4.5 million euros. In the same area, among others, the former King of the Greeks Constantine II had a home with his wife Queen Anna-Maria. Shipowner Dinos Goulandris’ son, Yiannis Mytilineos, as well as Theodoros Kyriakou also frequent Porto Heli.

The natural, secure port of Porto Bizato (or Eel Harbor) as the Italians called it in the 18th century, was one of the six of the Peloponnese that were registered on the Venetian maps as early as 1692. However, the history of the area where Porto Heli is located much earlier, already in the Early Hellenic period. It is then considered to have been the first facility on the south side of the bay, opposite the present settlement. Much later, in the late 7th century. BC, the powerful ancient city of fishermen was founded in the period 600-300 BC.

Its acropolis was at the top of the hill, at the “Kastraki” site. It surrounded it two kilometers long and had many towers. Inside, residues of houses, craft facilities and a religious center were found. Due to the change in sea levels in late antiquity, the northern part of the city sank. The areas outside the wall investigated by archaeologists also include a Apollo sanctuary that was in use since the 7th century. B.C. This is also immersed today in the blue waters of the bay.
Herodotus says that the city was named after the fishing of the residents. At the same time, they collected and processed shells, from which the famed purple paint came out, also known as “royal paint”, in red to violet. The shells were then transported to the “purple” of neighboring Ermioni, where the processing and dyeing of the yarn and fabrics were done.

Very close to Porto Heli is the beautiful Verberonta lagoon, surrounded by a very green, has shaky waters and there is the local ski school. The picturesque chapel of Panagitsa comes to complement the picturesque Mediterranean landscape. At the point where the lagoon meets the open seas there is a beach where visitors can swim and dive with a snorkel. Verberonda has its own story of course. At the time of Kapodistrias there was a fish farm, which became a significant source of revenue for the locals until the end of 1960, when the tourist development of the area began. Water composition and temperature are ideal for different species of fish. The most thorough interpretation of its name is that it comes from the wild bush, which grows in abundance in the area and belongs to the Berberian family.

Porto Heli may have evolved into a popular destination for the international jet set, but still maintains the beauty and authenticity of the place, an element that fascinates all those who visit it. Also, the fact that he is just two and a half hours away from Athens makes him the most appropriate destination for short trips! Do you think of something better for the weekend?