Day and night entertainment in Porto Heli ...

Always the sun ...

Walk around to the South side of the Porto Heli bay and see the ruins of ancient Halieis. There are remains both on land and in the shallows, parts of the baths and the olive press, outer walls, doorways and water cisterns. If you go in the early morning or evening it is cooler and the water is calm, from the acropolis there is a great view of the entire bay. To learn more about the history of Porto Heli, read Dr. Ken Citron's article on Ancient Halieis.

Renting a mountain bike for a day or so means that you can explore the local area. Costa, Hinitsa, Maistraki and Vereroda beaches are good for swimming and snorkeling and have beach bars for midday snacks and cold drinks.

Hire a motorbike and go to see Kranidi, a typical village virtually untouched by tourism about 6km away. This is where the public library (run by volunteers) and the Kranidi Folk Museum are located. The Museum is also staffed by volunteers and I'll be finding out more about it and adding to this section soon. Halfway back from Kranidi, stop off at the Pantanassa Monastery. Please dress appropriately (covered arms & legs), ask before taking photos and remember that a small contribution is customary if you wish to light a taper.

Thursday is Ermioni Market day. Ermioni is a lovely coastline drive of about 17km from Porto Heli and is worth a few hours of your time. You can get there by bus, flying dolphin or taxi. Most people find that a leisurely browse around the market followed by coffee or lunch in one of the many cafes or restaurants there and a stroll around the headland is the best way to see Ermioni.

Go on an excursion. Porto Heli is a really convenient base camp for exploring Argolis. Epidavros, Nafplion and Mycenae can all be seen on the same day, you can hire a car or pre-book a taxi to take you. There are performances in the ancient theatre of Epidavros during July and August which makes an excellent evening excursion.

Spetses or Hydra islands are within easy reach by ferry, flying dolphin or catamaran or you can hire a water taxi for the day and cruise all around the coastline, stopping where it takes your fancy. Monemvasia is worth a visit with Marines Tours on one of their scheduled trips or you can get there by flying dolphin. For more details of local places to visit, look on my Excursions page.

Boogie nights ...

Cafe-Bars, Bars and Nightclubs - if there is an entertainment planned (singer/band/theme party etc.), there is usually a door fee which includes your first drink. If not they don't charge an entrance fee. Some are inside the village and as you get farther out we have open-air Nightclubs. The music is generally a mixture of Greek and Foreign music with more of one or the other depending on where you go. There are also lots of Cafe-Bars along the harborfront with seating inside and outside serving snack food and ice creams along with soft drinks and spirits. I've put a bit more information on my Food and Drink page.

Cinema - we've got an open-air cinema in Porto Heli with the first show starting at about 9.45pm (when it gets dark enough) and a second showing after that. Most of the films are in English with Greek subtitles and they have plenty of the latest blockbusters throughout the season.

Festival of Art & Culture - during July/August there are nightly concerts and recitals held in the village (on the Manessis estate) over a 15 day period. Entrance is free and the programme includes Greek and Foreign music recitals on various instruments and it is well worth attending at least one.

Fun Fair - along the Porto Heli - Costa road, close to the village, there is a fun-fair with different games, rides and activities from June to about mid-September. It is a great favorite with the kids.

Town Quay - throughout the season there are book fairs, circuses, Greek shadow puppet theatres and various recitals, concerts and other events happening along the town quay. They usually charge a small fee and a half-fee for children.