Porto Heli Photos :: Excursion pics :: Local views

Photos taken in and around Porto Heli, Argolis.

Porto Heli and Argolis photo gallery - click on the thumbnails to zoom and remember, these photos belong to me so please e-mail me for permission if you want to use them yourself.

These photo galleries were made using Lightbox 2.04 created by Lokesh Dhakar, a superb, easily customised and free download for displaying images. Click on the thumbnails for a larger picture and above each photo, to the left and/or right is a link to the previous or next photo in the series.

This is a set of views of the Porto Heli Bay taken at different times of the day.

This set is a series of familiar sights / landmarks of the local area.

The 'Flying Cat' arriving in Porto Heli.

The Spetses ferry and water taxi quay at Costa.

Sunset over the chapel at St Emillianos.

This is a set of water and water sports photos - two of the main attractions in Porto Heli.

The beach at Hinitsa, a favorite with the locals.

The breeze in the Porto Heli bay is gentle enough for even the smallest sailors.

One of our many beautiful pebble beaches, ideal for swimming from.

Water skiing from beginner to competition level is available in Porto Heli.

The local fishing boats decorated for Epiphany.

Kayaks and kids, an unbeatable combination.

Plenty of these in some areas but the water is so clear you can easily spot them.

When the Meltemi blows in Porto Heli the serious sailors get out on the water.

Porto Heli is the ideal hub for plenty of excursions within Argolis or the Argolic Gulf, here are a few photos of sights you might see on your travels.

The entrance to the Bouboulina Museum on Spetses island.

A horse drawn carriage on Spetses with the famous Captains houses in the background.

The Palamides fortress towers over Nafplion.

The entrance to the harbor on Hydra island.

A statue entitled 'Child and Dolphin' on Hydra.

Slightly closer to home, a view from Hinitsa island.

Finally!!! Flora & Fauna, photos mostly taken this spring.

The closeup is the flower on the tree, which I love but I'm having trouble identifying. Please e-mail me if you know what it is.

Lavandula stoechas / French lavender, and Wisteria sinensis - fantastic purples and gorgeous scents. Lavender was also considered an antidote for some poisons.

Anthemis chia / Chamomille, still collected locally, dried and brewed into tea for invalids during the winter and a private moment for beetles on a Chrysanthemum coronarium.

The uses of the Olea europaea / olive tree are myriad and this one is also the ideal perch for reading in the shade. The grasses are a type of wild cereal grass, I'm not sure which.

Aesculus hippocastanum / Horse-chestnut tree, said to be planted by Alexander the Great throughout Europe and a Ficus carica / fig tree coming into fruit, yum!

Testudo graeca ibera / Greek tortoise who absolutely refused to come out of its shell and my favorite veg - Cynara cardunculus / Globe artichoke, reputedly good for lowering blood cholesterol.

Called by my girls the 'Dragon Skull' and an unidentified flower, both on Hinitsa island.

A seagull flying over the orchid Orchis papilionacea. The ancients used to view orchids as an aphrodisiac and dedicated them to Dionysus , the god of wine, women and song.

Almond blossom and a rather wrinkled Rosa canina, or dog rose which, according to Homer (ancient Greek epic poet, not Simpson), perfumed the oil for the slain hero Hector of Troy.

Poppy or Crown Anemone / Anemone coronaria, although it is more frequently red than blue, pink or white. Apparently when Adonis was killed by a wild boar, drops of his blood turned into this flower.

Lots of my info for the 'Flora and Fauna' section came from a book called 'Greek Wild Flowers and plant lore in ancient Greece', by Hellmut Baumann (translated into English). It is a great book, no idea where I got it, but it reads like a best-seller and has really good pictures.

This page will be a work in progress with me adding to it all the time and if there is a photo you'd really like to see here, let me know and I'll try to oblige.

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