Greek Islands > Saronic Gulf islands

Saronic Gulf Islands

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The Saronic Gulf lies to the south of Athens and is a sheltered sea with mild weather conditions, which makes it ideal for flotilla sailing. The gulf includes three major islands - Aegina, Poros and Salamina - as well as a number of smaller rocky islands like Angistri and St. Giorgio, which have small harbours and very few inhabitants. You will also find many marinas - mainly on the Attica coast and some, like Methana, on the Peloponnese side.

For the purposes of this directory we include Hydra and Spetses islands and their neighbouring Peloponnese coast in this section, as although they are in a different geographical area - the so called Gulf of Hydra and Argolic Gulf - from a practical sailing point of view they are one and the same thing.

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Ancient history

The Saronic Gulf and the adjacent cities were always under the influence and domination of Athens and they followed the mother city's fate. On Aegina island the Temple of Afaea Athena (daughter of Zeus and the goddess of wisdom) was a well known religious centre for all ancient Greeks, whilst on Poros Island you can visit the sanctuary of Poseidon, near Kalavria, where the ancient Athenian orator Demosthenes fled to find refuge and then poisoned himself in 322 BC. The naval battle of Salamina was a critical turning point in the Persian/Geek war.

During the reign of Alexander the Great, the imperialist and coloniser, the Hellenistic period and the Roman occupation (330 BC to 300 AD) the whole area prospered, as there was no need for military expenditure and all the above conquerors respected Athens for its previous glory and culture.

Medieval
During the Byzantine period (300AD to 1453 AD) the area declined as the emperors of the Christian Orthodox Byzantium (with very few exceptions such as the Empress Irene the Athenian, who was born in Athens) were facing in Athens what they most hated and feared - the old religion and way of life.

During the Turkish occupation (1453 AD to 1821 AD) the situation was even worse, with Athens turned into a village of 30,000 citizens. At that time only Hydra Island prospered, as it was always under a semi-independent situation within the Ottoman Empire, and the island's fleet was trading throughout Europe.

After the Greek Revolution and the establishment of Athens (1863 AD) as capital of the new born country the situation in the whole area, with the exception of Athens itself, didn't change much and only in very recent years, with the development of tourism most of the towns and islands are prospering.

	Saronic Gulf Islands today
	Today, most of the towns in the area are cosmopolitan and popular with tourists, welcoming a large number of them every year, yet there are still surprisingly peaceful spots - like Angistri Island for example - which can be discovered by the yachtsman. Most of the islands have kept their traditional colours and their character - with the exception of Athens, of course, which is a modern city with a population of 5 million. The Saronic Gulf, heavily polluted in the past is nowadays relatively clean and one can even swim off the beach at Alimos, next to the marina.

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If you like me to assist you with your holiday choice in the Saronic Islands, please send me an e-mail with your questions and enquiries. I will be glad to reply and assist you, wherever I possibly can.