Poros is the Saronic island that is almost not an island: the channel separating it from the Peloponnese at Galatas is only a few hundred metres wide, and the town looks straight across it.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The two ways
From Piraeus, roughly one hour on high-speed craft and about two and a half on a conventional ferry, which is the one that carries cars. The line continues to Hydra and Spetses.
By road to Galatas, about two and a half hours through the Peloponnese via Epidaurus, then a five-minute crossing on a small ferry that runs constantly through the day. This is how most Athenians arrive, and it means you can bring a car.
The channel is the whole character
Poros town rises in tiers of tile-roofed houses to a clock tower, and it faces not open sea but a lemon-tree plain on the mainland a few hundred metres away. Boats criss-cross constantly. Water skiers use it. It feels like a river town more than an island.
Behind Galatas is the Lemonodasos, the lemon forest: thousands of trees on the slope, with paths through them, and it is the standard afternoon walk from the island.
What is on Poros
- The town, which is the best part: a long waterfront, stepped lanes behind, and the clock tower above.
- The Temple of Poseidon, ruined and quiet on the wooded ridge, where Demosthenes took poison.
- Askeli and Love Bay for swimming, and pine woods over the whole eastern half.
- Russian Bay, the remains of a nineteenth-century Russian naval station.
It is the greenest of the Saronic islands and the easiest with children: short distances, calm water, and a bus and boat system that means no car is needed.
Practical notes
- Fast boats stop in wind. The conventional ferry keeps going longer.
- Galatas is the car answer. Leaving the car on the mainland and walking on is also entirely reasonable.
- It is a very easy day trip, and, like Hydra, better after the day boats leave.
Last checked August 2026. Saronic schedules change seasonally - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
How long is the ferry from Athens to Poros?
About an hour on high-speed craft from Piraeus, or roughly two and a half hours on a conventional ferry.
Can you take a car to Poros?
Yes, on the conventional ferry from Piraeus, or by driving to Galatas in the Peloponnese and taking the five-minute crossing.
How wide is the channel at Poros?
Only a few hundred metres. The town looks straight across at the mainland village of Galatas, and small ferries shuttle constantly.
Is Poros good for a day trip from Athens?
Yes, and it is one of the easiest. Like the other Saronic islands, it is better in the evening once the day boats have gone.
What is the lemon forest?
The Lemonodasos, thousands of lemon trees on the mainland slope behind Galatas, with paths through them, reached from the island in minutes.
Next
Read Poros, Hydra, or the Saronic islands.