The Saronic Gulf, Argolic and Peloponnese

Fact File for The Saronic Gulf, Argolic and Peloponnese

For centuries Greece has been identified with the sea and sailing. The Saronic Gulf of Greece is a place of extreme beauty with hundreds of islands, beautiful sandy beaches, traditional harbors and small ports. Every place is unique and different from the other. The Saronic Islands are a great summer destination thanks to their proximity to Athens, and they include: Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Salamina and Angistri.

COORDINATES: 37º80N, 23º50E

LANGUAGE: Greek

LARGEST ISLAND: Salamina

WEATHER: This area has consistently warm weather with temperatures in the summer charter season reaching mid to high 20s C (75-84F).

BEST TIME TO CHARTER: June-September

AIRPORTS: The Athens International Airport (ATH) offers international flights to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris, and more. Airlines from Athens include: Air France, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa

TIME UTC+2 (winter), UTC+3 (summer)

CURRENCY EUR; major credit cards including American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted and ATMs are available on the islands.

ELECTRICITY 230 V, 50 Hz

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

1 Jan New Year's Day
6 Jan Epiphany
25 Mar Independence Day
Mar/Apr Orthodox Good Friday
Orthodox Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
May/Jun Orthodox Whit Monday
15 Aug Assumption
28 Oct Ochi Day
25 Dec Christmas
26 Dec Glorifying Mother of God

MAIN PORTS AND MARINAS: Port of Spetses; Port of Hydra; Kiani Akti, Poros; Port of Salamina; Port of Aegina

RECOMMENDED BEACHES: The Saronic Islands offer a mix of pebbled and sandy beaches. Each island has a selection of lovely beaches but please note that Hydra has mostly pebbled ones.

CULTURAL: Greece is a country of great interest and diverse cultures influenced by its strategic location between the East and the West. Greeks are very proud of their history and rich cultural heritage and are strongly influenced by the Greek Orthodox Church. Dress is mostly casual and smoking is prohibited inside public transport and buildings.