Welcome to Poros and the Saga Hotel...

Poros is a beautiful island an hour from Athens, the Saga Hotel being one of its most notable hotels. Zefi and Takis Alexopoulos are an enterprising and warm-hearted couple who have succeeded in creating a modern hotel in which the guests feel part of the family. In this page, there is a brief description of the island and some of its attractions, with links to further sources of information.

An Introduction to Poros...

The island of Poros is two islands, Sferia and Kalavria, separated by the Canali. Poros town is on Sferia, Kalavria being the forested main island, with its steep slopes and sandy beaches. There is a very much smaller heart-shaped island 100 metres off Sferia, Daskalio - the birthplace of Eros - with a small church at its centre. It is just one of the features that make Poros such a suitable place for romance and marriage.

Love Bay is another remarkable place fit for blessings and honeymooners, its beach and seats popular with visitors seeking either romance or a special moment in their marriage. It has been so for at least a hundred years - maybe longer.

Poros town has a number of attractive features. The waterfront is often full of visiting yachts and small fishing boats, with above it the clock tower that is a part of the town's history. Down beside the water there is a mermaid fountain, a simple but beautiful sculpture that sums up the feeling of love, fun and the joy of the sea.

The now-ruined Temple of Poseidon on the top of Kalavria is a classical reminder of the island's legendary status as the home of that God of the Sea; the temple site offers excellent views across the Saronic Gulf and the Aegean Sea.

The Greek Orthodox church has some beautiful buildings to look at, the Zoodochos Pighi Monastery being the best known, but there are other beautiful churches and chapels in the area, none out of use, even that on Daskalio seeing regular services.

Easter is an important annual festival in Greece, Poros being noted for its enjoyment of this event. Various boat festivals occur during the year, which is finished (and begun) by the New Year with presents and a tree in the town square.

Russian Bay and its deepwater anchorage is now a yacht haven, but up to 1917 and the Russian Revolution it was a naval station for units of the Imperial Russian Navy. Little now remains except the name and a few ruins, but the bay is worth visiting.

As has been indicated, the island is a popular place for yachts touring the islands of the Aegean, being an excellent small ship harbour, but it is equally popular with cruise ships and as a sea sports centre.

The wildlife of Poros is quite impressive. Semi-tropical and mediterranean species of flowers grow wild on Poros that would only be found as garden centre plants outside Greece. The most remarkable feature is probably the large number of wild land tortoises in the hills and woods of the northern side of Kalavria.