Port of Athens. It's time to go to the islands! How to get to the port of Piraeus from Athens and the airport. What to see in Piraeus (Athens) on a cruise
Piraeus is the main passenger and commercial port in Greece, one of the largest ports in the world. The area is always bustling with shops, lively bars and restaurants. But by and large, Piraeus remains a transit point for tourists who arrive in Athens or vice versa - depart from Athens to the islands of Greece.
History of the port of Piraeus
Piraeus is located 12 km from the center of Athens. Its name is associated with the words “to cross, to swim across.” Since ancient times, Piraeus was considered a separate port city, but is now part of the Greek capital. The history of Piraeus began in antiquity - 25 centuries ago it coped with the function of the main transit port of Greece. Piraeus laid the foundations for Athenian dominance in the Mediterranean. Soon, from a small village, it turned into a satellite city where traders settled.
In subsequent years, Piraeus suffered a difficult fate: it was sacked by the Romans and captured by the Venetians and Turks. But after Greece gained independence in the 19th century, the port city again flourished - it was inhabited by settlers from the Peloponnese, Chios and the Greeks of Asia Minor.
Now the Athens port of Piraeus serves more than 20 million passengers annually. Its importance for Greece is difficult to overestimate - the geography of departure of ferries from Piraeus is very wide. From the port you can reach Rhodes, Kalymnos, Leros, Kos, Chios, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Ikaria. Cruise ships that make voyages around the Mediterranean are based in its harbor. Ferries from Blue Star Ferries, Anek Lines, and Minoan Lines operate to Piraeus.
Infrastructure of the port of Piraeus
The Athens port of Piraeus occupies a large area and has extensive infrastructure capabilities. Shops and cafes line the harbor, and there are entire shopping areas. The port is famous for its large selection of seafood taverns. All necessary services are provided on the territory of the passenger terminals. Here you can buy tickets, have lunch, exchange currency, rent a car, and call a taxi. The port of Piraeus has medical facilities, luggage storage, information desks and Wi-Fi.
There are many hotels located in the port, and most of them are budget and affordable accommodation options. Hotel Anita () is 300 m away. It makes an excellent base for exploring Athens.
Transport connections to the port of Piraeus
Traveling from or to the port will be comfortable due to convenient transport links. The center of Athens and Piraeus are connected by a metro line: the Green Line runs from Kifissia through Omonia directly to the port. Travel time will be 25 minutes, price - approximately 1.5 euros (one-time trip).
By bus you can reach Piraeus from Syntagma (route 040, 24 hours a day) and Omonia (route 049). Cost - 1.4 euros. Sometimes tourists arrive in Athens by air and then travel via Piraeus to the Greek islands. For them, route 96 runs between the airport and the port. A 1.5-hour trip will cost 5 euros. The bus runs 24 hours a day. During the day the interval does not exceed 20 minutes, in the evening - 40 minutes.
Let's start with the main thing: the Athens port of Piraeus in Greece is the largest harbor in the country and all of Europe, it consists of several large berths. These piers are located close, but between some of them it is a 5-10 minute walk. Your ferry can depart from any of them; check the berth number when purchasing a ticket. Take this into account, otherwise you will be late for the ship!
All other important information about the port of Piraeus in Athens is collected in our article.
As a rule, tourists come to the Athens port of Piraeus with the main goal: to quickly leave it for some beautiful island (Milos, Mykonos, Santorini, etc.). Some spend a night here, or even two or three, like us. Our short but extremely useful guide will be useful for both. In this article we have collected everything that has already been written on our website about the port of Piraeus in Athens, plus we have added some new information, a review of attractions and several photos. Here's what you'll find in this article.
Port of Piraeus in Greece: our guide
How to get to the port of Piraeus from Athens airport and city center
The port city of Piraeus in Greece is considered by many to be a suburb of Athens, because from the center of the capital to the harbor is only 10 kilometers. However, it is an independent city, which is also the main port of Greece.
There are many ways to get to Piraeus, both from Athens International Airport and from the city center. You can get to the port of Piraeus by taxi, bus or metro, since the station is located a short walk from the harbor. All the main ways to get to Piraeus (except for an exciting walk) have already been described on our website:
The Athens port of Piraeus in Greece is a real beauty. I arrived at the port, boarded the ferry and left this dull city - beauty!
Ferry schedule from Piraeus port to the islands
From Piraeus you can go to the main Greek islands of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas: Mykonos, Milos, Santorini, Kos, Rhodes, Crete, etc. The ferry schedule from the Athens port of Piraeus to the islands varies depending on the month and season. In addition, there are many carriers in Greece, each with their own ships, routes and prices. But fortunately for you and me, there are aggregator sites that automatically search for and give you ferry schedules from all Greek ports, including Piraeus. As our experience has shown, the most objective ferry schedule from the port of Piraeus to the Greek islands with prices can be found on the website Paleologos.gr .
You can buy a ticket for the Greek ferry either at the ticket office in Piraeus harbor or at local travel companies. As a rule, the price does not differ from what you see on the website. If travel agencies charge a commission, it’s a small one.
You will find the most detailed information on the topic in our article:
All carriers have their own ticket offices in the port of Piraeus, where you can buy ferry tickets.
Piraeus Hotels
The city of Piraeus is small and there are few hotels there, only fifty. This is not surprising: rarely does anyone stay here for more than a couple of nights. And if local hotels suddenly don’t have enough rooms, then the great and terrible (especially in the center and in the evenings) of Athens is at your service.
We present to you our and non-our selections of hotels in the port of Piraeus.
- All Piraeus hotels on Hotellook.com(search for the best prices using different booking systems)
And just in case - the same selections of hotels in Athens.
Port of Piraeus on the map of Greece
As already mentioned, the port of Piraeus in Greece is located 10 km from the center of Athens, if you go southwest. Here is where the port of Piraeus is located on the map:
Sights of Piraeus: what to see in one day
There is nothing to see in Piraeus, so let’s move on to the next point.
Joke. Certainly, The main attraction here is the port of Piraeus itself. You can walk along the seashore admiring the huge ferries-cities, small nimble ships and beautiful yachts endlessly. Photos of the port of Piraeus in Greece and its famous ferries can be found below. The rest of the attractions of Piraeus cannot be called stunning - there are a couple of local museums and very poorly preserved ancient ruins. But if you still have a burning desire to go somewhere, then Here's what you can see in Piraeus in your free time.
We present to your attention three more (besides the port) attractions of Piraeus that may interest you if you pass by.
1. Archaeological Museum of Piraeus
There are several museums in Piraeus, and two of them really attract the attention of foreign tourists. The first is the Archaeological Museum. It boasts a rich collection of sculptures and other objects of ancient art found on the territory of Piraeus. In addition to household items, tombstones and numerous statues of Apollo, Artemis and their accomplices, there are also sculptures from the Bronze Age.
Archaeological Museum of Piraeus: place on the map
2. Maritime Museum of Greece
It is not surprising that the largest maritime museum in Greece is located in the port of Piraeus. The exhibition here tells about the history of the Greek fleet from ancient times to the present day (the oldest exhibits are about 10 thousand years old). The Maritime Museum in Piraeus features navigational instruments and maps, weapons and uniforms of sailors, and of course, many models of ships from different eras. There is also a gallery of works by Greek marine painters.
3. Church of the Holy Trinity
A very beautiful baroque church. Built on the site of an ancient wooden church, services have been held here since the mid-19th century. After a fire at the beginning of the 20th century, the Church of the Holy Trinity in Piraeus was restored and completed, after which it acquired its modern appearance. In addition to the appearance of the building itself, the church is also famous for its rich interior decoration.
Sights of Piraeus, Greece: The Church of the Holy Trinity is located near the port. You will definitely see it on your way to the harbor.
Photo of the port of Piraeus in Greece
Armed with a camera, we walked around the port of Piraeus and took photos of the most interesting thing there is - ferries to the islands. We photographed the port of Piraeus in Greece and its beautiful ships both before boarding them and after that 🙂 and we will tell you in detail about the journey through the beautiful Greek islands! Now let's get down to business.
Panorama of the Greek port of Piraeus at dawn, taken from the ferry to Mykonos. Or to Milos. Or somewhere else, I don’t remember.
The city of Piraeus is considered the largest port not only in Greece, but throughout Europe.
The main attractions of the Greek port of Piraeus are its ships.
The best view of the Athens port of Piraeus is from the ferry that takes you away from the Athens port of Piraeus.
Well, that's it, friends, let's get on the ships and leave from here. Oh, stop! I was in such a hurry to get to the ferry that I almost forgot to tell you the main information about the port of Piraeus in Greece: where to buy inexpensive food here. Everything is more expensive on the islands. Personally, we filled a bag with canned food and wine at the local Carrefour ( place on the map) and a store with the simple name Super Market Bazaar ( place on the map), where the choice of products is even greater.
And in the next article we will tell you about.
How to get to the port of Piraeus and get out quickly? The more time you spend in Athens, the more this question torments you. After all, the most interesting places in Greece are not in the capital, but in the interior of the continent or on the islands. And the main port from which you can get to the islands of the Aegean Sea is the city of Piraeus, closely adjacent to the capital. We tell you how to get to the port of Piraeus from Athens airport and the city center.
There are many ways to get to Piraeus from Athens airport, including on foot. Let’s not bother with nonsense and list three main ways – very quickly and briefly, so as not to take up your time: you still have to prepare for the trip.
Method 1: taxi
The fastest, most comfortable, but at the same time the most expensive way to get to Piraeus. However, if comfort is important to you or there are several of you and you can split the costs, a taxi is your option.
A taxi from Athens airport to Piraeus can also be ordered online. This is not only faster and more convenient, but often cheaper than calling a car on site. An ordinary sedan will cost 55-60 euros per car. You can order a taxi from Athens airport to Piraeus cruise port on the Kiwitaxi website:
Method 2: bus
There is a direct bus number X96 from Athens Airport to Piraeus Port. The journey takes about an hour and a half. The bus goes directly to the Piraeus metro station, from there it is no more than a 10-minute walk to the port of Piraeus. Buses run every 20-40 minutes, the stop is between exits 4 and 5. There is also a booth where tickets are sold. When we were in Greece, a ticket from Athens airport to the port of Piraeus cost 6 euros. You can check the latest information on the website Athens public transport system .
How to get from Athens airport to Piraeus? The cheapest way is by direct bus No. 96.
Method 3: metro
To get from Athens Airport to Piraeus by metro, you must first find the metro. To do this, exit the airport building and follow the “To Trains” signs. This will take you to the Airport station. Buy a ticket, take the train and get to Monastiraki station. There you need to change to the green line to Piraeus station. The journey takes about an hour, the fare is 10 euros. You can check the latest prices on the website Athenstransport.com. Don't forget that the Athens Airport metro station is open from 6:30 to 22:30.
How to get to Piraeus from the center of Athens
From the center of Athens to Piraeus is about 10 km. So if you happen to find yourself in the middle of this beautiful city, it’s very easy to go to Piraeus (and from there to the islands).
Method 1: by metro
Everything is as simple as shelling pears here. Piraeus station is the end of the “green” line (aka Line 1). So just get to this branch, change and go to the final one. The price of one trip on the Athens metro is 1.4 euros (check the current prices on the website Athenstransport.com).
We get to Piraeus station, then 5 minutes walk to the port and you can leave this wonderful ancient city.
Method 2: by bus
In the center of Athens there are two main squares - Omonia and Syntagma. From each of them there are buses to the port of Piraeus:
- from Omonia Square to Piraeus – bus number 49,
- from Syntagma Square to Piraeus - bus number 40.
The fare is the same as on the metro. Buses stop at Cotzia Square in the center of Piraeus, and the port is about a 10-minute walk away.
That's all the instructions on how to get to the port of Piraeus from the airport and the center of Athens. As for us, on our first visit to Greece we decided not to stay in the capital at all, but to settle in Piraeus, closer to the port. We will tell you in the following publications which hotel we stayed in and where we went from Piraeus. , the most interesting is yet to come!
Piraeus was first mentioned in the works of the famous reformer Cleisthenes, in 510 BC. It was a city near Athens with 3 large natural harbors.
According to scientists and based on geological research, before this Piraeus was an island.
The importance of Piraeus in a strategic position was first realized Themistocles(statesman and archon in Athens), he began the construction of a large port with a huge and powerful wall, 17.5 m high, 16 pounds thick and 11 km long, replacing the port in the Gulf of Faliro. The construction and strengthening of the port gave ancient Athens status of a great polis.
The main harbor could accommodate up to 400 ships. The entrance from the sea was protected by two large towers between which a thick chain was stretched at night.
The port was divided into commercial and military:
- the port of Kantaros served for receiving and sending goods - wine, honey, olive oil, ceramics, metals from the mines of Lavrion
- The port of Zea was intended for military purposes, about 200 shipyards were located in a circle around the coastline, military triremes were repaired here and new ones were built.
With the help of triremes, the main enemy of the Hellenes, the Persians, was defeated (Battle of Salamis).
In 480 BC, Piraeus was connected to Athens by long walls that protected the road all the way to the city center. The powerful Piraeus walls were destroyed by the Romans under the leadership of Sulla in the first century BC. After this, Piraeus becomes an insignificant harbour.
During the period of Turkish rule, the Turks restored the port and placed their naval base there, renaming the port Aslan Liman.
In 1318, on the nautical map of P. Visconti, the port of Piraeus was first mentioned as the Lion Port (Porto Leone). The name of the port came from the huge marble lion statue installed in the center of the harbor. The lion was 3 meters high and was also a fountain - water poured out of its mouth.
After the Ottoman-Venetian war (1687), the marble Piraeus lion was stolen by the Venetians and is still there. Now in its place stands a copy of the “lion”.
Today Piraeus is one of the largest ports in Europe, with a total maritime cargo turnover of more than 10 million tons, its passenger traffic is 5.3 million people per year, with more than 26 thousand ships calling at the port.
Berths of the port of Piraeus:
♦ E5, E6, E7 (closest to the port entrance) serve ferries Cycladic islands(Santorini, Naxos, Paros, etc.), Samos Island, Ikaria.
♦ E4, EZ serve ferries to the islands of Kithira, Crete
♦ E2 - islands of Chios, Samos, Lesvos
♦ El (farthest from the entrance to the port) - serves the Dodecanese islands: Rhodes, Kos, Patmos
♦ E8, E9 serve the Saronic islands: Hydra, Aegina, Poros
♦ E 10 - Mykonos, Tinos islands
♦ E11 and E12 are designed for cruise ships
How to get to the port of Piraeus (Piraeus)