Poros

Poros sits so close to the Peloponnesian shore that the strait between them narrows to a few hundred metres, crossed in minutes by little shuttle boats to the mainland village of Galatas. This intimacy defines the island. The main town rises in tiers of pastel houses to a white clock tower that has become its emblem, and the waterfront hums with a gentle, lived-in energy that owes as much to Greek weekenders as to foreign visitors. Fast ferries reach it from Piraeus in about an hour, conventional boats in rather more.

The island is really two joined landmasses: the small, densely built Sferia, where the town stands, and the larger, pine-covered Kalavria behind it, where beaches and quiet bays are scattered among the trees. On Kalavria's heights lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Poseidon, where the Athenian orator Demosthenes is said to have taken poison rather than surrender to his pursuers. The setting, high above the gulf, is more memorable than the scant remains.

Across the water on the mainland spreads the famous Lemonodasos, or lemon forest, thousands of citrus trees climbing a hillside above Galatas, celebrated in Greek literature and best visited in spring when the blossom scents the air. A short boat trip and a walk bring you into its shade, with a watermill taverna at its heart.

Poros is an easy, sociable island, popular with sailing flotillas that fill the strait with masts on summer evenings. It offers swimming at Askeli and Love Bay, both a short ride from town among the pines, along with a walkable waterfront and the constant, cheering presence of the mainland just across the water. Because the crossing to Galatas is so quick and cheap, the island and its Peloponnesian hinterland feel like one place. It works well on its own for a relaxed weekend or as a stepping stone deeper into the Saronic towards Hydra and Spetses.