Porto Rafti

Porto Rafti occupies a broad, sheltered bay on the east coast of Attica, about 40 kilometres from Athens. Long valued as one of the best natural anchorages on this coast, it is today a low-key summer resort, popular with Athenians who keep holiday homes here and less known to foreign visitors than the Riviera to the south-west. The bay is calm and shallow, ringed by sandy coves and headlands, and the whole place has an easygoing, family-holiday feel.

The bay takes its name from a curiosity at its entrance. On the little island of Raftis stands a large marble statue, a seated figure now known to date from the Roman era and carved from Pentelic marble, probably representing a goddess. From the shore it reads as a lone silhouette on the rock. Local tradition renamed it Raftis, meaning the tailor, imagining the figure with a pair of golden scissors, and that name passed to the harbour itself. Two smaller islets, Raftopoula and Prasso, complete the group guarding the bay.

The area has been settled since antiquity, when it served as the ancient port of Prasiai, from which sacred missions are said to have sailed to Delos. Scattered remains dot the surrounding hills, though most visitors come for the water rather than the archaeology. The beaches, including the well-liked strand at Avlaki, offer clear, shallow swimming and are backed by tavernas, cafes and beach bars that come alive through the summer.

Beyond the sea, Porto Rafti sits within the wider Mesogeia district, a plain long known for its vineyards, and it makes a comfortable base for exploring east Attica. The town of Markopoulo lies just inland, the ferry port of Rafina is a short drive north, and the beaches and battlefield of Marathon are within reach for a day out.

Reached by car or KTEL bus from Athens, Porto Rafti is above all a place to unwind by a quiet bay. It suits travellers who want a genuine local seaside town, good swimming and fresh seafood, with a strange and memorable statue keeping watch over the water.