Port of Piraeus

Although you may not see this town name on our itinerary, we will be passing through Piraeus on our way to the cruise departure. Piraeus is the third largest city in Greece by population and the location of one of the most important harbors in the Mediterranean.

Located a short distance from Athens on the Saronic Gulf, Piraeus is the departure point for cruises and ferries to the Greek islands. It became the port city for Athens in the 5th century BC.

The city proper consists of a rocky peninsula, originally an island, featuring three natural harbors. In addition to the central one, called Kantharos in ancient times, there are two smaller harbors to the east which are still in use. One is called Zea, also known as Pasalimani , and the other is Munichia, the smallest of the three and widely known as Mikrolimano.

The central port serves ferry routes to almost every island in the eastern portion of Greece, the island of Crete, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and much of the northern and the eastern Aegean Sea, while the western part of the port is used for cargo services.