Boats from all over the world are moored in the Marina Zeashiny schooners next to chrome motor yachts. Further out, they get bigger and bigger, the masts higher. A meeting of megas.
The row of buildings that enclose the harbour is just as dense, with restaurants, cafés and bars below and balconies with awnings and parasols above. Not a single spot on the façade is wasted - life takes place outside. This is where the young heart of Piraeus beats.
Athens harbour in antiquity
But even 2,500 years ago, people were anchoring in this bay, but they were exclusively triremes. Around two hundred of the slender three-oarers were also housed in stone drying sheds on land: Piraeus had always served the much larger metropolis as a gateway to the Mediterranean with its extensive trade routes. A position that had to be defended - and Zea was home to the Athenian fleet.
The fleet that defeated the Persians of Xerxes in the famous Battle of Salamis. Athens rose to become the dominant naval power. It was a victory without which the history of the ancient world would have taken a different course. And that of Europe.
The Saronic Gulf on the doorstep
The Saronic Gulf still lies in front of the harbour entrance, with the vast Aegean Sea and even more distant Mediterranean shores beyond. Marina Zea is therefore a popular starting point for yacht trips or as a stopover to discover the most beautiful corners of the former Hellenistic world for yourself.
Even more top marinas:
- Pure Caribbean: Port de Gustavia on St Barth
- Retreat: Marina di Porto Cervo in Sardinia
Christian Tiedt
Editor Travel
