Poros is a greek island located in the Saronic Gulf and it is separated form the Peloponese by a 200 metre wide sea channel!
So let’s find out some more trivia and facts about this island!
- Poros is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf
- About 58 km (36 mi) (31 nautical miles) south from Piraeus
- And separated from the Peloponnese by a 200 m (656 ft) wide sea channel
- With the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait
- Its surface area is about 31 square kilometres (12 sq mi)
- It has 3,780 inhabitants
- The ancient name of Poros was Pogon
- Like other ports in the Saronic, it is a popular weekend destination for Athenian travellers
- Poros consists of two islands
- Sphairia, the southern part, which is of volcanic origin, where today’s city is located
- And Kalaureia, also Kalavria or Calauria (meaning ‘gentle breeze’), the northern and largest part
- A bridge connects the two islands over a narrow strait
- Poros is an island with rich vegetation
- Much of the northern and far eastern/western sides of the island are bushy
- Whereas large areas of old pine forest are found in the south and center of the island
- It has a good road network and adequate tourist infrastructure
- Which makes it a popular resort for short holidays
- Though possessing no airport, Poros is easily accessible from Athens via ferry or hydrofoil
- One can reach the island by car or bus from the adjacent mainland at Galatas
- There is local bus service on the island from Poros harbor to the nearby towns of Neorio and Monastiri
- The land area of the municipality (which includes the islands and part of the adjacent Peloponnese coast) is 49.582 square kilometres (19.144 sq mi)
- The landscape is very hilly and mountainous
- The highest peak is the Vigla (358 m) in the west-central part
- Following the island’s topography and geology, small creeks and seasonal streams flow through steep valleys of the southern and northeastern part
- The western and northern part of the island feature smooth hills and shallow valleys
- Sandy beaches are restricted to the southern shore of the island
- Except for a bay in the northern part called Vayionia
- The geology of the island comprises Mesozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary rocks (limestone, and Flysch-type sandstone) and ophiolites
- As well as Neogene volcanic rocks on Sferia
- The island is tectonically dissected and part of a Tertiary tectonic mélange
- There are karstic sinkholes in the island’s central limestone massif, and limestone caves with stalactites
- Visible marine fossils are mainly found in the limestone
- No occurrences of precious stones or ore deposits are known
- The town of Poros, with its neoclassical edifices, is built amphitheatrically on the slopes of a hill
- Its most famous landmark is a clock tower, built in 1927
- The Archaeological Museum of Poros, at Korizis Square, houses findings from the Sanctuary of Poseidon, from ancient Troizen
- And from other archaeological sites nearby
- In the northern part of the island are the remains of the Sanctuary of Poseidon, the centre of the Kalaureian amphictyony
- The exact date it was built is not known
- Although researchers estimate it to have been around 520 BC
- The dimensions of the temple, which is of the Doric order, are 27.4×14.4 m
- There are six columns on each short side and twelve on each long side
- It was here that Demosthenes, the famous orator, poisoned himself with hemlock in 322 BC fleeing from the Macedonian Governor Antipatros
- Poros was the site of the first naval base in modern Greece
- Established in 1827 during the Greek War of Independence
- Most of the activities of Poros naval base were moved to Salamis Naval Base in 1881
- The site is still used today by the Hellenic Navy as a training centre for naval personnel
- Bourtzi castle, it was built by von Heideck at around 1828
- At the place where an old church of St. Constantine had stood
- The island was given to the Poros monastery from 1770 on by Antonios Serfos
- The stand off between Hydra island and Capodistrias gave the cause for severe fight here on 1831
- Poros Shell Museum. Founded in 2006, a permanent exhibition of Shells from the Greek Seas is displayed at the Chatzopouleios Library
- The Holy Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, founded in 1720 AD is located 4 km east of the main city of Poros island is built on the slope of a pine forest
- In 1814, a group of monks from Mount Athos, took refuge in this Monastery
- A few years later, these monks founded the Zoodochos Pigi Monastery at Longovarda in this island of Paros
- Katholiko is a basilica with a dome and a tower like belfry being the main church of the monastery
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