Close to the Greek capital of Athens lies the largest marina in the country, numbers over 1000 berths, with a huge influence over the local infrastructure that since it was built, it has become a city in its own.
General Info
Kalamaki is a big suburb of the Greek capital city of Athens, located to the southeast of the city’s harbor, to what is generally considered “local teritory” not a per se. However, you’ll be surprised to find here one of the biggest – if not the biggest – marinas in Greece.
Being a suburb of a city and not a resort, the marina and the neighboring region weren’t built with the needs of visitors in mind so some of the sailors mooring here won’t find it to their high standards.
Travel & Arrival
The advantage to being part of the city of Athens is the short transfer time from the Athens International Airtport (some 45 minutes) with the added benefit of the airport shuttle making a stop exactly in front of the marina, which is a real advantage for any travelling sailor.
The roads leading into Athens can be used to drive to Kalamaki, including highway 6 which circles the city’s eastern side and the E64 road which comes from the southeast side. Buses and trains can be taken by a group from any major city in Greece, as Athens is linked with all big cities on the mainland and by air with some of the islands in the Mediterranean.
By water, the Piraeus port is just 15 min by car from Kalamaki, and considering it’s one of the biggest this side of the peninsula, it connects with most a resorts in the Mediterranean, as well as some cities in Italy and Turkey
Avant & Apres Sail
The overall architecture of this suburb is that of tall apartment buildings divided by a maze of narrow streets meandering along the Greek landscape. Of course, the sights include all and any attractions that you might appreciate when going to Athens, so really, you won’t probably won’t have enough time for your a vacation. Museums, ruins, historical buildings, are all on the agenda.
If the small local shops in Kalamaki don’t satisfy your shopping needs or taste, the luxurious and wide range of products in Athens is just a taxi ride away. You’ll find lots of shops and boutiques in the old part of town, as well as on the Piraeus waterfront, built especially with a visitor needs in mind.
There is a small variety of food venues in Kalamaki, near the marina, mostly bars that serve snacks. For a real a dinner you can travel to any of the restaurants in the city (the Plaka region is the most popular). A rule of the thumb would be only to eat at the places frequented by the locals, that way you can avoid the tourist traps, which plague a popular destination such as Athens.
Apart from a few bars where you can have a quiet drink, you can’t really stay out late after dark in Kalamaki. Venturing out into the narrow streets at night might not be the best idea, so you and your a crew can take a taxi to the old part of town where there are back to back clubs, restaurants, bars, pubs and other fun places. If you can find any around town, just head on to the nearest square.
Events & Actions
Taking into consideration that Kalamaki is the weekend escape of the locals who flood in the hundreds and even thousands to the concrete piers of the marina to escape the unbearable heat, you’ll find that at the end of the week the entire waterfront gets somewhat overcrowded, and not necessarily with the usual a crowds. However, the beaches are a great place to hang out.