Do you want a historical time trip? Or a classic sunny seacoast? Are you looking for a quieter, less crowded place? But you’d also visit Athene? Stop looking any further! Lavrion provides real recreation and calmness. Thanks to its position, however, you won’t miss the famous sights either.

Location of Lavrion

Lavrion is a small Greek town in the southeastern part of Attika, 60 kilometre from Athens, and only 35 km from the airport of the capital. Its neighbours are the town of Keratea on the south and Cape Sounion on the north. Roughly 25, 102 residents live in its 175, 80 km2 area.

History of Lavrion

The town had a great significance as it was an ancient mining area before Christ. The mines belonged to the city of Athene and let a certain percentage of their output to different people. Athene largely relied on sea trade in terms of food import. The silver from the mines was used to create the Tetrhadrachmon coin of Athene. Throughout the classic era, it became the dominant trade coin of the eastern Mediterranean country.

Eventually, after the Peloponnesian wars, the significance of the mines decreased. Later they stopped producing ore when Spartans conquered the fortress of Dekelia in 413. After that, the mining of lead continued throughout the centuries, but the amount never reached the level of the classic era. They only reopened the area in 1859, then they left the mines of Lavrion when the ore resources ran out in 1982. Nowadays, you can see many abandoned mining sites on the western edge of modern Lavrion. The most important archaeological site is Agios Konstantinos.

Beaches of Lavrion

There are numerous tiny beaches on the way from Lavrion to Sounion, which are really close and accessible without taking a bus or ferry. Beaches are waiting for visitors with beautiful sand and crystal clear water. Many decide to explore nearby ports, beaches, and gulfs by boats. Enjoy the sunset from the board of a yacht!

Asimakis Beach:

This is an excellent, private taverna right next to the sea surrounded by amazing gardens. It lies north from Lavrion along the Hotel Saron. It’s one of the best places for surfers in Greece. There are some small beaches in its vicinity, but those are not recommended for swimming since there’s a chemical factory in their area.

Passalimani beach:

Passalimani is another nice beach on the left side of the Lavrion-Sounion road. It has a similarly gorgeous environment and a wonderful sandy beach.

Main sights of Lavrion

In the past few years, Lavrion went through an amazing transformation. Restaurants and cafes opened. They finished the reconstruction of one of the biggest hoverports on the Greek islands. Many sailing companies operate in the area. The signs of mining are visible in the town to this day. One of the side effects of mining was the discovery of many different and unique minerals. These minerals attract many collectors to the mountains. You can find very interesting treasures in the Mineralogical Museum. The Archeological Museum shows a unique picture of the development of ancient civilization, which was greatly affected by early industrialization. There are 700 different mineral samples for visitors to view, out of the 115 are very rare.

Visit one of the most beautiful sea markets of Attika in Lavrion (Ouzeri-Mezedopoulion), where the fishing fleet of the town bring their products. Nearby waters are rich in Sardinia, anchovy, and other healthy fish. A great part of the market transformed into restaurants today. Those who come here from Athene, usually come to dine here. It’s also ideal for those, who have to wait a few hours for the ferryboat. Don’t forget to visit the temple of Poseidon in Sounion, which is one of the most important temples in Greece. It’s worth to rent a boat, sailboat, or catamaran and explore neighbouring islands. Not far from Lavrion, you can find the former prison island, Makronissos as well. Visit the near Kea island, one of the treasured gems of Greece.

Weather of Lavrion

The Greek coast has a Mediterranean climate. The air of the country is very clean and dry from spring to early autumn. There’s a lot of sunshine, while the amount of rain usually decreases from the west to the east. In summer, we almost never see any clouds in the sky. Rain is practically an unknown guest in the summer months. The sea can heat up to 23-25 °C from June to August. Even in October, it’s still 23 °C. The area of Greece is constantly windy, these winds, however, are always changing. The wind that dominates summer months is called Meltemi” href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etesian” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Meltemi. From June, it blows from the northwest and the northeast. It reaches its full strength, from 5 to 8 on the Beaufort scale, in July and August. The sea-wind comes in late September or early October, which blows from the southeast and the southwest.

It’s a specifically southern wind, that dominates mostly in spring and fall with a strength of 2 to 4. Due to Greece’s typical winds, it’s most rewarding to plan a sailing route from the south to the north in spring and autumn, and from the north to the south in summer. The waving is preferable compared to the Croatian archipelago since there’s a greater distance between the Greek islands. The current flows counterclockwise in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, and northward along the Turkish coast. The water flows southward on the Eastern Greek coasts, but from the west side of the Peloponnese Peninsula northern current dominates.

Yacht charter in Lavrion

The biggest port of Lavrion, the Read more about Lavrion Main Port is easily accessible from many countries of the world through the international airport in Athene, the Eleftherios Venizelos. Inside of the port, the Alpha Technical Management’s red and yellow flags are visible. That’s the place of meeting point and yacht moorages. The port of Lavrion is an ideal starting point of a sailing trip to the Cyclades. The nearest island from where you can reach the marina is the Kea, only 15 sea miles away. Everything you need for a vacation is available in the port. The maximum depth of the port built-in the bay is 7 metres, and incoming ships can be up to 30 metres long. Information about sailing in Athens

Another important port is the Lavrion Olympic Marina. Located at Cape Sounion with beautiful views, the Olympic Marina can accommodate 680 yachts up to 40 metres long, repair units, 700 dry docks, 200-ton lifts, practised staff, and 24-hour security. The Marina won the Blue Flag Award in 2000, which represents the high level of equipment and service.

Ayios Nikólaos Marina, Kea

It is an important port on the island of Kea, close to beautiful golden beaches and excellent fishing spots. It can accommodate 255 yachts at the same time, with a maximum length of 50 metres. The water depth of the port is up to 8 metres.

Mérikha Marina, Kithnos

This tiny marina can accommodate about 30 yachts up to 60 meters long and has a water depth of 8 meters. Local hotels, restaurants, and lively nightlife areas are in the immediate vicinity.

Lavrion is a town with a glorious history and a promising future. If you like minerals and crystals, or you’re looking for a good starting point to explore the Greek islands, Lavrion is an ideal choice for you. Choose this pleasant little town as your travel destination and live the amazing experiences it provides. Find yacht routes in Saronic or choose another yacht charter in Saronic.

Rent a boat in Lavrion, and cruise around Lavrion

Day 1. Lavrion – Cape Sounion 28, 91 km (17, 97 mi), Day 2. Cape Sounion – Coressia 16, 89 km (10, 49 mi), Day 3. Coressia – Otzias 6, 71 km (4, 17 mi), Day 4. Otzias – Porto Rafti 42, 32 km (26, 30 mi), Day 5. Porto Rafti – Kakis Thalassis 9, 11 km (5, 66 mi), Day 6. Kakis Thalassis – Mikrolimano 10, 30 km (6, 40 mi), Day 7. Mikrolimano – Makronisos Lavrion 29, 19 km (18, 14 mi).

Day 1. Lavrion – Coressia (Kea island) 28, 09 km (17, 46 mi), Day 2. Coressia – Merihas (Kithnos island) 37, 98 km (23, 60 mi), Day 3. Merihas – Livadi (Serifos island) 46, 67 km (29, 00 mi), Day 4. Livadi – Kamares (Sifnos island) 23, 57 km (14, 64 mi), Day 5. Kamares – Paros 54, 25 km (33, 71 mi), Day 6. Paros – Ermoupoli (Siros island) 45, 48 km (28, 26 mi), Day 7. Siros – Giaros Lavrion 102, 29 km (63, 56 mi)

Read about Lavrion sailing itinerary or choose from another Saronic gulf sailing itineraries