Lavrio Port

tical miles away. The good location is certainly a reason why a large number of charter companies have set up their home port here.

Lavrion has been a centre for mining since ancient Greek times. Mineral ores are still being exploited today. One of the largest employers in the municipality is the power station to the north-east of the town which supplies power to Athens. The power station can only be seen on the way in to the harbour, but not from the harbour itself. Since 1994, Lavrion has realised the location's tourist value and since then the town has been making an effort to meet the standards of the neighbouring towns and villages, which are clearly more affluent. Nowadays, the municipality looks very different. In the town centre, around the fish market, the streets are now paved with large cobblestones which makes the town look really pretty. There are many small cafés and cosy taverns between the small park and the main street. Lavrion today has definitely become a more attractive place.

The large harbour basin is a ferry port, a commercial harbour, a fishing port and yacht harbour all at the same time. The harbour usually operates day and night. It gets busier at the weekends because of the increase in ferry traffic as well as the incoming/outgoing charter yachts.

Visiting boats can moor on the north-west corner of the mole as well as on the southern side of the charter jetty. Mooring fees are not usually charged. Electricity and water is available. There are no sanitary facilities. The local charter companies have set up usable containers with WCs and showers. At the weekends, the few showers and WCs cannot cope with the large number of charter guests.

Lavrion is a very loud port. Loud music blares from the adjacent cafés, bars and the disco until the early hours of the morning. The noise is amplified by the scooters, motorbikes and cars which keep driving past, some of which seem to make do without silencers. Locals say there is an unwritten agreement between the police and the adolescents where the police let the teenagers do as they like and they in turn ignore the yachts in the harbour basin. This could be true as sometimes in the other harbours heavy stones have been known to fly through closed hatches.  

The rebuilding of Lavrion port
The harbour will be getting a new mole that will also offer protection from the south winds in winter. In addition, they will be building several new floating jetties with mooring lines so that the area with the pleasure crafts will resemble a marina.

A new restaurant will be moving in where the building in front of the charter pier was demolished in the winter of 2012/2013.  The planned construction time for all reconstruction work is approx. 5 years. The first signs of construction work starting were observed in 2013.

Shopping in Lavrion
The shopping amenities around the harbour are good. There are a number of smaller and medium-sized supermarkets, some of which will also deliver to the yachts. There are also a few bakeries and butcher's shops as well as a fish market where you can buy fresh fish everyday.

Food and leisure

There are several more or less good restaurants and taverns right in front of the yacht harbour. Around the fish market are various cafés and taverns, which the locals also like to visit. If you are in a hurry to eat, you will also find good fast food places in the town centre as well as next to the building complex near the harbour.
Visitors should definitely take the time to explore the new town centre. Not really a great highlight, but it is obvious that they are making an effort to attract more tourists.
It is absolutely worth visiting the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. The temple was built in 440 BC and was a site where sailors could seek the favour of the sea god.