If someone told you that there are two "buried temples" dedicated to the God Apollo, in the mud, below sea level, you might be skeptical.
But if he told you about the place it is, you would be amazed at how much you don't know about a place that is so close to Athens, and surely many of you have visited.
The reason for the cosmopolitan Porto Heli, which is built on the ruins of the Fishermen's settlement, and takes its name from the old inhabitants of the place who were purple fishermen, as well as artisans in processing the pigment of the same name.
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Essentially, it is a gradual linguistic corruption of the name, to Halieis and then to Heli, while it took the nickname "Porto", because it had a port.
The ancient city of Alia was built directly opposite the present settlement, and its Acropolis was on the top of the hill. Of course, the gulf of Helios was different then, with the sea reaching much further in, which is why part of the city, especially the two temples of Apollo, are today submerged under water and mud, albeit at a shallow depth.
As for today's Porto Heli, with its highly developed tourist infrastructure, it has deservedly managed to win the title "Riviera of the Peloponnese".
And there is not only one reason for this title.
It is a natural closed bay with a very large capacity, at a distance of 85 km from Nafplion, in the south of the prefecture of Argolis, which is flooded daily by various types of sailing boats, yachts as well as ultra-luxury yachts.
Surrounded by beautiful tasteful villas and renowned luxury resorts, it blends in perfectly with the cosmopolitan character of the area.
Its beaches, with crystal clear waters, perfectly organized or not, are located a short distance from the port, the best known of which are Hinitsa with its blonde sand, Kounoupi with its white pebbles, Costa with a view of Spetses and Agios Emilianos which stretches down the hill with the homonymous church and the wonderful view of the area.
But they are not the only protagonists in this cosmopolitan beautiful puzzle, since nature conspires against it. Mountains as well as forests that quench their thirst from the saltiness of the sea, create the perfect setting with the sole purpose of deceiving even the most demanding visitor.
As for the nightlife, intense and worldly, with good people but also great food for all tastes.
So there are many reasons, mundane, famous, ambitious, idyllic, but just and above all magical for a trip that even if you have done before, you must see with a different eye.