Zea Marina

Zea Marina fills a near-circular natural basin on the Piraeus waterfront, about 10 km southwest of central Athens and a short walk from the ferry port. Greeks know it as Pasalimani. The narrow opening that once protected the warships of Athens now shelters one of the largest yacht basins in the eastern Mediterranean, and for most charter guests joining a boat in Attica it is the first quay they stand on.

The ancient harbour under the pontoons

Zea was the principal naval harbour of classical Athens. The fleet moved here from Phaleron after 483 BC, and by the late fourth century BC the shore was lined with 196 shipsheds, known as neosoikoi, built to take triremes out of the water. Each was a long, narrow, open-fronted hall roughly 40 metres deep, and together they formed the largest complex of its kind in the ancient world. Foundations of the sheds and stretches of the ancient quay survive around the rim of the modern basin, several of them beneath later buildings and visible only in basements. The Hellenic Maritime Museum, on the marina's southern side, holds the finds, models and charts that make sense of what is left.

The marina today

The basin was rebuilt for the 2004 Olympic Games and is now operated by D-Marin. Berth counts quoted for Zea vary by source, from just over 500 to 670 across fixed quays and floating pontoons; the marina takes yachts up to 150 metres, and depths in the basin reach around 12 metres. It is a working superyacht base rather than a marina bolted onto a resort, and the service list reflects that:

• Water and electricity on the pontoons, 24-hour security and CCTV, fuel delivered by truck
• Chandlery, diving services, and basic engine, electrical and electronic repairs
• Showers, laundry, ATM and a Port Police office on site
• Restaurants, cafes and bars around the quay road, with Piraeus shops, cinemas and the metro within walking distance

Around the basin

The road that rings the water is one of the busier evening walks in Piraeus: cafes on the marina side, boutiques and bakeries behind, and a steady traffic of crew, joggers and families until late. Even in August there are quiet corners on the western arm, away from the bars. Mikrolimano, the small fishing harbour a kilometre to the east, is where most people go for fish; around Zea itself the cooking runs from ouzeri plates to full international menus, and hotels range from small guesthouses in Freattyda to larger properties on the hill with views over the Saronic Gulf.

Cruising from Zea

The position is the point: from the entrance you are in open water in minutes, with Aegina, Poros and Hydra a few hours down the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades within reach of a one-week itinerary. Crews use Zea for provisioning and crew changes because the airport road and the metro are both close, and many gulet cruises from Athens call in here to embark guests before turning south. The same shelter that suited triremes still works: the entrance is narrow enough that even a hard northerly leaves the water inside flat.