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Marina Alimos, usually called Marina Kalamaki in Athens, is the departure harbour for a great many sailing trips into the Saronic Gulf. Anyone planning sailing from Athens very often ends up here, so it is worth looking closely at berths, services, arrival and first destinations.
The essentials at a glance
- Alimos Marina is located on Poseidonos coastal road in the Athens suburb of Alimos, around 15 kilometres from the city centre and about 8 kilometres from Piraeus.
- With around 1,100 berths, it is the largest marina in Greece. A large proportion of these are occupied by charter yachts. You berth stern-to at the pontoon; the marina allocates the berth.
- From the airport you can reach the marina without changing on express bus X96, alternatively by metro and tram or by taxi in about 40 minutes.
- The first day's runs typically lead to Aegina, continuing to Poros and Hydra.
- Commercial charter agreements in Greece are recorded via a state online platform (as of October 2026).
Where is Alimos Marina in Athens?
Alimos Marina is located on the south coast of Athens between Palaio Faliro and Glyfada, directly on Leoforos Poseidonos. The district is called Kalamaki, which is why both names are in common use; they refer to the same harbour.
For crews the location is practical: the marina is part of the city, grocery shops, banks and restaurants are within walking distance, and the tram stops right outside the main entrance. At the same time, the Saronic Gulf opens up immediately in front of the harbour entrance. You check in with harbour control on VHF channel 71.
For clarity: Marina Zea is in Piraeus, Marina Flisvos in Palaio Faliro and Lavrio at the southeastern tip of Attica. This profile covers only Alimos Marina.
Who operates Alimos Marina?
The marina belongs to the Greek state and has been run by a private concession company since 2021. The current operator is REDS, a company within the Ellaktor Group.
The concession agreement was signed in May 2020 by the state privatisation fund HRADF, now part of the Greek sovereign wealth fund Growthfund. Partners were the State Real Estate Company ETAD and the specially founded company "Development of New Alimos Marina", then a subsidiary of Aktor Concessions. The concession runs for 40 years and can be extended by ten years.
A comprehensive redevelopment is planned: new pontoons, around 18,000 square metres of space for restaurants, accommodation, offices and shops, plus green spaces and pedestrian and cycle paths. The number of berths is expected to increase afterwards. While construction is underway, there may be restrictions at individual pontoons and on the premises. If in doubt, check with the marina before travelling.
Alimos Marina at a glance
The marina is large, geared towards charter operations and offers everything you need at the pontoon for starting a sailing trip. The key figures at a glance (as of October 2026):
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Leoforos Poseidonos, 174 55 Alimos (Athens) |
| Berths | around 1,100, of which 50 for yachts over 25 m |
| Water depth | up to 6.5 m |
| Land area / Water area | around 210,000 m² / around 428,000 m² |
| Winter storage | afloat and ashore, dry storage around 60,000 m² |
| VHF channel | 71 |
| berthing | stern-to at the pontoon, alongside if authorised; assistance with mooring |
| Electricity and water | at berth |
| Fuel | Refuelling in the marina |
| Wi-Fi and parking | free of charge |
| Office | daily; Mon–Thurs, Sat and Sun 8am–6pm, Fri 8am–7pm (times may change) |
| Distances | City centre approx. 15 km, Piraeus approx. 8 km, airport approx. 30 km |
How do you berth at Marina Alimos?
You make fast stern-to at the pontoon, that is "Med-mooring"; you lie alongside only if the marina authorises it. The marina allocates your berth; simply occupying a free berth is not permitted.
This is how arrival proceeds under the marina's harbour regulations (as at October 2026):
- Register beforehand: announce your boat with its details to the marina and wait for permission to enter.
- Entry: 5 knots maximum. In the harbour entrance you may neither anchor nor stop.
- To the berth: instructions come via VHF channel 71, or a marina service boat guides you in and helps with mooring. Responsibility for the manoeuvre remains with the skipper.
- After mooring: at the office you fill in the forms and present the boat's original papers.
You may drop your own anchor inside the marina only in an emergency and after authorisation by the marina. Mooring equipment must be on board and in good condition. Only marina staff connect electricity and water. Swimming, fishing and diving are prohibited in the harbour basin.
What facilities does Kalamaki Marina offer?
Shore power and water are available at the berth; the marina has refuelling, waste water pump-out stations, hazardous waste collection points and free Wi-Fi. For maintenance and repairs there is a boatyard area; cranes lift boats in and out of the water.
Sanitary facilities and first aid
Showers and toilets on pontoons 4 and 7 are reserved for owners and charter guests and are only accessible with a personal access code. Freely accessible during opening hours are the toilets on pontoon 1 and in the so-called Yacht Charter Village, the area where the charter companies have their offices. There is a barrier-free WC on pontoon 4. In the charter village there is also a first-aid station, which is staffed on Fridays from 3 pm to 9 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 8 pm (as of October 2026).
Boatyard and winter storage
You can overwinter afloat or ashore; the dry storage covers around 60,000 square metres and is guarded round the clock. Businesses on the site handle engine and stainless steel work, joinery and sail repairs.
The marina holds the Blue Flag and is certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001 standards.
Where do you shop around Alimos Marina?
You do not have far to go for provisions: directly beside the beach and marina runs the shopping street Thoukydidou with grocery shops, a bank, restaurants and cafés. A little further inland lies Dodekanisou, the main street of Ano Kalamaki, with banks, a post office and further shops.
The marina itself has restaurants, bars and a cash machine. There are also several supermarkets with delivery service, including a SPAR Express labelled "Alimos Marina", as well as laundries in the area (as of October 2026). Water and drinks for a week are heavy; split the main shopping among the crew or take a taxi for it. Whether provisions are pre-ordered or the crew does the shopping themselves is best clarified before arrival.
Parking, pharmacy, emergency calls: what do you need on the first day?
There are free car parks on the marina site, pharmacies are within walking distance, and in an emergency anywhere in Greece you dial 112. The main points for the starting day at a glance.
Parking at the marina
The marina's car parks are free and distributed across the site (as at October 2026). Access is controlled; anyone wanting to drive to the pontoon applies on the marina's website. On pontoons and quaysides you may stop only for loading and unloading; afterwards the car belongs in one of the designated car parks.
Pharmacy, doctor and hospital
Pharmacies are within walking distance of the marina, for example in Kalamaki and in the centre of Alimos. For minor injuries there is a first-aid station in the charter village on Fridays and Saturdays (times see above). The nearest hospitals are the two general hospitals Evangelismos and G. Gennimatas, both in the city of Athens, and there is also the Alimos Health Centre and a private doctor home-visit service. The telephone numbers are in the contact list on the marina's website.
Emergency numbers in Greece
- 112: European emergency number for police, ambulance and fire brigade
- 166: ambulance
- 100: police
- 199: fire brigade
- 108: coastguard, also for emergencies at sea
- 1571: tourist police
At sea you reach help on VHF channel 16: Greek coast radio listens there constantly for distress and safety traffic.
How do you get from Athens airport to Alimos Marina?
The easiest way is the express bus X96: it runs from the airport towards Piraeus and stops at the "1. Kalamaki" stop, which the marina lists as the stop directly in front of its grounds. By car or taxi it is around 30 kilometres, roughly 40 minutes depending on traffic.
Bus, Metro and tram
The X96 is one of the airport express lines of the Athens transport authority OASA. The stop at the marina is also served by city bus lines A1, B1 and B2 (as of October 2026).
The alternative is Metro line 3 (blue line) from the airport to Syntagma and from there tram T6. Its terminus Pikrodafni is located directly in front of the marina's main entrance. Tram line T7 between Piraeus and Asklipiio Voulas also passes Pikrodafni, which is handy if you are coming from Piraeus. During building works the tram lines are occasionally shortened; current timetables and notices can be found at STASY and OASA (as of October 2026).
Taxi
For taxi journeys there are the apps FreeNow and Uber as well as several local radio taxi services. If your crew is arriving with luggage for a week, the taxi is often the most convenient solution, especially for several people. By car, drive from the city along Syngrou Avenue onto Poseidonos towards Glyfada.
What formalities apply for crews in Greece?
On charter trips the charter company usually takes care of the formalities; ask in advance what information they need from you. Anyone coming with their own boat must also deal with the Greek yacht tax.
Charter contracts and e-Charterparty
Commercial charter contracts in Greece have been recorded since 2026 via a government online platform of the Ministry of Shipping, the e-Charterparty (Greek e-Ναυλοσύμφωνο) (as of October 2026). What information is required for this is known by the skipper or charter company; keep your ID handy on board. The local contact is the harbour authority of Alimos.
TEPAI: the tax for yachts
For sports boats over seven metres travelling in Greek waters, a monthly fee called TEPAI (officially ΤΕΠΑΗ) is payable. For commercial charter yachts, the owner or operator is liable for payment; for private boats, it is the owner, keeper or user. Rates are €16 to €33 per month for boats up to 12 metres, and €8 per metre length per month for larger boats; sailing and motor boats pay the same amount; discounts are available for annual payment and certain commercial boats (AADE FAQ dated 23.01.2026, as at October 2026). Payment is made in advance via the Greek tax authority AADE platform. Details are provided in the AADE FAQ on TEPAI (in Greek).
What wind can you expect from Athens?
In summer the Meltemi blows repeatedly in the Aegean: a strong, dry north wind that occurs periodically roughly from mid-May to mid-September. How strongly it reaches the Saronic Gulf depends on the particular weather situation.
For trip planning, this means: with northerly winds, the legs south towards Poros and Hydra are pleasant, but the return trip to Athens can turn into a long beat to windward. Don't cut the last day too fine and use the marine weather forecasts from the Greek meteorological service EMY. An overview of the Meltemi, Sirocco and other winds is provided in our article on the main winds in the Mediterranean.
Which marine weather forecast applies in the Saronic Gulf?
The authoritative source is the marine weather forecast from the Greek meteorological service EMY (English: HNMS). You can receive it via Greek coastal radio on VHF, via NAVTEX and on the meteorological service's website.
The coastal radio stations broadcast weather reports for shipping in Greek and English. For NAVTEX, the automatic reception of weather and warning messages on board, Greece operates transmitters on Limnos, Crete and Corfu; gale warnings are broadcast there immediately after being issued. Online you will find the forecasts on the EMY meteorological service website.
In practical terms, this means: get the report before departure and again before the return trip to Athens. Particularly on Meltemi days, it determines whether you need to start the final leg earlier.
Which destinations can you reach from Marina Alimos?
From Alimos Marina the Saronic Gulf lies directly ahead. The classic first passage is to Aegina, after which you continue south towards Poros and Hydra.
Aegina lies in the middle of the Saronic Gulf and is therefore a popular first destination when the start day is already half over with briefing and provisioning. The island is famous for its pistachios, which have held protected designation of origin status since 1996, and for the Temple of Aphaia dating from around 500 BC.
Poros actually consists of two islands, Sferia with the main town and harbour, and Kalavria, which are connected by a narrow channel. From Piraeus it is 29 nautical miles; Alimos Marina lies only a few kilometres further south-east.
Hydra is car-free: loads are carried by donkeys and mules, and the harbour is at the same time the island's main town.
The marina is also a starting point for trips to the Cyclades. For the route west to the Ionian Sea, the route leads through the Corinth Canal. We present a harbour on the Ionian side in our profile of Marina Preveza .
What can you do during a harbour day around Marina Alimos?
You can reach the beach, waterfront promenade and Athens city centre on foot or by tram from the marina – you don't need a car.
Beaches of Alimos: The first beach at Alimos is located at the Kalamaki tram stop, close to the marina and right on Thoukydidou shopping street; take the tram from Pikrodafni to Kalamaki. Admission is free, and there are showers, changing rooms and a café. Further towards Glyfada, at the Loutra stop, is the second beach, also with free access.
Phaleron War Cemetery: On Poseidonos, just before the Pikrodafni tram terminus and therefore close to the marina's main entrance, lies the Commonwealth War Cemetery. Around 2,000 Second World War casualties are buried or commemorated here; the site is open at all times.
Promenade at Edem: At the Edem tram stop, a few stops from Pikrodafni towards Athens, begins a waterfront promenade particularly suited for a sunset walk. From there you can walk back to the marina.
City centre and Acropolis: Tram T6 takes you directly from Pikrodafni to Syntagma Square in the centre, around 15 kilometres away, without changing. From there the Acropolis is within walking distance.
Find trips from Marina Alimos
Many providers start their Greece trips from Marina Alimos, from week-long trips around the Saronic Gulf to longer trips into the island world of the Aegean. You can find an overview of cabins and dates under Sailing in Greece, trips further out into the islands under Sailing in the Aegean.
Frequently asked questions
Is Marina Kalamaki the same as Marina Alimos?
Yes. The marina is located in the Kalamaki district of the municipality of Alimos, which is why both names are in use. Officially it is called Marina Alimos.
Is Marina Alimos the port of Athens?
The main ferry and commercial port of Athens is Piraeus. Marina Alimos is the city's largest yacht harbour and the starting point for many sailing trips from Athens.
How do I get from the airport to Marina Alimos without changing?
Take express bus X96 towards Piraeus to the stop "1. Kalamaki" directly in front of the marina, or by taxi in about 40 minutes (as at October 2026).
Which VHF channel can Marina Alimos be reached on?
On Channel 71. There you will also receive berthing instructions when entering; you moor stern-to at the pontoon. Important information on location and approach is published by the marina on its official website.
Is there a supermarket near Marina Alimos?
Yes. You will find food shops right next to the marina in the Thoukydidou shopping street. There are also several supermarkets with delivery service, including a SPAR Express labelled "Alimos Marina" (as of October 2026).
