{"id":1699467,"date":"2026-11-03T16:33:55","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T15:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/?p=1699467"},"modified":"2026-11-03T16:33:55","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T15:33:55","slug":"harbour-kilada-argolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/segelmagazin\/hafen-kilada-argolis\/","title":{"rendered":"Kilada Harbour (Argolis): Getting There, Harbour Info and Sailing Trip Destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kilada is a fishing village on the coast of the Argolis, about three kilometres west of Kranidi in the municipality of Ermionida, with a small harbour and two boatyards where many of the region's yachts spend the winter ashore. Here you can read how to get from Athens airport to Kilada, where the harbour and the boatyards are, where to shop, what wind to expect, which sailing destinations are nearby, what makes the Franchthi Cave opposite the village special, and what skippers should know about the boatyards and the weather at sea.<\/p>\n<h2>The essentials at a glance<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The nearest major airport is Athens, from where Kilada is about two and a half hours away by car.<\/li>\n<li>The harbour lies right by the village, and the two boatyards are about 700 metres further south on the road towards Kranidi.<\/li>\n<li>There are small grocery shops in the village and larger supermarkets about 3.3 to 3.9 kilometres to the southeast, so you will need a car or taxi.<\/li>\n<li>In summer the meltemi, a strong northerly wind, blows in the Aegean periodically from mid-May to mid-September.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Where is Kilada harbour?<\/h2>\n<p>Kilada harbour lies on the eastern edge of the village, where the houses border directly on the waterfront road. A quay wall with short pontoons runs along the shore, and a broad mole closes off the harbour to the north. In front of the harbour lies the low, green island of Koronida, and on the opposite side of the bay the Franchthi Cave opens up in the rock.<\/p>\n<p>Kilada belongs to the municipality of Ermionida in the east of the Peloponnese. The village was founded in a fertile valley near the ancient city of Massita and is known for its fresh fish and its boatyards. Until the 1960s the harbour was Ermionida's link to Nafplio; only the road from Epidaurus to Kranidi has taken over that role. Today the harbour is managed by the municipal harbour fund of the municipality of Ermionida.<\/p>\n<h2>Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Kilada<\/h2>\n<p>The easiest way to reach Kilada is by car or hire car. From Athens, the route leads along the motorway towards Corinth and then on via Epidaurus to Kranidi.<\/p>\n<h3>From Athens airport to Kilada<\/h3>\n<p>The nearest international airport is Athens. From the airport and from the port of Piraeus, Kilada is about two and a half hours away by car. The route takes you along the Attiki Odos, the Athens\u2013Corinth national road and the Corinth\u2013Epidaurus road as far as Kranidi, from where it is another three kilometres or so west to Kilada.<\/p>\n<h3>By car, coach or ferry<\/h3>\n<p>KTEL long-distance buses connect Athens daily with Porto Heli and Ermioni, the two larger towns in Ermionida. The journey takes about two and a half to three hours, and from Nafplio it is roughly one to one and a half hours. Like Kilada, Porto Heli and Ermioni belong to the municipality of Ermionida.<\/p>\n<p>You can also reach Porto Heli by water: high-speed ferries run from Piraeus once or twice a day all year round, and as things stand (November 2026) the crossing takes about three and a half hours. There are taxis in Porto Heli.<\/p>\n<h3>Parking<\/h3>\n<p>By car, you reach the harbour via the village's waterfront road.<\/p>\n<h3>Showers and sanitary facilities<\/h3>\n<p>On the grounds of the Basimakopoulos boatyard there are showers with hot water for owners whose boats are berthed there.<\/p>\n<h3>Shopping for the trip<\/h3>\n<p>For the basics, a short walk is enough: along the waterfront road, about 100 to 200 metres from the harbour, there are small grocery shops, as well as a bakery, a greengrocer's and fishmongers. For a big shop, head to the supermarkets southeast of the village: a Sklavenitis is about 3.3 kilometres away and a Lidl about 3.9 kilometres. Petrol stations for your hire car are about 900 metres and about 1.2 kilometres southeast of the harbour, on the approach road from the direction of Kranidi.<\/p>\n<h3>Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services<\/h3>\n<p>There is a pharmacy in the village, about 400 metres south of the harbour on the waterfront road. A medical health centre is about 5.4 kilometres southeast of the harbour.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>112: European emergency number for police, ambulance and fire brigade<\/li>\n<li>166: ambulance<\/li>\n<li>100: police<\/li>\n<li>199: fire brigade<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What does the harbour at Kilada offer?<\/h2>\n<p>Kilada harbour is a fishing harbour in the middle of the village: the quay wall and short jetties lie right on the waterfront road, which is lined with tavernas, caf\u00e9s and shops. What makes the place special for sailors are the two boatyards on the southern edge of the village.<\/p>\n<h3>Kilada harbour at a glance<\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Details<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Location<\/td>\n<td>Eastern edge of the village of Kilada, Ermionida municipality, Argolis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sailing area<\/td>\n<td>Argolic Gulf<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Harbour<\/td>\n<td>Fishing harbour with quay wall, short jetties and a mole to the north<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Administration<\/td>\n<td>Municipal harbour fund of the municipality of Ermionida<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Boatyards<\/td>\n<td>Lekkas boatyard (traditional wooden boatbuilding) and Basimakopoulos boatyard, about 700 m to the south<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Travellift<\/td>\n<td>160 t (Basimakopoulos boatyard)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>VHF boatyard<\/td>\n<td>Channel 77, call sign \u201cKilada Yard\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Pharmacy<\/td>\n<td>around 400 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Larger supermarket<\/td>\n<td>about 3.3 km<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Equipment<\/h3>\n<p>Yacht services are provided mainly by the Basimakopoulos boatyard: electricity at 220 and 380 volts and water, which is not drinking water, as well as Wi-Fi, a shop for boat accessories and paints, and a woodworking shop. The yard delivers diesel to its premises for orders of 500 litres or more.<\/p>\n<h2>Boatyards and winter storage in Kilada<\/h2>\n<p>Many yachts spend the winter ashore in Kilada: the two large boatyards on the southern edge of the village are the winter storage for many boats from the Ermionida. Kilada is also one of the three traditional boatyard locations that still exist in the Ermionida. In winter there are so many sailing boats standing there that the masts along the shore look like a forest.<\/p>\n<p>The boatyards lie on the waterfront road just before the harbour, opposite the island of Koronida. Their history is closely tied to fishing: hundreds of wooden fishing boats were built here, and they now sail all over the Aegean. Over the past fifty years, the traditional Lekkas boatyard and the more modern Basimakopoulos boatyard have together built more than 1,000 boats, including the last large wooden ships in Greece. Many owners spend some time in the village in winter while work is carried out on their boats.<\/p>\n<h3>Basimakopoulos boatyard<\/h3>\n<p>The Basimakopoulos boatyard is a family business that has been working without interruption since 1965. Traditional boatbuilding has grown into a business that lifts boats out of the water, stores them ashore, and services and repairs them. The site covers around 60,000 square metres, is surrounded by a three-metre-high fence and is monitored by camera around the clock.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Travel lift: a travel lift with a capacity of 160 tonnes, installed in 2025, lifts boats out of the water and puts them back in all year round, always in the morning. On the agreed day, the boat must be ready from 8 a.m.<\/li>\n<li>Staying aboard: while the boat is on the hard, you may live aboard in accordance with the yard's conditions.<\/li>\n<li>Work on the boat: the yard carries out certain maintenance and repair work itself and works with external specialist firms for other jobs. Owners may also commission their own tradesmen, in which case the yard is not liable for their work.<\/li>\n<li>Work before launching: requests such as antifouling or polishing must be submitted by 31 December at the latest.<\/li>\n<li>Insurance: every boat that spends the winter on the premises needs valid insurance under Greek law.<\/li>\n<li>Parcels: the yard accepts parcels if they are addressed in the owner's name.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Lekkas boatyard<\/h3>\n<p>The Lekkas boatyard is the traditional one of Kilada's two boatyards. Wooden boats have been built here for decades, and it also lies on the southern edge of the village on the waterfront road.<\/p>\n<h2>What wind can you expect in Kilada?<\/h2>\n<p>In summer, the Meltemi determines the sailing weather in the Aegean. It is a strong, dry northerly wind that blows periodically from around mid-May to mid-September. Kilada itself lies in a sheltered bay on the Argolic Gulf.<\/p>\n<p>Official wind and gale warnings for Greek waters are issued by the Greek meteorological service EMY, and gale warnings are broadcast via NAVTEX immediately after being issued.<\/p>\n<h2>Which destinations can you reach from Kilada?<\/h2>\n<p>From Kilada you can reach Nafplio at the northern end of the Argolic Gulf, Porto Heli and Ermioni on the Ermionida coast, and beyond them the islands of Spetses and Hydra in the Saronic Gulf.<\/p>\n<h3>Porto Heli and Ermioni<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Porto Heli<\/strong> is a natural harbour with well-equipped marinas and quiet bays, looking out over the island of Spetses. The long waterfront promenade is lined with caf\u00e9s, bars and fish restaurants.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ermioni<\/strong> lies on a narrow, pine-covered peninsula on the Argolic Gulf. In the harbour, caiques, sailing boats and small boats lie close together, and just a few metres away the Bisti peninsula begins, with its walking trails.<\/p>\n<h3>Spetses and Hydra<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Spetses<\/strong> lies directly opposite Porto Heli. In the 18th century the island was one of the great maritime and trading powers of the Aegean; today its neoclassical houses and the Old Harbour define its character. Cars are not allowed on the island, so people get around by bicycle or horse-drawn carriage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hydra<\/strong> is entirely free of cars and motorbikes. The town curves around the harbour like an amphitheatre, with yachts and fishing boats moored in the port, and stone villas recall the days of the great merchant fleet of the 18th century.<\/p>\n<h3>Nafplio<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Nafplio<\/strong> lies at the northern end of the Argolic Gulf and was the first capital of modern Greece from 1827 to 1834. The Palamidi fortress towers above the old town, and in front of the town, on a small island, stands the Bourtzi fortress, the landmark of Nafplio.<\/p>\n<p>Poros also lies in the Saronic Gulf; you can read more about it in our profile of the <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/harbour-poros-saronic-gulf\/\">harbour of Poros<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What can you do on a day in port in Kilada?<\/h2>\n<p>For a day off, the most important destination lies directly opposite: the Franchthi Cave, one of the most significant caves in Europe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Franchthi Cave<\/strong>: The cave lies on the other side of the bay, opposite the village. By boat it takes around ten minutes to get across from the harbour in Kilada. The cave is about 150 metres long and up to 45 metres wide; at the back the ceiling has collapsed, so plenty of light falls on the large boulders. People lived here mainly in the Palaeolithic, from around 40,000 BC, in the Mesolithic and in the Neolithic up to around 3,000 BC. Excavations from 1967 onwards brought to light fish remains spanning more than 20,000 years, a sequence unique in Greece. In the Neolithic period a settlement also developed in front of the cave, which today lies under water because of the rise in sea level.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Submerged settlement at Lambagianna beach<\/strong>: In the sea off the cave, the Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the University of Geneva are jointly exploring a submerged prehistoric settlement at Lambagianna beach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lepitsa beach<\/strong>: About one kilometre west of Kilada lies the flat sandy beach of Lepitsa, with the Dorufi area behind it and its many small beaches.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wetland<\/strong>: Near Kilada there is a protected wetland, important for many waterbirds and birds of prey.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shipyards and fishing harbour<\/strong>: A stroll along the waterfront road leads from the harbour with its fishing boats to the shipyards on the southern edge of the village, where wooden boats are built and yachts are maintained ashore.<\/p>\n<h2>For skippers: shipyard, harbour and marine weather in Kilada<\/h2>\n<p>The harbour of Kilada is run by the municipal harbour fund of the municipality of Ermionida; you can reach the Basimakopoulos shipyard on VHF channel 77.<\/p>\n<h3>Registering with the shipyard<\/h3>\n<p>Before you approach the travel lift quay, you need clearance from the boatyard on VHF channel 77, call sign \u201cKilada Yard\u201d. The team at the travel lift decides the order for lifting out and launching on the day.<\/p>\n<h3>Which marine weather forecast applies in Kilada?<\/h3>\n<p>The marine weather forecast issued by the Greek weather service EMY (HNMS in English) is the one that counts. On board, you receive it via NAVTEX, the automatic reception of weather and warning messages. Greece broadcasts NAVTEX through stations on Limnos, Crete and Corfu.<\/p>\n<h2>Sailing trips from Kilada on T\u00f6rnfinder<\/h2>\n<p>You can find sailing trips across the whole country, including in the Argolic and Saronic Gulfs, on T\u00f6rnfinder under <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-greece\/\">Sailing in Greece<\/a>, and more sailing areas around the Mediterranean under <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-mediterranean\/\">Sailing in the Mediterranean<\/a>. An overview of all dates is shown on the page <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-trips\/\">Trips<\/a>. If you are arriving by water from the north, you will find harbour information in the profile of the <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/marina-corinth-greece\/\">Corinth Marina<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How do I get from Athens airport to Kilada?<\/h3>\n<p>The easiest way is by car or hire car, in around two and a half hours via Corinth, Epidaurus and Kranidi. Long-distance buses run from Athens to Porto Heli and Ermioni, and ferries run from Piraeus to Porto Heli.<\/p>\n<h3>Where is Kilada harbour?<\/h3>\n<p>On the eastern edge of the village on the waterfront road, opposite the island of Koronida. The two boatyards are about 700 metres further south.<\/p>\n<h3>Is there a supermarket near the harbour in Kilada?<\/h3>\n<p>In the village there are small grocery shops about 100 to 200 metres from the harbour, plus a bakery and a greengrocer. Larger supermarkets such as Sklavenitis and Lidl are about 3.3 to 3.9 kilometres to the southeast.<\/p>\n<h3>Can you leave a boat ashore over winter in Kilada?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, Kilada has two boatyards where many yachts are stored ashore in winter. The Basimakopoulos yard lifts boats out of the water with a 160-tonne travel lift in the mornings all year round.<\/p>\n<h3>How do I get from Kilada to the Franchthi Cave?<\/h3>\n<p>By boat, it is around ten minutes from the harbour in Kilada to the other side of the bay. The cave lies directly opposite the village.<\/p>\n<h3>Which VHF channel does the boatyard in Kilada use?<\/h3>\n<p>Channel 77, call sign \u201cKilada Yard\u201d. You need clearance from the boatyard on this channel before approaching the travel lift quay.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kilada in the Argolis: getting there from Athens, the fishing harbour and boatyards with winter storage, shopping, the meltemi, Franchthi Cave and sailing destinations from Nafplio to Hydra.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":1699341,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tf_mag_toernhinweis":"griechenland","footnotes":""},"categories":[536],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1699467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviere-haefen","category-536","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1699467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1699469,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1699467\/revisions\/1699469"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1699341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1699467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1699467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1699467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}