Poros, a Quick Island Fix

This Saronic Gulf gem, located just a stone’s throw from Athens, is perfect for an off-season break.

Although I can’t wait until the last tourist has left Poros, I’m compromising my peace by recommending the island during the off-season.Only a few tavernas are open and most of the souvenir shops have shut for the winter. But if you are searching for tranquility and the poetic beauty of a pine forest, don’t mind a little occasional rain while you climb the white steps of the old town, and like the smell of wood fires coming from the chimneys of our old houses, you might want to give it this Saronic island a try.

The summer is crowded, dynamic and sexy. Families and Swedish sailors, small groups of single girls and Greek studs flood the island. I actually feel glamorous when I go out. And I’m in good company because, even in the old town square where they can let their children run and play freely, women dress up like movie stars. This is the season when I charge my cultural batteries at the Poros Art Festival, featuring theatre, art exhibitions in the town center and concerts of every genre on the beaches and squares. You’ll get nifty cocktails on the roof garden of Serena Blue Resort, amazing seafood at Prima Sera (a favorite of celebrities) and morning yoga, fresh salads and smoothies on bohemian Anasa beach.

Now that the summer heat has gone, the beaches are once more deserted. The quay – which had been an arena for gallivanting for thousands of tourists – is now back in the hands of locals: fishermen, children and a few cats. This is the time for long walks. The climate is mild and will remain so for most of the winter. While it rains every now and again, the sun never stays away for long.

Actually I can’t wait for the weather to get bit chillier so that I can finally start lighting the fire again. I’m done with city life. Who needs theatre, trendy bars or therapists when you can stare at the flames and empty your head while you sip the local wine from a big glass? Only the art I have to provide myself.

Berenike van Manen grew up in Holland. She worked as an actress until she chose full-time motherhood after the birth of her daughter Persa. Together with her Greek husband, she moved to Poros in 2014. The three live in a 200-year-old house in the old town of Poros.