Rafina

Rafina (Ραφήνα)

Rafina is on the Eastern coast of Attica and is Athen’s main fishing port as well as a harbour that services ferries to and from the Cyclades Group. The port is a friendly and quieter place than Pireus, and the waterfront is a friendly place to spend an afternoon while waiting for your connection to the islands. It is also close to the new Athens airport and is a good alternative to Pireaus when time is of the essence, its proximity to the airport making it a cost and time effective alternative.

It takes approximately an hour to get to Rafina from the centre of Athen by bus, car or taxi, and the ride through the outer suburbs and countryside surrounding Athens is at times pictureque, as you travel through the Marathon hills.

To the north of Rafina is the town of Marathon, a quiet, modern town, where the battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, and the runner was sent the 42 kilometres to Athens with word of the victory. Today, runners all over the world take part in the race that started in these hills.

To the south of Rafina is Vravrona (sometimes known as Brauron), where remains of the Santuary of Artemis are found, and the place where Iphigenia and Orestes brought the sacred image removed from Tauris. The site is the place of a festival held every five years since ancient times, where young girls perform a ritual dance in reverence to the goddess Artemis.