Greece · Southern Evvia
Two hours east of Athens, a bay; a fishing village forgotten in waters the colour of the Caribbean.
Discover the bayGreece · Evvia
Some places exist not to be found, but to be forgotten. Porto Buffalo is one of them. In the south of Evvia, opposite the Attic coast, a narrow and deep bay reaches into the sea like a finger. The northern wind cannot enter; ships, fishermen and people come here to take shelter.
The bay is 250 metres wide, 600 metres deep. At its mouth lies the islet of Daskalio — the place where a rock becomes stone, stone becomes shelter. The water is so clear that a boat's shadow walks across the sand; so shallow your steps can be counted. This geography is not an accident — it feels like a decision: the world came this far, and then stopped.
Two to two and a half hours from Athens airport. The 2011 census counted only 63 inhabitants; recognised as an independent settlement since 1940. Small numbers, an old story.
Anatomy of the bay
Gallery
Moving diary
A few seconds of raw footage — the real texture of a day. Starts muted; you can unmute from the controls.
Stay
Four doors on the bay: a few rooms, a few studios, one boutique condominium. All steps from the sea, all close to silence.
condominium
The most recognised door in Porto Buffalo. Seven rooms, thirty-square-metre suites with balconies, a seasonal outdoor pool, a stone jetty steps from the sea. A boutique condominium where yoga happens twice a day, the vegan menu is unapologetic, and silence is not programmed — it is lived. 9.1/10 on Booking — beyond the numbers, the description of a character.
studio
Family-run modern studios — twenty-five to forty square metres, all sea-facing, all air-conditioned, parking comes free. The website hides no prices, the host keeps no distance from the guest. A room starting at fifty euros, a view worth a thousand.
boutique
A family hotel right on the beach. Air-conditioned studios overlooking the Gulf of Evvia, a stone jetty, the sound of waves from the balcony, evenings on the restaurant terrace. Water sports, traditional Greek hospitality — not touristic, familiar.
Cuisine
Fishermen's tavernas above the bay, a few kitchens in nearby villages that prefer not to be heard of. Food here is a pretext — the point is to sit.
Inside the bayYunan · Deniz ürünleri · Vegan dostu
The village's only restaurant on TripAdvisor. Its name means "by the water" — perched at the mouth of the bay, its tables face the sea directly. Visitors talk most about "peace, good mood, kindness" — as if those three were also on the menu.
Café · Taverna
In the heart of Zarakes, the address that moves most naturally from morning coffee to evening wine. It doesn't look like it's trying for five stars — it just held the day.
Yunan
In Zarakes: a family, a kitchen, a taverna — like home cooking, but more disciplined.
Sea
Fine pebbles, white sand, blue lagoons — inside the bay and beyond it, most without a name.
Fine pebble and coarse sand · Clear, shallow
Porto Buffalo's main beach — fine pebble, coarse sand, water shallow enough to walk the bottom by eye. A toy for a child, a reminder for an adult: the sea is, in truth, a gentle thing.
Sandy / rocky · Blue lagoon
A stop on sailing routes; one hour with a snorkel and you forget yourself. The name is touristic, the place is not.
Pebble · Clear
South of Porto Buffalo — small, calm, almost private. The most elegant way to avoid a crowded beach.
Sand / pebble · Clear
Another nearby holiday beach — broad, slightly busier, but the sea here is always honest.
Open shore · Open sea
Ten kilometres from Porto Buffalo. Wider, more open, windier — a passage from the silence of a bay to the horizon of a coast.
Sailing · Petalioi Gulf
A bay sheltered behind the Daskalio islet, protected from northern winds. At the heart of sailing routes, yet still uncrowded — right in the middle of the Lavrion–Karystos–Eretria triangle.
⚓ Porto Buffalo / Πόρτο Μπούφαλο
38.3011°N · 24.1203°E
From 1 to 7 days, easy to advanced
The way
You'll fly from Istanbul to Athens. Then either an hour by ferry, or two by road. Three methods, one arrival.
Istanbul → Athens · ~1h 30m · from $36 one way
ATH airport → Porto Buffalo · ~2.5 hours · 120 km
Rafina ↔ Marmari · €12 / person · 1 hour
