Beaches in Poros

The beaches of Poros are small, calm, pine-backed coves on Kalavria, the large half of the island, split between the south coast east of town and the west coast towards Russian Bay. Mostly coarse sand and pebble, with shallow sheltered water that is excellent for small children and unremarkable for anyone hunting a spectacular shoreline, which is why Poros gets an honest three out of five for beaches rather than anything higher.

East of town, Kanali is the closest, fifteen minutes on foot past the isthmus. Askeli is the longest and the most organised, with loungers and tavernas behind it, and Monastiri sits below the monastery with the most natural shade. West of town, Neorio is really two beaches with fish tavernas at the water's edge, and Love Bay is the tiny, much-photographed cove past it. The island bus covers the east side, and the water taxi from the harbour is the easy way west.

The August caveat is really a size caveat: none of these coves is big, so a summer weekend that would barely register on a Cycladic beach makes Poros feel packed. Weekdays, and the bus or a bicycle, solve most of it.