10 Major Ports Of Greece

Greece is positioned in Southeast Europe, on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bounded by the Aegean Sea to the east of the mainland, while the Ionian Sea lies to the West, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the South.

Greece also has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean Basin, which is why it has numerous ports and harbours, which are crucial for its international trade.

Greece mainly exports olive oil, olives, cotton, fruits and nuts, petroleum products, fish and cheese to its trade partners, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, France and Turkey.

The maritime industry has always been a key component of the country’s economy. Shipping activities account for almost 4.5% of its GDP, employing around 160,000 people.

Greece also has a big shipbuilding and ship repair and maintenance industry. The 6 shipyards near Piraeus Port are among the biggest in Europe. In the last few years, Greece has also undertaken the construction and maintenance of luxury yachts.

Let us explore the 10 Major Ports of Greece in this article.

Table of Contents

1. Port of Piraeus

Piraeus is counted among the 50 top ports in the world, the biggest port in Greece, and the second-largest in the Mediterranean region. It lies on the Saronikos Gulf towards the southeast of the mainland. It is also a transit port through which vessels sail to the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Black Sea.

The port is divided into three areas of operation: the Passenger Port, the Commerical Port and the Ship Repair Area.

It has several specialised terminals handling imports of coal, timber, petrol, metal, oil and industrial products. Exports include tobacco, cotton, fruits, cement, etc.

Apart from cargo, it also handles millions of people and is the largest passenger port in Europe and one of the largest in the world.

Approximately 25,100 ships and 11,706,200 tonnes of cargo, including 513,400 TEU and 20,336,500 passengers, are handled by Piraeus Port annually.

The container handling area includes 3 terminals with capacities of 1.1 million TEU, 3 million TEU and 2.7 million TEUs.

The cargo terminal has an annual capacity of 25,000,000 tonnes, while the automobile terminal can handle up to 450,000 units with a storage capacity of 12,000 cars. Piraeus Cruise Port has 11 vessel berths with a quay length of 2800 m, and there are three terminals called A, B and C.

Terminal “A” Miaoulis is the main terminal and is closest to the city centre
Terminal “B” Themistocles has 2 berths and handles cruise ships whose journey begins in Athens.
Terminal “C” Alkimos was recently renovated. It has 20 check-in counters to handle 700 passengers in an hour.

2. Port of Thessaloniki

Earlier known as Salonica, this port lies on the northwestern shore of Thermaicos Gulf and serves as a transit point for Central and Southeastern Europe. All port berths are connected to the European Railway Network. Major cargo handled here include iron, tobacco, minerals, fertiliser, chemicals, oil and refined products, tin, rice, grains, cement, etc.

The container handling area lies in the western part of Pier 6. The 550 m long and 350 m broad terminal is a part of the Free Zone and accommodates small and medium-sized ships with a maximum draught of 12 m and a maximum capacity of 550,000 TEUs.The Cargo Terminal has 14 quays to accommodate all kinds of bulk and break bulk cargo.

Port of Thessaloniki — Representation Image

The port’s passenger terminal is one of the biggest in the Aegean Sea basin. It is fully compliant with the ISPS Code and has extensive facilities for catering to cruise and ferries.

Thessaloniki is a famous cruise destination, and this terminal has ferry connections with the islands of the Cyclades, the Sporades and Izmir.

About 3,000 vessels, 16,000,000 tonnes of cargo, including 7,000,000 tonnes of dry cargo and 9,000,000 tonnes of liquid fuel cargo, 370,000 TEU, and 240,000 passengers, are handled annually here.

3. Port of Volos

Volos Port lies at the head of the Gulf of Pagasitikos on the eastern Greek mainland and connects the mainland with Sporades and Evoia.In summer, ferries from this port operate to Mytilene, eastern Aegean and Cyclades.

The harbour is well-sheltered by a breakwater that runs from the east to the port’s centre, protecting ships at all the piers.

Volos has 3000 m of quays that can accommodate vessels up to 35,000 DWT, with a length of 200 m and a 9.8 m draft.

The port’s tanker berths are operated jointly by Shell, Mobil and BP. The port also has RORO facilities and the latest cargo handling equipment.

The main cargo handled here includes metals, fertilisers, cement, petroleum products and agricultural products. Around 1300 vessels visit this port every year.

4. Port of Milos Island

Milos Island has a large and deep bay with an anchorage protecting it from the strongest southerly winds. The port consists of the harbour area, Adamas and Voudhia Bay, with the principal cargo being volcanic mineral ores meant for export and general cargo.

It also accommodates conventional ferries and catamarans and connects the Greek island of Milos with the Greek Mainland, Piraeus and Lavario, including islands like Crete, Anafi, Rhodes, Sifnos, Naxos, Halki, Amorgos, etc.

Port of Milos Island — Representation Image

Approximately 900 ships visit the Adamas sub-port of the Milos Island port area annually.

5. Port of Heraklion

Heraklion, or Iraklion, lies on the northern side of Crete Island. It is one of the busiest ports in Greece, operating as a harbour for tourists from Heraklion along with handling cargo.

It comprises two areas: the small inner port and the new outer port. The latter has a 15 m depth and is protected by a 2390 m breakwater and handles commercial vessels.

The inner port has a 4 m water depth and mainly accommodates fishing boats, small craft and yachts. The ferry port of Heraklion links Crete with Piraeus and the islands of Halki, Ios, Kaos, Syroes, Anafi, Thira, etc.

Heraklion exports raisins, olive oil, fruits and vegetables and wine. It imports machines, timber, manufactured products and cereals.

Around 3,000 ships, 2 million passengers, 3 million tonnes of cargo and 22,000 TEUs are handled at Heraklion Port every year.

6. Port of Chios

Port of Chios is the principal port of Nisos Khios and lies on Chios Island in the Aegean Sea. It consists of an outer anchorage and an artificial harbour for ferries and small general cargo vessels.

Chios Port can accommodate 2 passenger or cargo ships of 20,000 tonnes each and a passenger ship weighing around 700 tonnes simultaneously.

The port’s maximum depth is 8.20 m, and on the southern side, there is a marina with several fishing boats, sailing boats and yachts. The ferries from Chios ply to mainland Greece and Turkey.

Approximately 104,500 tonnes of cargo, 3,830 vessels and 502,500 passengers are handled annually at Chios port.

7. Port Of Agioi Theodoroi Port

The town of Agio Theodorai lies 12 km east of Corinth. The famous beach of Pefkakia lies in its eastern part, lined with pine trees and golden sand.

The west is surrounded by the huge Corinth Refinery, the nation’s biggest industrial complex, which is operated by Motor Oil Hellas. The Kalamaki hills and mountain peaks lie in the north. Some houses here were made to be summer homes.

The town has a beautiful pedestrian street by the sea, along with restaurants, coffee shops and beach bars. The town’s central avenue is part of the old Athens-Corinth highway dotted with banks, historical churches, markets, etc.

The Port of Agioi Theodoroi is located in Elefsis Bay in Saronikos Gulf. The facility lies west of Pachi and includes a deep-water tanker terminal that handles crude oil and refinery products.

The refinery, along with the ancillary plants and fuel distribution system, is the biggest privately owned industrial complex in Greece and one of the most modern refineries in Europe.

There are modern port facilities for accommodating tankers with 400,000 DWT and a maximum draught of 21.9 m.

Approximately 3,000 vessels and 15,000,000 tonnes of cargo are handled annually at this port.

8. Port of Kavala

Kavala port is situated on the southern coast of the Greek mainland, near the island of Thassos, about 190 nm north of Athens. Port of Kavala-Filippos B lies in New Karvali.

Kavala is a well-sheltered facility managed by Kavala Port Authority S.A, which manages four ports lying in the expansive Kavala region. These include the Central Kavala Port (Apostolos Pavlos), the Commerical Port ( Filippos B) in Nea Karvali, Eleftheres Port and Keramoti Port.

The Kavala Port has a passenger harbour and a commercial harbour which handles RORO, leisure craft, fishing vessels, etc. There are additional facilities that handle petroleum products and fertilisers.

It has good anchorage and availability of fresh water. The Port of Kavala is connected via road to Istanbul and Thessaloniki.

A liquefied gas terminal is situated east of Kavala at Near Karvali. The commercial port has a 400 m long and 12 m deep breakwater, and recently, the northern wharf was completed, adding an extra 1050 m to the existing 400 m.

Kavala Port’s main exports are marble, cereals and tobacco. It handles around 600 ships, 1,600,000 tonnes of cargo and 1, 500,000 passengers annually.

9. Port of Saint Nicolas

The Port of Saint Nicolas lies on the northern shores of the Corinth Gulf in the south of Greece, in an area locally referred to as Aspra Spitia.

This is a medium-sized port that receives vessels carrying bulk cargo. It has a single pier, which is 400 m long, with north and south berths.

The former deals with petcoke, bauxite, coal tar pitch, aluminium fluoride, aluminium, general cargo and hydrated alumina. The South Berth handles caustic soda solution, alumina, fuel oil and chemicals.

10. Port of Rhodes

Rhodes Port is situated at the northern end of Rhodes Island in the Aegean. It contains an outer and an inner harbour together called the Limenas Rodos.

Rhodes Port Complex is made up of 6 harbours that span the coastline of the main town.

The outer harbour, including Limenas Akantias or Acandia Port and Limenas Emporikos Port, is separated by a central mole. It accommodates cargo ships, cruises, and big ferries.

The inner harbour is called Limenas Mandraki and is an ancient port now used by smaller ferries and pleasure craft.

The Rhodes Cruise Port has six piers for ships with a maximum length of 380 m and a draft of 10 m.

The major exports are wine and fruits, while chief imports are woollens, cotton, flour, tobacco, coffee, cereals, and vegetables. More than 700 ships and 1,624,000 passengers frequent this port every year.

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About Author

Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.