Piraeus has been the port of Athens since antiquity, and is still where you catch most island boats and cruise ships. What’s confusing is that Piraeus has three harbors: the main Piraeus harbor (Megas Limani), where you’ll see everything from tankers to cruise ships, Zea Marina (Zea Limani), the port for most of the swift hydrofoils that dart to the islands; and Mikrolimano (Little Harbor, also called Turkolimano, or Turkish Harbor), with a yacht harbor and a number of fish restaurants. As if that weren’t confusing enough, the absence of helpful signs at both the main harbor and Zea Limani and the constant hustle and bustle here mean that this is not an easy place to navigate.
To be on the safe side, even if you have your tickets, try to get here an hour before your ship is scheduled to sail - and then don’t be surprised if you curse this advice because your ship sails later than announced. As in antiquity, today’s Piraeus has the seamier side of a sailors’ port of call and the color and bustle of an active harbor - both aspects, somewhat sanitized, were portrayed in the film that made Melina Merkouri an international star, Never on Sunday. Piraeus also has a sprawling street market just off the main harbor, where you can buy produce brought each day on island boats, including bread baked that morning on distant islands. There are a number of fish restaurants here, but many are overpriced and serve fish that’s less fresh than the bread. You’re probably not going to fall in love with Piraeus, but if you have some time to kill, here are some suggestions.