Piraeus Freight Ferry Port

Piraeus (Pireas) has been the port of Athens since ancient times, which makes Piraeus one of the oldest ports in the world. Its walls were built in 478 B.C. It was chosen to serve as the modern port when Athens was re-founded in 1834. The modern city, built on top of the ancient city of Piraeus, is a major shipping and financial hub, with ships connecting the capital with Greek islands, the Adriatic sea, Cyprus, Egypt and other countries in Europe and the Middle Orient. Piraeus is to the southwest of Athens, the capital of Greece, about 10 km from the centre of town. From Piraeus's little natural harbors there are frequent freight crossings to ports in the following regions of Greece: Dodecanese islands, Cyclades islands, Peloponnese, Saronic Gulf Islands, Crete island, Samos island, northeastern Aegean Islands and northern Greece. The island of Crete lies about 150 n mi to the south.

This incredibly busy port, one of the busiest in the world, and the largest in Greece, is actually divided into three separate sections. The main central harbor handles most of the commercial shipping for cargo, passenger ferries for the islands, and cruise ships.