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This Saturday and Sunday, on September 10 and 11, you’ll be able to see the most important events for Armata Spetses 2016, a spectacular celebration that takes place in Spetses every year, but mainly in the seas around this wonderful island. Get ready for fire and fireworks, explosions and naval battles (or just their reenactment) at a festivity that attracts hundreds or even thousands of visitors every year, who want to enjoy the show, but also the good weather of September at majestic places.

Why does this amazing festival take place always on the second weekend of September? It is essentially a tribute to the naval battle of September 8, 1822. That’s when the Turks tried to invade Spetses and Hydra, in order to take the Greek forces away from the siege of Palamidi in Nafplion, still occupied by the Turks. Even though they were fewer, Greeks were proven once more to be heroes and emerged victorious, since they destroyed the Turkish flagship, making the rest of the enemy ships fall back.

The people who want to enjoy the festivities can do so from the shore, but the truly privileged spots are in the sea. From Porto Heli you can take the boat to take you out in the sea, quite close to the reenactment of the naval battle, so you can have a unique view of the blowing up of the flagship.

Of course, the Armata at Spetses is not just about that weekend. The week is full of events that have already started with boat races, and it includes traditional and Latin dances, gymnastics, concerts and religious ceremonies.

For Argolida and the seas around it (let us not forget that Spetses belong to Attica prefecture), Armata is the autumn highlight and it is definitely a spectacle that everyone needs to see at least one in their lives.

 

 

The wines of Nemea are known to all wine lovers in the world and for the past month these amazing wines of the Greek soil have had the opportunity to reach even more people. The Great Days of Nemea 2016 are coming to an end on Saturday and Sunday, on the third and fourth of September respectively, just like they deserve: with a great wine tasting of the wines of Nemea in the Showroom of the Nemean Winemakers Association. What’s better than closing a festival like that than giving everyone the chance to taste some of the tastiest wines of Greece? Wine tasting is just the icing on the cake, however, since August was filled with other similar events, but also theater, music, sports and exhibitions of products of the Peloponnese. Not only wine, but also grapes and olive oil, for which the area is famous, were honored during the festival. Among the events we particularly enjoyed the Tsaknis, Miliokas, Akrivou concert this past Saturday, but also the Eleni Dimou concert in the beginning of August. The program, though, had performances and events for all tastes: a theater night based on Yannis Ritsos’ poem “Moonilight Sonata”, classical music with a soprano and a piano at the majestic space of Nemea’s archeological site, but also a footrace, organized by the Nemea Sports Club. Porto Heli and AKS Hotels aren’t very far from Nemea and it is an opportunity for those of you who have wine close to your hearts to arrange a trip there for the last weekend of festivities. The beautiful landscape of the Peloponnese, the relaxing route and the delights that are waiting for you will more than make up for the effort. Don’t miss the chance to get to know one of the most refined aspects of life by attending the Great Days of Nemea 2016.

Porto Heli and AKS Hotels, always trendy and ahead of their time, are hosting for a second consecutive year the Dakine Porto Heli SUP Challenge. On September 10 and 11, the beach of AKS Porto Heli will welcome kids and adults who will want to show off their skills in SUP. As long as there’s still good weather and swimming in the beautiful sea of Porto Heli is appealing, it’s a good opportunity to also enjoy some water sports. What is SUP anyway? SUP, standing for Stand Up Paddle (pun intended) is the new trend in water sports, found in the Mediterranean Sea and all over the world, since it’s easy to pick up but difficult to master. In Dakine Porto Heli SUP Challenge you’ll see races for all ages and all skill levels. On Saturday, September 10, there will be a more relaxed and fun relay among teams and also a mini race for children under 10 years old. The main events will be on Sunday and will be divided into two categories: 6 km Race and 3 km Fun. Men, women, athletes and beginners are free to participate in the events and they can even register on the website of the organizers http://www.dakinesupchallenge.gr. AKS Hotels are proud to be sponsors of this important event. Besides their beach that will be used for the races, they will also offer the organizers some rooms (breakfast included), while participants will be able to receive a discount for their stay. Besides AKS Hotels, the event is also sponsored by the Municipality of Ermionida, The Friends of Porto Heli Association and many companies in the SUP business and water sports. So don’t miss the opportunity to take part, as a racer or as a spectator, in a great spectacle that goes so well with the Greek seas. AKS Porto Heli Hotels Peloponnese

Music, dances, poetry, workshops, lectures. From July 30 to August 12, Porto Heli, this idyllic and cosmopolitan town on the coast of beautiful Argolida, is proud to host, like every year since 1988, the Porto Heli International Festival for Art and Culture. From Greek traditional dances to works for piano, from musical fairy tales to poetry nights and from lectures on nutrition to educational workshops, the Porto Heli International Festival has something for everyone, whether they are local or are here, in majestic Porto Heli, on vacation. Since 1988, the great pianist and educator Yorgos Manessis has been hosting in Manessis Estate this international festival, in order to showcase the area’s culture, but also its bonds with the rest of Greece, as well as the world. It’s not by accident, after all, that the festival hosts thirty five artists from seven different countries (Greece, Germany, Albania, Chile, Russia, United States of America, Cuba). Among the trees and next to the sea, new and accomplished artists will unfold their talent and provide the audience with moments of joy and entertainment. Entrance will of course be free of charge, with the help of the Municipality of Ermionis and Yorgos Manessis himself. The Porto Heli International Festival for Art and Culture has become an institution in the area. And it is important that such efforts are made in areas of rural Greece, away from Athens and other big cities. Porto Heli is always a pioneer in such efforts and its residents have embraced the festival; the events are also attended by people that come from the surrounding areas and even farther away. Porto Heli is an ideal place to go on vacation and it can satisfy the most refined tastes. The 28th International Festival for Art and Culture is a small, but significant sample.  Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli

We all know Porto Heli as an amazing and cosmopolitan town that attracts travelers from all over Greece and the world. They come to find amazing beaches, beautiful scenery and to get to know the history of Greece through the impressive archeological sites that can be found all around it. We should never forget, however, that Porto Heli is located in Argolida and that Argolida is a blessed land, with fertile ground and ideal weather for agriculture. That’s why, on July 30 and 31, the 5th Festival of Olive Oil and Olives was held in Kranidi in the municipality of Ermionis (that includes Porto Heli). The people were able to enjoy local products based – where else? – on olives and olive oil, while there were many parallel events that everyone enjoyed. The highlight of the first evening was of course the Dionysis Savopoulos concert, one of the most important Greek composers and singers. Those that were interested in olive oil and olives, though, were able to attend interesting talks, as well as buy products related to these two, and also to learn new recipes based always on what the Greek land hands out so generously. On Sunday things were a bit calmer, but the people had the opportunity to keep learning about olive oil and olives, while they also relaxed and had fun by listening to jazz music. It is very important for a place to remember where it comes from, and agriculture in Argolida produces products, like olive oil and, of course, the famous oranges of Argolida, that have supported this land. Greeks are proud of their home and its soil and that’s why they honor what comes out of it. And there’s nothing better than celebrating olive oil in such a beautiful place, like the mountains of Argolida and Kranidi. Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli

Summer is the season of festivals and the most important artistic and cultural space in Argolida and Greece, that has been operating for millenia, couldn’t miss this opportunity. We are, of course, talking about Epidaurus, this ancient theater that is famous all over the world and that this year, like the years before that, hosts an important part of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival putting emphasis – where else? – on ancient theater. The July we just left behind was very exciting with amazing performances that left a very enthusiastic audience behind them, despite its familiarity with the traditional plays whose plots more or less everyone knows. Sophocles and Aeschylus, the great tragedians along with Euripides, came back once more to their natural habitat, but the audience also had a good laugh with Aristophanes’ timeless jokes. This July, the performances included Aristophanes’ Wealth, Oresteia and Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus and Antigone and Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. All the plays were directed by people established in theater and the arts, like Giorgos Kimoulis, Yannis Houvardas and Stathis Livathinos. In August the festival has two more Aristophanes plays in store. Lysistrata, directed by Michael Marmarinos and The Birds, directed by Nikos Karathanos. A very interesting schedule was also shown by the Ancient Epidaurus Little Theater, with some performances being rather innovative. Dances, concerts and a different kind of theater, like Oedipus Rex through the lens of the Romantic poet Percy Shelley. Epidaurus is one of the most important archeological sites in Greece and is definitely the one that is most alive, since it is still being used for the purposes it was originally built. Every summer, people from Greece and abroad come to beautiful Argolida to enjoy the charms of the land, as well as to discover a different aspect of history. Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli

 

The most beautiful and hospitable hotel in Porto Heli is waiting for you to show you an amazing time along with your partner or your family. The renovated AKS Hinitsa Bay combines the crystal clear waters of the Greek seas with the evergreen forest of Argolida. At the bay of Hinitsa, in front of the wonderful beach of the same name, the people of AKS Hinitsa Bay have built a dreamworld, where you can relax, enjoy, have fun.

Rooms with a view, refined cuisine, endless activities, and luxury everywhere, from the reception to the rooms, are just few of the things that AKS Hinitsa Bay has to offer. Especially for the children, joy will never end. Sports, dances, games, shows and, of course, the pool are there for non-stop entertainment, so they can remember AKS Hinitsa Bay as the hotel that gave them the best vacation of their lives.

So, book a room at AKS Hinitsa Bay know and get to know up close the Greek culture and our unrivaled hospitality.

 Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Hintsa Bay

AKS Porto Heli Hotel was the first one to bring soft all-inclusive services in Greece, in order to offer you the most carefree vacations. It is a program specially designed to meet the needs of the Greek family, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as drinks, refreshments, snacks and ice-creams throughout the day. Trying to think of a way to achieve ultimate relaxation for the adults and, at the same time, frenzied fun for the children, we designed this particular program. In AKS Porto Heli Hotel, besides the satisfaction of your culinary desires, you will find carefully designed everyday activities for our younger guests that you will love. While the grown-ups relax next to the pool or rest in their rooms, the children will be spending their days creatively, under the supervision of specially trained educators, following a truly rich and fun schedule of activities. The day will end ideally, with a cocktail under the moonlight at the bar’s terrace, enjoying new hits and golden oldies our DJ has chosen, while the children will be watching summer cinema, always accompanied by our educators. Rest assured that this is where you’ll find exactly what you need. We’re expecting you! AKS Porto Heli Hotels Peloponnese

Porto Heli and AKS Hinitsa Bay danced, sang, had fun and partied last week, along with ANTENNA’s To Proino, the best morning entertainment show in Greece. Faii Skorda and Giorgos Liagkas, their friends and their distinguished guests came to Hinitsa Bay and transmitted from there to the whole of Greece the beauty of the area. And why wouldn’t they choose Porto Heli and AKS Hinitsa Bay to shoot their show? The beach of Hinitsa is among the most beautiful beaches of Argolida, even though to us it surpasses all others. Porto Heli itself is called the Greek Riviera, because it is cosmopolitan, refined and attracts the best crowds from Greece and all over the world. The weather was great, the location, between the green mountains and the blue sea, unique, and AKS Hinitsa Bay, renovated and refreshed, was at its best to welcome the most important names of Greek show business. Along with Giorgos and Faii we experienced unforgettable moments, we learned amazing recipes, we were informed on what is going on and what will go on and, of course, we had the time of our lives. Porto Heli is the best town for shows such as To Proino and this was proven by the interest and the love the people demonstrated. Porto Heli’s cosmopolitan identity was shown and combined perfectly with the glamour of Greek television, even though it would be impossible for the TV screen to do justice to the grandeur of this majestic place. Beyond Hinitsa and Porto Heli, there are so many places to see, so many things to do. From dense forests to gorgeous coasts and from archeological sites to excellent restaurants, Porto Heli and the surrounding areas will be heaven for those who decide to have their vacation here. So, don’t stall, not even for a minute. Book a room at Porto Heli and AKS Hotels and spend the best vacations of your lives. AKS Hinitsa Bay – Peloponnese Hotels

AKS Hinitsa Bay at majestic Argolida is proud to host 28 volunteers of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, famous all over the world for its charity work, and particularly its Greek branch. In the effort to build a better world, everyone contributes however they can and AKS Hotels support the efforts of Make-A-Wish in the way they know best: excellent hospitality. The 28 volunteers were hosted on Saturday, June 4, at AKS Hinitsa Bay, and the hotel offered room and board, as it also provided a buffet dinner on Saturday and a lunch box on Sunday. As part of our corporate social responsibility, but also our humanity, AKS Hotels will help Make-A-Wish fulfill the wishes of even more children, by making sure the volunteers have a place to stay in Argolida, the same volunteers that ask for nothing in return, when they give their precious time to help those who are really in need. Make-A-Wish is an organization that was founded in Greece in 1996, but it’s been active in the United States since the early 80s. Their goal is to satisfy the wishes of children with incurable diseases, to make their dreams come true and alleviate their pain in the face of the difficulties that life had in store for them. Their work is supported greatly by the actions of volunteers that surround the children they meet with love and care, and also the sponsors that make the foundation’s charity work possible. It is, after all, proven that psychological support can help improve the health of children and also offer some moments of happiness to them and their families. AKS Hotels and AKS Hinitsa Bay decided to help this general effort however they could. We hope that Make-A-Wish (Greece) can continue and expand its work in the immediate as well as the distant future. AKS Hinitsa Bay – Hotels Peloponnese