Hotels in Rafína

Rafina is Athens's second port, a working harbour on the east coast of Attica that most visitors pass through rather than stay in: ferries leave here for Mykonos, Andros, Tinos and the rest of the Cyclades, and the town exists largely to service that traffic. It's small, with a population under 13,000, and the appeal is practical rather than scenic — a working waterfront lined with fish tavernas rather than a resort strip. Be honest: there isn't much to detain you beyond a meal by the harbour and a walk around the port before boarding.

Its real advantage is location: it sits closer to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport than Piraeus does, which makes it a genuinely useful overnight stop if you're flying in late or out early and heading straight to the islands. With 14 hotels listed, choice is limited, so book ahead in peak ferry season. Stay near the port itself, within walking distance of the ferry terminal, since that proximity is the entire point of basing yourself here.