Bisti

Duration of the walk

35–40 minutes

Useful Tips

• Bring plenty of water and wear comfortable walking shoes. The path is unpaved but easy to walk.
• Don’t forget to bring your camera! The area offers wonderful photo opportunities, with panoramic views of the town of Ermioni, the Saronic Gulf, and Krothi Hill.

Bisti Cape is the jewel of Ermioni, combining a beautiful pine forest, a rich ancient history, and crystal-clear waters ideal for swimming. It is located at the eastern tip of Ermioni and is easily accessible on foot.

Bisti is an open-air archaeological site, as it was once the heart of the ancient city of the Hermionians. Beneath the shade of the pine trees lie the remains of ancient temples dedicated to Athena or Poseidon.

Τhe Church of Saint Nicholas, into which ancient architectural elements and uninscribed dedicatory bases have been incorporated. In its courtyard, visitors can also see small ancient limestone columns.

The western Byzantine–Venetian fortification wall, built using architectural elements from ancient temples and uninscribed statue bases. Today, the surviving remains of the city’s ancient fortifications are still visible.

Ιn ancient times, the area was famous for producing the precious Tyrian purple dye from marine shellfish. The purple-dye workshop operated for more than 1,000 years.

Another point of interest is the square tower of the surrounding fortification wall, built of large rectangular limestone blocks. Nearby, visitors can also see an ancient tomb. To its right, halfway down the cliff, lies the Cave of Vitoriza.

Continuing along the path, you will reach the Mitsas Windmill, named after the Mitsas family, who fought in the Greek War of Independence of 1821. The windmill is surrounded by loopholes used for defence. One of its most remarkable features is its construction: besides stone, the builders used countless broken shells of the murex sea snails left behind from the ancient purple-dye industry. This makes the windmill unique in the world because of this distinctive building technique.

Finally, you will reach the old lighthouse, which once guided ships safely into the harbour of Ermioni. It was built on the foundations of a massive ancient circular tower. From this tower, it was possible to oversee the entire surrounding sea and the ancient city of the Hermionians.

Today, the original lighthouse has been replaced by a modern one, while the historic lighthouse has been moved to the centre of Ermioni, where it is preserved as a local landmark.