Greece · Argolic Gulf
Yacht Charter Epidavros
A theatre where a whisper from the floor reaches the back row, and a Roman town under the water of the bay.
The theatre at Epidaurus was cut into the hillside in the fourth century BC for the sanctuary of Asklepios below it, and it seats about fourteen thousand. Its acoustics are the reason people come: a coin dropped on the orchestra floor is heard in the topmost row, fifty-eight tiers up. Down at the coast, Ancient Epidavros has a Roman town lying in shallow water in its own bay.
The theatre and the sanctuary
The Asklepieion was a healing sanctuary where the sick slept in a dormitory and reported their dreams to the priests, who prescribed from them. The theatre was part of the cure — the whole complex treated the mind as well as the body, which is why it is here and not in a city.
The acoustics have been tested and argued over for a century; the current explanation is that the limestone seating filters low-frequency background noise and reflects the higher frequencies of a voice. In summer the Athens and Epidaurus Festival still stages Greek drama in it.
The sunken city
Palaia Epidavros, on the coast, has a Roman settlement lying two to three metres down just off the shore, sunk by earthquake. You can swim over walls, floors and jars with a mask; the site is marked and it is shallow enough to see clearly.
A second, smaller theatre was found in the town in 1971 under a vineyard, and is now cleared and used for concerts. Nafplion is an hour south by sea and Hydra sits across the gulf.
Practical notes
- The theatre seats about fourteen thousand across fifty-eight tiers and dates from the fourth century BC
- The Asklepieion below it was a healing sanctuary where dreams were prescribed from
- A Roman town lies two to three metres down in the bay at Palaia Epidavros and can be snorkelled
- Greek drama is still staged in the theatre in summer; Nafplion is an hour south by sea
Reached from: Athens, Hydra and the Saronic Gulf
Where to dine
A table by the water
Mouria
Palaia EpidavrosOn the waterfront by the small harbour, doing fish for the people who land it.
Kyma
Palaia EpidavrosAt the far end of the bay near the sunken site, and open through the afternoon.
Leonidas
LigourioIn the village by the theatre, and the walls are covered in signed photographs of the actors.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The theatre
Fourteen thousand seats on fifty-eight tiers, where a coin on the orchestra floor is heard in the top row.
The Asklepieion
The healing sanctuary below the theatre, where treatment was prescribed from patients' dreams.
The sunken city
A Roman town two to three metres down in the bay at Palaia Epidavros, marked and shallow enough to snorkel.
The small theatre
Found under a vineyard in 1971, cleared, and used for concerts.
The fleet
Yachts available for Epidavros
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Epidavros
- Are the acoustics really that good?
- A coin dropped on the orchestra floor is heard in the top row. The current explanation is that the limestone seating filters low-frequency background noise while reflecting the higher frequencies of a voice.
- What is the sunken city?
- A Roman settlement in the bay at Palaia Epidavros, lying two to three metres down after an earthquake. Walls, floors and storage jars are visible with a mask, and the site is marked.
- What does a yacht charter to Epidavros cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
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Enquire about a charter at Epidavros
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.