Selianitika is a Greek

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 coastal village located in northern Peloponnese

Peloponnese

The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...

 187 km west of Athens and nearly 30 km east of Patras

Patras

Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...

. Selianitika and its adjacent village Longos share a beautiful beach which is approximately 1.5 km long. Both villages are among the most popular destinations of Achaia during the summer months. The village had a population of 1,147 in 2001 and it is in the municipal unit of Sympoliteia

Sympoliteia

Sympoliteia is a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 7,840 . The seat of the municipality was in Rododafni. Sympoliteia was one of several ancient terms...

.

Geography and climate

The village lies on the Gulf of Corinth

Gulf of Corinth

The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece...

 in a nice setting surrounded by olive trees, citrus (orange and lemon) trees and vineyards. The closest city is Egion 7 km east of Selianitika while the city of Patras (third largest city of Greece and administrative center of Achaea) is only 30–35 km far. The main village is built on an elevated land area about 30m of the sea level. It has a large beach of fine gravel (typical beach of Gulf of Corinth) which is shared with the adjacent village, Longos and it is famous for its clean and blue water. Its panorama includes the mountains to the south Klokos, the Panachaiko

Panachaiko

The Panachaikon or Panachaiko , also known as Vodias in medieval times and until the early 20th century, is a mountain range that spans about 20 km in length from north to south , and 15 to 20 km from east to west...

 to the southwest and the mountains of Phokida to the north, past the Gulf of Corinth.
The climatic conditions of the region are very nice , Mediterranean like with mild winters and not excessively hot summers.

Population

Year	Population
1981	814
1991	997
2001	1,147

History

The name Selianitika has a direct relationship with the name of the village of Seliana

Seliana

Seliana also known as Phelloe is a Greek village located in north Peloponnese and more specifically in the east part of the prefecture of Achaea...

-Phelloe. According to A. Fotopoulos the descent of inhabitants of Seliana from the mountains to the coastal region of "Kryovrysi" near Aigion (where the village of Selianitika lies today) started to happen during the ottoman period. Initially the residents of Seliana were spending the winter in Selianitika and the summer in their metropolitan village of Seliana

Seliana

Seliana also known as Phelloe is a Greek village located in north Peloponnese and more specifically in the east part of the prefecture of Achaea...

 but later they settled permanently. The residents of Seliana carried with them the parish of Saint Basil (the oldest of Seliana's churches) and today Saint Basil

Basil of Caesarea

Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great, was the bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia, Asia Minor . He was an influential 4th century Christian theologian...

 is the patron saint of the village of Selianitika.

Transportation

Apart from the old national road GR-8

Greek National Road 8

The National Road 8 in Greece is a single carriageway with at-grade intersections in the Attica and Peloponnese regions. It links the cities of Patras, Corinth and Athens. Until the 1960s when the National Road 8A, a toll road, replaced it as a major route, it was the only road linking Athens and...

 that connects the village with Aigio

Aigio

Aigio is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Aigialeia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Its population is around 30,000. Aigio is surrounded by trees in the north and cliffs in the...

, Patras

Patras

Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...

 and the neighboring villages, Selianitika is also linked with the so called in Greece "New National Road" (GR-8A

Greek National Road 8A

Greek National Road 8A is a toll road running from Kifissou avenue, in Athens up to the northeast of Patras. It is a highway from Kifissou avenue up to Corinth, for about 85 km and the rest is an undivided highway with just one lane per direction. The total length is 215 km, but for the...

, Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 - Corinth - Patras).
In the new highway Elefsina-Corinth-Patras-Pyrgos-Tsakona (upgrade of GR-8A to motorway standards) Selianitika/Longos will have its own interchange.
(The construction is expected to begin in 2009)

Tourism

Selianitika has also mineral springs

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

  and a very small balneological bath spa.These sulphurous baths are ideal for diseases like arthritis and rheumatisms.

External links

• Cultural association of Selianitika "Helios" (In Greek)
• Selianitika on GTP Travel Pages
• Official website of the municipality of Sympoliteia (in Greek)

Sources

• Αθ. Φωτόπουλος , "Ιστορικά και Λαογραφικά της Ανατολικής Αιγιάλειας και Καλαβρύτων" , Αθήνα 1982 (In Greek)
• K. Baedeker , "Griechenland - Handbuch fuer Reisende" , Leipzig , 1893 (In German)