View of Alefkandra (Little Venice)

The buildings of Little Venice lean directly over the Aegean, their wooden balconies hanging so far out that waves occasionally crash against the foundations. These houses were built in the mid-eighteenth century by wealthy merchants and sea captains who required direct access to the water for their ships. One merchant supposedly connected his house to the sea with a secret door, allowing his crew to unload smuggled goods under the cover of darkness while the authorities remained occupied on the main harbor side.