Heraion of Perachora, Ancient Greek sanctuary near Limni Vouliagmenis, Greece

The Heraion of Perachora is an ancient sanctuary on a rocky peninsula near Loutraki, on the northern coast of the Peloponnese. The site includes temple remains, an L-shaped portico, communal dining halls, and a large cistern, all set close to the sea.

The earliest structure was an apsidal building of perhaps the late 9th century BCE. In the 6th century BCE a Doric tetrastyle-prostyle temple of Hera Akraia was built, its cella divided into three aisles. Cult activity continued until 146 BCE, when the Roman general Mummius sacked Corinth; afterwards domestic structures, including a Roman villa, were built on the site.

The sanctuary was dedicated to Hera, and the votive objects left by worshippers tell a lot about who visited: clay figurines, bronze items, and jewelry show that ordinary people came here alongside wealthier pilgrims. These offerings are now studied closely because they reveal the range of people who made the journey to this remote peninsula.

The site sits at the tip of a long peninsula and can be reached by a winding road or on foot along the coast, so allow extra time for the journey. Sturdy shoes and enough water are a good idea, as the path offers little shade and the ground can be uneven.

The sanctuary's marble temple roof was later fed into a limekiln built into the temple's south side, about 4.5 metres across, to make lime for the Hexamilion wall across the Isthmus of Corinth in the 5th century AD. Scorch marks still stain the stones around the circular burnt area.