The place of Kranidi has been inhabited for thousands of years. Very close to town is located the
Phrancthi Cave that was the dwelling of prehistoric man. During the Homeric era, in this place there were two cities, Hermion (in place of modern
Ermioni) and Masis (in place of the modern village of Koilada). In the classical era, a few kilometres south, the city of
Halieis was built, in place of modern
Porto Heli. Kranidi is first mentioned in the 16th century after the Turkish name Kato Nahagie, which means low province. Kranidi was one of the centers of the Greek uprising of 1777. After the failure of the rebellion, however, many locals abandoned the area in order to avoid persecution by the Muslim Ottomans. Many of them sought refuge away from the Peloponnese, in Europe and Russia. Many also migrated to Cyprus. The modern name derives either from ancient the Greek name Kranaos or from the name of the nearby islet of Koronida. This name was corrupted to
Kranida and later
Kranidi. The residents of Kranidi took part in the
Greek War of Independence. One local guerrilla was the priest
Arsenios Krestas. In 1823, before the outbreak of the first
Greek Civil War, Kranidi became the seat of the legislature part of Greek government. After independence, Kranidi was appointed the seat of
Ermionida province. Today, Kranidi is a flourishing small town with a rich nautical tradition and developed tourism services. In Kranidi and the surrounding villages,
Arvanitika was spoken, with heavy Greek influence. The language has largely been abandoned, with today only elders speaking it, whereas young people only understand it. ==Historical population==