Volanakis depicts everyday snapshots of a day in a wind-sheltered harbour. His descriptive prowess creates an eloquent landscape of absolute quiet, enriched with narrative details and vivid scenes.
On the left, in the foreground, a boat and two fishing sailing vessels are depicted anchored in front of the corner stone wharf. On the decks of the fishing boats, two fishermen are sitting and talking to each other. Another man is fishing at the edge of the wharf, gazing out to sea. The land on the imaginary continuation of the wharf is full of rows of trees between two and one-storey houses, while a long hill mass lays behind it. A steamship and a two-masted sailboat can be seen moored on the seashore in the distance. On the right, on the coast, are a stone bridge, some scattered two-storey buildings, trees, and in the back mountains, while sailboats and a steamship can be seen.
The main scene of travellers disembarking on a large three-masted ship anchored offshore is taking place in the centre of the painting. The passengers are approaching in boats and the women can be distinguished by their parasols, the men by their hats and the sailors by their fezzes.