THE MOST INTERESTING PLACES TO VISIT ON THASSOS, GREECE
Thassos was our option to visit Greece for the first time. We had a wonderful time there and it was one of the most relaxing holidays I have ever had. The prices are for all budgets, the scenery is beautiful and the food is delicious. This island can be a great option if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a vacation but to still enjoy a great destination.
Located in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, the island of Thassos is one of the most accessible islands in Greece, both for Romanians, who represent the largest percentage of tourists, as well as for Bulgarians and Turks, who choose to spend their vacation on the Emerald Island . The most important part of the island's economy is represented by tourism, and a much smaller percentage is represented by the cultivation of olives, walnuts and honey production.
PLACES TO VISIT IN THASSOS
The island, although quite small, has a lot to offer from a tourist point of view. We didn't manage to see everything we initially set out to do, we gave up on some of the sights that we wanted to see from our list, because we decided to enjoy the beach and snorkeling as well, the water being absolutely wonderful.
The village of Panagia is very small, but it is considered the oldest village on the island. In about 20 minutes you visit everything. It is a single street with houses built in Greek style, one of them being decorated in the style of the islands in the south of the country, with white walls and blue woodwork. In the center of the town, there are several terraces where locals gather, but also some tourists.
In this village you can visit the museum of olive oil production, which is not big, but the entrance is free. This so-called museum is used to bring buyers, for the store with products based on olives.
Marble Beach is the most famous beach on the island and is not to be missed if you arrive in Thassos. The fine sand, which we normally find on other beaches, here is replaced by absolutely gorgeous marble pebbles.
There are two such marble beaches, close in distance as each other, so you can choose on the spot the one that will delight you the most.
You also have to arm yourself with patience to make your way to the beach, which is unpaved.
La Scala Beach is a beach with hammocks, sunbeds and even a mini-pool. The sunbed is free, but you need to spend there a certain amount of money, which may vary depending on the period you go.
Here are served both snacks, alcoholic and soft drinks, but also .... music. So, if you want to have peace of mind and hear the waves of the sea, then this beach is not the best option.
The monastery of St. Archangel Michael is Christian-Orthodox and worth visiting even if you are not a religious person, at least for the absolutely beautiful view. The view of the Aegean Sea is one of the most spectacular in Thassos. To enter the premises, you must have a certain outfit that they consider decent, otherwise they will offer you various items to wear to make the visit.
I found the interior of the church quite interesting and somewhat different from what I knew in such places. It is a nunnery and according to legend, it was built near a spring made by the Archangel Michael.
Skala Marion is a nice village, where we chose to take a short walk and have a frappe on one of the terraces. As in the case of Panagia village, this place is small and in a maximum of one hour you can visit all of it. It also has a small beach, but it wasn't our favourite, so we choose the exploration part :)
Aliki beach, which was our favorite for snorkeling, but also for the absolutely beautiful landscape.
If you love snorkeling, this is the ideal place and from what I have experienced, it is the best snorkeling beach on the island. There are no currents to produce waves, the beach being in a bay, with high mountains surrounding it. The water is crystal clear and animated by all kinds of fish.
If you get bored, there is also a path that connects two beaches, where you can take a short walk and admire the landscape. Also on this path is an archaeological site with a former marble quarry.
The parking is free up on the street. If you arrive early morning you can still find a place, if not there is the option to park down, on the private parking of the restaurants. They offer free parking and sunbeds if you choose to eat at them. Normally they charge you first and when you dine they cut the price of the final bill. From experience, I ate at two of the taverns there and unfortunately, the food did not delight me (it's just a subjective opinion).
Aliki beach also has a less crowded "sister". So, if you can't find free places on the main beach, the secondary beach is a bit wilder and can be an option. There are also sunbeds with umbrellas for rent and you can go snorkelling. Although the water is not as crystal clear as the one on the more popular beach, it was much more interesting from the point of view of marine fauna. Here I could even admire some corals.
Pefkari Beach;
Pefkari beach is a spacious beach, with sand mixed with pebbles. It has both the area of sunbeds with umbrellas, as well as wilder areas. Although it is the owner of the blue flag, a certification offered to some beaches in the world that tick certain criteria related to the environment and the services offered, this beach was not even on the long list of my favourites.
If you consider going to the beach here, especially if you have children, you should know that entering the water is not the safest, as there are very slippery areas and stones where you can get hurt very easily. We spent very little time there because of this impediment. There are many other beaches on the island much more beautiful than this one (purely subjective opinion, obviously).
Skala Potamia;
It is the place where we had accommodation and where we chose to have dinner every night. Most of the terraces here have very good food and in the evening it becomes a bit more animated, breaking the atmosphere of the rural life of the island. The beach is not the most beautiful, with many bumps and very beaten sand, but nearby is Golden Beach, which is one of the largest on the island, being much more interesting and neater. Unfortunately, the water was a bit dirty there too, but the beach has fine sand.
These were the places I visited on the Island of Thassos.
Other places to visit and beaches on the island of Thassos:
- Paradise Beach, considered one of the most beautiful beaches of the island, which was closed during our stay due to wildfires; - Mountain hike to Ipsarion Mountain; - Giola Natural Pool; - Psili Ammos Beach; - Thassos Archaeological Museum; - The Ancient Theater; - Elia Beach; - Limenas Beach; - Tripiti Beach; - Diving, reservations here; - Safari with a 4x4 car, reservations here; - Island tour, tickets here;
HOW TO GET TO THASSOS:
By plane; The closest airport is Kavala International Airport, the island itself doesn't have its own airport. The airport is 15 minutes away by car from the Keramoti harbour from where you can take the ferry to arrive on the island. From the airport to the harbour you can either rent a car or take a taxi. If you don't drive, there are taxi and bus options on the island for transportation and if you want to explore more, you can book day trips by bus or by boat (I left some links at the end of the article).
Driving to Thassos can be an option as well. In Greece, the crossing from the mainland to the island is done by ferry, from the Greek town of Keramoti. Tickets can be purchased directly from the port while waiting for boarding, which if you're lucky, will be quick and without waiting in line.
WHERE TO STAY IN THASSOS
When choosing the accommodation, have a research on the most beautiful beaches on the island, based on your own preferences on the type of beach you prefer ( sandy, rocky, ideal for snorkelling, etc) and choose the nearest location to book the hotel or Airbnb stay. My personal favorites were Aliki beach for snorkelling and Marble Beach for the scenery. To be honest I didn't know what to expect so I choose the accomodation in a bigger town. I booked the accommodation through booking.com, at Castle Pontos, from Scala Potamias and I chose the version with breakfast included. Overall it was a good choice. The room was air conditioned and clean. Breakfast was the same every day, pretty good, but I would have preferred it to be a little more varied.
I also recommend you to book your hotel with a few months in advance, the cheap and good ones sold out very quickly. We booked ours in May-June for August and we didn't have too many choises left, so I would reccommend to book around March or even earlier if your holiday is set in July or August.
Some accommodation options on Booking:
- Nikoleta Luxury Villa - is a superbly appointed villa with an outdoor pool that has both single and family rooms. It is located near the town of Thasos.
- Hotel Sirines - is an apartment-type accommodation unit, with spacious rooms, equipped with own kitchenette. It is located in Potos.
- Hatzoudis Luxury Suites - apartment accommodation, with private kitchenette, garden, terrace and barbecue place. It is located in Chrisi Ammoudia.
- Astir Notos - accommodation unit with rooms for families. Parking and internet are included in the accommodation price. It is located in Potos.
- Hotel Karagiannis - accommodation unit rated at two stars, located in Limenaria. Parking and internet are included in the reservation price;
-Studios Maria - apartment accommodation unit, with private kitchenette. Parking and internet are included in the reservation price;
As places to eat, I chose the taverns in Skala Potamias, most of them had very good food, and the waiters were very friendly. I also tried the taverns at Aliki beach, but they did not convince me, neither I nor my family liked the food.
As souvenirs, we chose to buy, besides the classic magnets, honey and olive products (oil, soap, creams, etc.), these being the traditional products made on the island.
CONCLUSION ABOUT THE ISLAND OF THASSOS
In conclusion, Thassos was a pleasant surprise, especially the water, so warm, crystal clear and perfect for snorkelling. It is not called the Emerald Isle for nothing. Unlike many of the Greek islands, it is a bit cheaper and very rural. Sometimes you have the feeling that you are in a place forgotten by the world, especially on the roads to the beaches, which are not paved. I will definitely come back to Thassos, I have a lot of places left to visit and the prices are quite affordable.
Any questions related to this location can be left in the comments.
Read about other gorgeous islands in Europe that are worth visiting: Tenerife Island and Capri Island.
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