When nobody knows a place, unfortunately, it’s a blessing and a curse. Don’t meet anyone from your country and discover many secret places. This was Thassos, that small island over Greece.
Last summer, I decided to go through a place which noone of my friends had ever heard about. So, taking that flight, in august, meant a little starting an adventure.
Thassos is the most northerly island of the Aegean Sea located 8 km across the coast of East Macedonia. The whole island is 22,5 km wide (west to east) and 27 km long (north to south). Its perimeter reaches 93 km.
Thassos’ rich Mediterranean vegetation, highly dominated by olive and pine trees, as well as numerous streams and creeks offers what other islands lack: both water and vegetation!
Not long ago, all the mountain slopes were covered with forests (almost 9/10 of Thassos’ land) and this is the reason why it’s known as “the floating forest”.
The climate is typical Mediterranean; the summer is warm, however the cool winds coming down from north and the fresh sea waters are overwhelming for both residents and tourists. Winter’s usually mild with some light snow falls.
The first sight you should see, when you land there, is Limenas.
Limenas is the administrative and commercial centre of Thassos. Here you can find lodging, restaurants, ntartainment and recreation for all tastes and pocket sizes. In addiction, Limenas market can cover everything you’ll need. From here, you can reach all the majestic beaches in a short distance, all over the island.
For the ones who love history, Thassos also offers an Archeological Museum next to the entrance of the Agora. Even in the front garden visitors can admire various statues. A lot of antiquated subjects were stolen during the Ottoman occupation and were scattered around the world. In the museum, you can admire subjects dated between the 7th century B.C. up and the 7th century A.C. Furthermore, you can find pots, vessels, architecture drawings and old coins in the structure. Aphrodite, Dyonissos, Adrian, Nemeses; they’re all there, waiting for your eyes to shimmer.
Every monday, then, there is the market of Prinos, on the west coast of the island. This market’s an experience you shouldn’t miss. You can see the barkers in action, mostly at the fruit and vegetables stalls. Is it not that huge but is big enough to leave you impressed; an experience you won’t forget, sure.
Have you ever imagined paradise? Well, here you can take it in your hand. Aliki lies on a beautiful peninsula with a few houses, where the inhabitants stay among the olive picking. Aliki is one of the most picturesque areas of Thassos. Besides marble constructions and monuments that are spread all around the site, you can also find salt mines in the edge of the peninsula. It’s a very busy touristic area, where you can find a lot of cafes and taverns where tourists enjoy their holidays. The crystal clear, deep blue sea covers that swimming sea sorrounded by pine and olive trees and ancient monuments.
More than everything, you should enjoy Thassos’ sandy beaches. Have a jump on Tripiti, Metalia, Pefkari, and above all, Psili Ammos and Paradise beach.
Psili Ammos is a fine-sandy beach located in the place with the same name, between Potos and Astris. Here, several parties take place during the whole season during which you’ll sure enjoy the amazing chill out music played by the Djs who let people lying on the beach be happy.
Paradise beach, instead, is located between Aliki and Kinira. It combines the crystal turqouise water, the golden clean sand and the deep green environment. It’s definitely a small paradise and its name is not by chance! Its long and wide beach offers shallow waters and beach games such as racket ball, volleyball, frisbee.
Last but not the least, you can’t miss Giola (in the picture). It’s just 4 kilometres away from Astris. It is a natural swimming pool very close to the seaside. Getting down from the natural rocky steps you can enjoy the freshness of its waters. This pool is also called Afrodite’s tear and according to the legends, Zeus created it for her to swim in it. According to another legend, the pool is the eye of Zeus with which he oversaw his mistress.