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Spetses, a mixture of sea and forest
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Spetses, a mixture of sea and forest

Spetses, a mixture of sea and forest

Whilst staying in Hydra we decided to visit Spetses for the day since it’s very near. We got the flying dolphin from Hydra which is about 40 minutes. I’ve known this island since I was in school, from history lessons, that Spetses is famous for its contribution to the 1821 war of independence. Once you reach the Spetses harbor you’ll see Dapia (new harbor) which is the tourist and commercial centre and old harbor. The trademarks of the town are not far away from there. You’ll almost see everywhere near the harbor the horse-drawn carriages which are the island’s emblematic means of transport. We got a motorbike (25 EUR for the day) in order to explore the island which is 25km. We started our journey from the old port towards Agia Marina and followed the white line (as illustrated on the map). We got off at Agioi Anargiroi which is one of the largest beaches on the southwest of the island. The Bekiris cave is located near the beach. This dark cave used to be a safe place for pirates to hide. There’s a story which says that the cave was named after a man with the name Bekiris betrayed the people who were hiding there during 1770 when the Turks were plundering the island. We then moved on towards Agia Paraskevi. We didn’t get off here but we only viewed the amazing and breathtaking sea views. On our way to Vrellos beach we could only see a mixture of the sea and forest pine trees. This was our next stop. A beautify sandy beach on the west part of the island surrounded by pine trees. Then we passed through Zoodohos Pigi and moved on to Kaiki Beach Bar restaurant for lunch. This place is one of the most popular beaches in Spetses. Then we got the motorbike and went towards the lighthouse. Spetses is famous for its little almond cakes with sprinkled icing sugar (called Amygdalota) and there are available near the old port. We tried them as Politis and they were delicious (even though I don’t like these in [...]

Dora Christofi2018-02-23T09:14:27+03:00September 15th, 2014|

Hydra the relaxing island with no cars
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Hydra the relaxing island with no cars

Hydra the relaxing island with no cars

After spending 2 days in Poros the next island to continue our holidays was Hydra. From Poros we got the flying dolphin and Hydra was about an hour away. The first thing you’ll see when you get off the ferry is the harbor which is centered and all around there are restaurants, shops and markets. The small streets are made of steep stones. In Hydra you won’t see any cars, buses, or motorbikes – instead, you’ll see a lot of donkeys. The only vehicle we've seen on the island was a rubbish truck. Donkeys and water taxis are the only public transportation in Hydra for tourists and locals. We booked our stay at Pension Erofili which is located 2 minutes from the port and stayed in the studio which had a kitchen and an independent veranda. Although we didn't pay extra to have breakfast there, it looked nice and on the last day the owners offered us coffee and breakfast. Spilia Beach Bar is located under the cannon on the west side of the port and it’s the only swimming spot you can access by foot near the harbour. It serves food and drinks all day and during the night there’s music. We went there before sunset and had a few beers until dawn. There’s an excellent view of the harbour and you’ll see the ferries, cruise ships, water taxis, and boats coming to the island. Although the drinks were a bit expensive it’s worth going there just for the relaxing view. During daylight people enjoy the rocky beach beneath (Hydronetta) where most people jump from the rocks in the clear crystal waters. Mandraki Bay – Miramare is a beach that you can easily reach by water taxi or by boat. At the Mandraki Bay, there’s a hotel known as Miramare that you could see as you approach with the boat. We got our sunbeds (which were free) and we looked to see if there was a bar nearby or something but the place looked ‘dead’. There was a kid there cleaning the tables and bringing some refreshments and [...]

Dora Christofi2023-07-13T12:15:15+03:00August 22nd, 2014|

Poros a lovely hideaway in the Saronic Gulf
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Poros a lovely hideaway in the Saronic Gulf

Poros a lovely hideaway in the Saronic Gulf

Poros is a small Greek island in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, about 58 km south from Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200 m wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait. Before deciding to visit Poros I had no idea about this island. I knew other islands in the Saronic Gulf e.g. Aegina, Spetses, Hydra but not Poros. After making a short research about the island it looked like a nice and quiet island and decided to book there a few days. We got the plane from Cyprus to Athens and then the metro to Pireaus. We reached Poros taking the Flying Cat 5 ferry from Piraeus within about less than an hour. It was mid of August when we travelled to Poros therefore it’s highly recommended that you pre-book your ferry tickets in advance since there are a lot of people travelling between islands within this period of summer. The island is located about 58km from Piraeus. We rented a motorbike so we could travel through the island since its hilly and mountainous and walking during summer would have been very tiring. Sleep We stayed at Poros Apartments which are located 2km away from the port. You can walk there or take a taxi, however I would recommend if you are in Poros for holidays to rent a motorbike. The place is easily accessible. The room and bathroom were both clean. There's a kitchen were you can prepare your meals and a fridge to store food. Wifi is free and reliable. Eat & Drink Dimitris Place is a pleasant place where you can have lunch and dinner with a nice view of the port. The place is near Agios Georgios square/church; however you have to walk up there or take a motorbike or a car. It's certainly worth the visit. We ordered the 'Stavlisia mprizola', medium to raw, which is 1kg and we hardly managed to eat it (I would recommend this for 3 people).The cooking was just right and it was delicious. If you have a [...]

Dora Christofi2016-10-22T12:07:48+03:00August 21st, 2014|