Thassos - an island surrounded by greenery in the northern part Aegean Sea. It is located in close proximity to the coast of Kavala, where the Nestos River flows into the sea.

Thassos. Photo from the site - kavalathassos.blogspot.com

Thassos is a mountainous island with an abundance of beaches. The sandy strip stretches for many kilometers along the sea, changing color from emerald green to azure blue. Plane, spruce, oak and pine forests often descend directly to the shore, generously bestowing their coolness. Therefore, Thassos is called the "emerald island", "green diamond", etc.

In addition to natural beauties, there are many interesting things here. Local residents carefully preserve not only their traditions and customs, but also monuments of past eras. The walls of the ancient fortress, the temple of Apollo, the ancient theater, the acropolis and ritual buildings dedicated to the god Dionysus are open to the public.

The island has a well-developed leisure industry. Hotels, apartments and campsites are scattered throughout Thassos. The proximity of the coast of Kavala with its port and airport increase the opportunity to make excursions to any other corner of Greece.

Geography

The island of Thassos is located off the coast of the region of Eastern Macedonia. The length of the coast reaches 115 km, the area of ​​the island is 378.8 km². To get to the island, you need to travel six nautical miles from the port of Keramoti by ferry or 18 miles from Kavala by hydrofoil.

The mountain slopes of the island are covered with Mediterranean vegetation. Both wild and cultivated olives, pines, spruces, plane trees, cedars, dogwoods and figs grow on the island. The most high peak on Thassos - Ipsarion (1203 m.). There are deposits of marble, gold, iron and other metals.

Climate

Thassos is known for its comfortable climate. The type of climate is Mediterranean: warm, not very hot summers and mild winters, which were so liked by the great "father of medicine" Hippocrates, who lived here for 3 years. In his book Epidemics, he writes: “Winter is more like spring here.” The average annual temperature is + 17.2 ° C, the average daily temperature in July is + 24.3 ° C. Because of the rarity of the winds, the sailors called Thassos “Arnonisos”, which means “lamb island” in Greek.

Population and tourism

The island has a population of 13,720 (as of 2011). The population is mainly employed in tourism. Also an important role in the economy of Thassos is played by the extraction of marble, timber and fishing, as well as beekeeping, animal husbandry, olive processing and winemaking. But whatever they do locals, they always try to achieve high quality products and services.

Mythology and history

According to Herodotus, the island was named after Thassos, son of the Phoenician king Agenor. He came here in search of his sister Europa, kidnapped by Zeus. In the 16-15 centuries. BC e. The mines of Thassos belonged to the Phoenicians.

In the 7th century BC e. the island is colonized by immigrants from the island of Paros, led by King Telesicles, the father of the ancient Greek poet Archilochus. Over time, a powerful state was created, which, because of its wealth and greatness, was called "Northern Athens." Rich mines, a well-equipped port and a dominant position in the region became a tasty morsel for various conquerors. In the 5th c. BC e.

Thassos becomes a "bone of contention" between Athens, Sparta and Persia. At that time, about 150 thousand inhabitants lived on the island. Theater, sculpture and architecture developed. It was then that one of the most famous athletes of antiquity lived on the island - the fist fighter Thiagen. This is the first two-time Olympic champion, winning in 2102 fights.

In 340 BC. e. Thassos submits to the Macedonian king Philip II. In the 2nd century BC e. the island becomes part of the possessions of the Romans. For this region, the Roman period gently transitions into the Byzantine.

Since 1353, Thassos has been the property of the Genoese Francesco Gtiluchi, whose family retained influence over the island until the arrival of the Turks in 1455. The Turks, in turn, rule here until 1813. It was then that these lands were transferred to the possession of Muhammad Ali of Egypt. In 1912, Thassos was liberated.

Traditions and customs

The inhabitants of Thassos are distinguished by their simplicity and kind attitude towards guests. These hospitable and open merry fellows are deeply religious people. With special trepidation, local residents treat religious holidays. But the pagan past also affects. For example, after Easter holiday everyone gathers for a common prayer service. The main purpose is to bring rain to the vineyards. The celebration of the spring carnival with round dances, jokes, practical jokes and copious libations also belongs to the deep past.

Attractions

There are no big cities on the island, but this is far from a minus. The most significant settlements on Thassos are the city Thassos(Limenas), callirahi, Limenaria, Theologos, Panagia Potamia and bringing.

Thassos- the capital of the island, has about 3 thousand inhabitants. The locals call their capital Limenas. Thassos (Limenas) is located in a bay between two capes. This administrative and economic center of the island is surrounded by greenery. At the same time, it is the most active tourist centre islands. It has everything that vacationers need. These are sandy beaches, modern hotels, ancient monuments, taverns and bars. The city of Thassos (Limenas) is also convenient in terms of movement. Passenger and cargo ships depart daily from the pier to Keramoti (10 km) and Kavala (25 km).

Callirahi. The settlement reminds us of the times when pirates raged in these waters. In 1750, fishermen from the village of Kakirahi hide in the mountains and build a new settlement 2 km from the coast. Kallirachi are surrounded on all sides by hills with olive groves. The settlement has its own marina - Kallirahis Rock. No on the coast large hotels, and the atmosphere of peace and tranquility reigns throughout the district. The houses here are built in the traditional island style. Callirachi is also known as a center for the production of high quality olive oil.

Limenaria. The second largest settlement of Thassos has 2.5 thousand inhabitants. Located in the very south of the island, in a convenient bay. In the 80s and 90s. the tourism industry is developing in the Limenaria region. Hotels, apartments and taverns were built here. In the center of the village there is a pedestrian zone for the convenience of vacationers.

Theologos. A mountain settlement located 10 km from the coast, but this does not make it uninteresting. The abundance of springs, dense forests and solitude became the reason why the monks from Athos settle down here. Until the middle of the 19th century. Theologos was the capital of the island. This lively settlement is very suitable for getting to know the life and traditions of the locals. Even the architecture here has not changed at all. Taverns and coffee houses preserved

Beaches

Around the perimeter of the island there are spacious beaches and cozy bays surrounded by pine forests and olive groves. Thassos (Limenas).

The capital of the island is surrounded on all sides by beaches. The most comfortable and well-equipped are Limanaki, Makriammos and Glykadi. Large and small hotels, car and motorcycle rental offices, taverns and bars - a well-developed infrastructure provides comfortable conditions for the rest of the island's guests.

Chrissy Ammoudia(Golden sand). Wonderful beach 3 km long. It connects two villages:

Rocks of Panagias and Rocks of Potamias. This is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Awarded several years in a row blue flag EU for cleanliness and good organization of recreation. Here you can enjoy water sports, play beach volleyball or dine local cuisine in one of the taverns. For those who wish, there is camping, apartments and small hotels.

Prinu rock. An exceptional tourist village. There is a small port from where you can get to Kavala. Most best beach in this part of the island Dasillio. The length of the beach is about 2.5 km. It is ideal for romantics. The sandy shore, bright sunset and silence will be a good help for a comfortable stay. In addition to everything, several modern hotels have been built here. There is also the possibility of camping.

Limenaria beach. These are actually three beaches, passing one into another: tripiti, Limenaria and metalia. The most famous and well-equipped of them is Tripiti. It is a sandy beach with a corresponding entrance and the cleanest sea. There are plenty of hotels, taverns and cafes on the coast. The presence in the immediate vicinity of the large village of Limenaria contributes to the convenience of recreation.

Potos beach. As often happens in Thassos, here we are dealing with an extended coastline from three beaches. These are the famous Pefkari awarded with the EU Blue Flag, Potos and Agios Antonios. This is the most rapidly developing tourist center of the island. Potos is known as a holiday destination for young people. Large and small hotels, spacious sand

Entertainment

Thassos is a modern resort with a well-developed recreation infrastructure. The island successfully combines the sea and mountains, so lovers active recreation and you won't get bored here. Who prefers the sea can do water sports or fishing, both conventional and underwater.

mountain lovers can walk along forest paths, listen to birds and visit mountain villages. You can hunt and do things in Thassos climbing. A network of modern roads has been laid throughout the island.

You can ride a bike, scooter or car, swim in one of the many secluded bays. The development of tourism has led to the fact that the island has all kinds of entertainment inherent in big cities. Taverns, nightclubs, bars and discos keep their doors wide open until the last customer.

For lovers of history, Thassos is attractive with ancient monuments, monasteries and temples.

shopping

Leaving Thassos, you always want to take a souvenir with you, which will remind you of a wonderfully spent vacation.

weaving art it has been practiced on the island for hundreds of years, and the technology has not changed a bit. The beauty of the drawing, wonderful plots, vibrant colors and high quality- A good gift for friends and family. One of the favorite souvenirs is local ceramics.

In the capital of the island there are workshops that are over a hundred years old. Apiaries are found everywhere on Thassos. local honey very fragrant and tasty. And, of course, olive oil and olives. Take more - you won't regret it.

Transport and movement

Maritime communication. The island can only be reached by sea, from the ports of Thassos and Prinos there are ferries and hydrofoils to the ports of Keramoti and Kavala.

Air communication. The nearest airport to Thassos is Alexandros Megas, located next to Kavala and Keramoti. Buses.

bus service on the island is quite active and provides everything without exception settlements islands. The maximum fare does not exceed 3.5 euros. Tickets can be purchased at newsstands or on the bus from the driver.

Taxi. Taxi in Thassos is very popular view transport. This fast and convenient way movement is very relevant on small islands. If there is no taxi stand nearby, then you can ask the employees of a nearby tavern or shop, they will call a car for you. Taxis in Thassos are white. The minimum fare is 3 euros. The tariff can be tracked by the meter.

Cuisine and food

The cuisine in Thassos is diverse.

Coastal taverns always provide a wide selection of fish and seafood dishes. The fish is usually grilled over charcoal. Seafood often baked in sauces or in batter.

If you go to the mountains, to the settlement of Theologos, you can try local traditional dishes. First, papalopita is served on the table - a zucchini pie with cheese and rice.

Main course in local taverns - goat meat roasted on charcoal. Must try dried olives trumbes. All dishes here are prepared with local olive oil. Drink everything you eat with local wine, which was the key to the prosperity of the island's economy in antiquity.

For dessert - honey and sweets baked on honey, or halva. A topic for a separate conversation - walnut jam. The nuts are harvested unripe and soaked to lose their characteristic bitterness. After that, the nuts are boiled in honey and cloves are added.

The island of Thassos is located in the northeast of Greece. This is a small island that can be traveled around in a day, with a permanent population of 16,000 people.

Thassos is a calm and harmonious holiday atmosphere on the Thracian Sea in the country of Hellas. The area of ​​the island of Thassos is more than 450 square meters. km (north-south direction about 24 km, west-east 21 km), and the coast stretches for 115 km. Forests cover 90% of the island.

Thassos is the northernmost of the Greek islands. This small island is all covered with greenery: the valleys and the coast are completely full of olive plantations, and on the mountainous and rocky surface in the center of the island there are plane trees and chestnut groves, as well as oak forests interspersed with low pines, firs and cedars.

The island of Thassos is called the "marble island", because white marble rocks protrude everywhere here!

The island of Thassos will appeal to those travelers who love to study antiquities, amazingly beautiful nature and listen to silence. There are few on the island of Thassos Russian tourists, probably due to the remoteness of the island from the airport, but if you come for a relaxing beach holiday on the sea, you will fall in love with it forever! The island of Thassos is less hot during the summer months than the rest of the islands of Greece (the air temperature usually does not rise above 28C-30C).

The capital of the island of Thassos is the city of Limenas.

The capital of the island is the city of Limenas. (ancient name Thassos). This is the main port of the island, where crowds of tourists from the mainland of Eastern Macedonia come by ferry. The island is separated from the mainland of Greece near the city of Kavala by only 12 miles and the Strait of Thassos. From the port of Kavala to the island of Thassos is only 25 minutes by boat. Kavala has its own airport, but direct charters from Russia do not fly there.

All the main attractions of the island of Thassos are concentrated within the capital Limenas and its environs.

Attractions of Limenas resort:

• Ruins of the acropolis, temple of Apollo;
• Church of St. Nicholas and Vatopedi Monastery in the old town;
• Fragments of the temples of Pan and Athena;
• The ancient sanctuary of Hercules in the area of ​​the old port;
• Archaeological Museum;
• The Orthodox Convent of Michael the Archangel, which keeps a piece of the nail with which the Savior was crucified;
• Temple of Dionysus;
• The cave (sanctuary) of the ancient deity Paga is evidence of pagan times;
• Ancient theater, Roman baths, part of the stadium, ancient quarries;
• Round ancient Roman temple of Palemon;
• Ruins and surviving mosaic floors of the Temple of Poseidon.

The beaches of Thassos.

Thassos- This beach holiday on the Aegean from the end of May to the middle of September. More than 200 comfortable hotels are at the service of tourists. The peak season on the island of Thassos is July-August.

The beaches of Thassos are sandy and small-pebble.

The best resorts in Thassos: Panagia, Potamia, Potos, Felogos, Kastro, Sotiras, Prinos, Maries, Greater and Lesser Kazaviti.

The best beaches of Thassos:

• The gently sloping sandy "Golden Beach" is a great place for family vacation with children (12 km from the capital);
• Resort coast near the capital Limenas (Grifada, Limenaki, Pachis, Makriammos);
• The resort area of ​​Limenaria is known for its small-pebbled 800-meter beach Tripiti with a wide strip of coast near the sea and the beach in Skala Marion Bay (13 km north of Limenaria);
• The resort area of ​​Potamya is famous for its white-sand beach Potamyas;
• The coast between Panagia and Potamia has equipped beautiful beaches Chrissi Akri and Chrissi Ammoudia are expanses for families with children because of the convenient gentle entrance to the sea and the protection of the beach by Mount Ipsario from the wind;
• "Paradise beach" with white sand is located near the villages of Loutros and Aliki;
• The secluded Kekes beach is located just a kilometer from the village of Aliki right next to the pine forest;
• Potos - a kilometer-long beach with equipped camping sites is very popular with travelers by car;
• Pevkari Beach is an amazingly beautiful place where pine trees rise to the very water.

Limenaria is the second largest and significance, the resort town is located in the southwest of the island of Thassos. Here you can visit the old abandoned German mines.

Youth resorts, of course, are due to the thick of entertainment in a large number of discos, bars, pubs, cafes and are located near the two most important cities of the island of Thassos: the capital Limenas and Limenaria.

Sights of the island of Thassos.

• Ipsario is the most high mountain islands overlooking the sacred mountain Athos;
• Hotel "Mikriammos" has not only its own beach, but also its own zoo with peacocks and deer;
• The resort village of Aliki is known for the ruins of a marble wall, on which the inscriptions of ancient sailors have been preserved;
• The village of Felogos holds an annual celebration of the ancient wedding rites of Greece;
• The village of Panagia is the guardian of the ancient church with the flag of Richard the Lionheart and ancient icons;
• Theologos village hosts national festivals;
• Palataki Palace in Limenaria, built on the very tip of the cape;
• Turkish fortress of the 19th century.

How to get to the island of Thassos?

The nearest airport to Thassos is located on mainland Greece in Thessaloniki. Regular flights rise from Moscow into the sky, which deliver tourists to Thessaloniki Airport in 3.5 hours. Then by car or bus 200 km to the mainland port city of Keramoti, and then an hour by ferry to the island of Thassos to its capital Limenas.

By "is it worth" I mean 2 points. First of all there is no airport on the island and therefore it is necessary to get there “on the way” - with transfers (first by plane - then by ferry). BUT Secondly the island is very small. And in this second paragraph, the problem of the first paragraph again lurked - if you go somewhere on the mainland, then again you can’t do without a ferry ...

Let me start by saying that we had a very good time there. But the fact is that when I was choosing the island where to go, I read on tripadvisor that it looks like pargu . Yes Yes! And Parga is sacred to me (because the most favorite place in Greece) and that's why we rushed there ... And yet - everyone almost mentioned that there were few tourists on the island. So this is beauty! Parga, and even without tourists! Of course we will fly, I don’t care what with transfers ...

And what turned out to be true? Well, 'bout Pargi - this is nonsense, of course. Doesn't even look close. And loses, IMHO, not only in terms of beauty Parge with its surroundings, but in general ionian islands- and Corfu, and L efkasu, and Kefalonia(on the last island I was only with a short stop, but still it seemed to me). First of all, because Thassos very tiny.

But there are many pluses too. There are really very few people there! And not just tourists, but in general. Even too little, at times ... That is, when you find here and there, beaches for personal use - this is super, of course, but when you have lunch - you dine in splendid isolation in taverns, then this is a bit too much, IMHO. The Greeks themselves also wondered where the tourists had gone this year, or what had the crisis affected? There, in general, mostly their own Greeks rest. Although the end of May is still not a high season, incl. maybe there will be more people later...

Another plus is that the island is green and mountainous, so there are many beautiful views. Well, as everywhere in Greece - hospitable Greeks and wonderful, albeit unpretentious, food.

We went there "charter" way - so we had a plane to Kavala - and then by ferry to the capital of the island Limenas (where we lived), but we must take into account that if you fly on your own, you will most likely have to fly with transfers - the airport in Kavala is tiny and, apart from our plane , we didn’t see others at all, so it’s not a fact that there are many suitable flights from other Greek cities.

Ferry, by the way, is not very far away - only 35-40 minutes. And time goes by pretty quickly, because. there passengers organize "feeding" of seagulls!

We were there for a whole week and therefore traveled around the island up and down twenty times! Well, maybe not "across", it won’t work out there, mountains. Nevertheless - if you want the beach and the sea, and also a restaurant in the evenings - then it's all there! And in abundance. But if you, like us, cannot sit in one place, and every day you are drawn to exploits, then you will be terribly bored there in 3 days ... Hmm ... We are bored ...

But it was still a bummer to go to the mainland - there this ferry somehow takes a long time to load and unload ... And they don’t go there every hour. In short - we will not go there anymore, but you can still see it once.

Moreover, where else can you find so many beaches with almost no people? And good, with white, soft sand.

By the way, we sunbathed on the new beach every day. I was also pleased that the cat cried on the roads of cars, wherever you want - it slowed down there, taking pictures of beautiful views.

And there were a lot of flowers, not for nothing, because the month of May, the most beautiful time, I suppose ...

The food is local - yes, simple to disgrace), but somehow it always goes well with us, apparently the local air affects))) ...

Especially these Greek salads - no day without them, no, no ... Although they are terribly different for each cook)))

There are various ancient ruins and just ruins too. And in quite a large amount. And the local museum was amazing, to be honest! And after all, the island is quite tiny - a population of 16,000 people, and a wonderful museum has been built off!

islands

According to the myths, the first settler of the island was Thasos, who ended up there in search of Europa, the daughter of Aeginor, who was kidnapped by Zeus. Thasos could not return Europe, and therefore, together with his retinue of the Phoenicians, he settled on the island, which has since been named after this hero. Herodotus also mentions the myth.

Story. Archaeological finds indicate that the island has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. Later it was settled by the Phoenicians, who were engaged in the extraction of gold, iron and wood.

The first Greek tribes settled on the island in the 7th century. BC, they were immigrants from the island of Paros. The settlers adopted the knowledge of metal mining from the Phoenicians, and also established trade and cultural relations with Athens, the Cyclades and other Greek colonies on the coast of Macedonia.

Thasos flourished in the archaic period, the islanders owned a powerful military merchant fleet, maintained trade relations with other islands of the Aegean, Athens, Corinth and Ionia, their coin gained strength, they also founded colonies.

Limenas was surrounded by fortress walls and three watchtowers, the ruins of which are preserved to this day. The fortress walls were destroyed three times: for the first time by the order of the Persian king Darius, and subsequently twice during the Peloponnesian War (between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC).

In 340 BC. the island was captured by Philip II and annexed to Macedonia. In 281 BC. the island temporarily gained independence when the Gauls invaded Greek territories and defeated the Macedonians. However, in 202 BC. the island was again annexed to Macedonia.

In 197 BC. the population of the island accepted the Romans as liberators, the latter, in turn, granted certain privileges to the islanders. Roman civil wars in the 1st century d.c.e. had a negative impact on the state of the island. The situation changed during the period of the Roman Empire. Christianity began to spread on the island, apparently in 52, when the apostle Paul preached in the region.

In 365, an earthquake occurred, which caused great destruction in all the cities and settlements of the island, part of the island sank into the sea. In the VI century. pirate raids begin, which have disturbed the local population for many centuries. In 565, the island was captured by the Arabs, however, during the reign of Emperor Heraclius, the island was included in the Byzantine Empire. In 765, the Slavs captured the island, capturing many of the inhabitants. After the capture of Thessalonica in 904, the Saracens attacked the island and plundered it, many of the inhabitants were taken prisoner and sold into slavery in the slave market.

Despite repeated raids by pirates, Thasos remained an inseparable part of the Byzantine Empire. However, when in 1204 the crusaders captured Constantinople and almost all the Byzantine territories in the Balkans, Thasos was handed over as a gift to the Venetian doge Dandal, who assisted the crusaders in the campaign against Constantinople.

The island again became part of the Byzantine Empire in 1261 after the return of Constantinople by Michael Palaiologos. In 1306, the Byzantines granted the island to the Genoese, who remained its masters until 1455, during this period the island flourished.

The Ottomans captured the island in 1455 and until 1912 Fasos was part of the Ottoman Empire. In the XVII - XVIII centuries. the population of the island leaves the coastal areas and settles in mountainous areas fleeing pirate raids. In 1813, the Sultan granted the island to the reign of Mehmed Ali from Egypt. In 1821, an uprising took place on the island, which was suppressed.

On October 18, 1912, Greek troops landed on the island. The island became part of Greece. After the Asia Minor catastrophe, refugees from eastern Thrace and Asia Minor settled on the island. Since 1960, tourism has been developing on the island, which is currently the main source of income for the inhabitants of the island.

Tour of the island. For those wishing to tour the island, two alternative options are available. First - start the tour from the capital of the island, the city Limenas, and follow the road to the western part of the island towards the settlement of Lemenaria. The second - here, Limenas is also the starting point, from the city you move to eastbound, reaching such settlements as Potto and Feologo.

Since ancient times, Limenas has been an important city of the island (the word itself means port in translation). The city was built in the northern part of the island. The ancient city was located in the same place where it is located modern city Limenas. The highest point of the city was the acropolis, located on the hills. There were temples where treasures were kept. Due to the intensive trade relations of the city, Limenas had two ports: commercial and military.

The city was inhabited before its conquest by the Ottomans. After the conquest, pirate raids began, and the population was forced to leave the city and settle in the mountainous regions.

The population of the island began to return to the valleys after 1830, new town began to build on the site of the old one. Mostly, residents from the villages of Panagia, Rachoni and Agios Georgios participated in the construction. In 1922, more than 600 refugees from Asia Minor and Eastern Thrace settled in the city. Currently, 3130 inhabitants live in the city of Lemenas.

Summer in Limenos focuses a large number of tourists from all over Greece and from abroad. Most of the city's population is employed in the tourism industry. There are hotels and rented rooms in the city, as well as many coastal taverns.

The following beaches are available for swimming:

glyfada

Makriammos beach, located 4 km from Limenos.

Attractions.

In antiquity, there were two ports on the island. The first was located in the northern part of the island and was protected by a pier and a cyclic tower. The second port was located in the southeastern part of the island and was also protected by two smaller cyclic towers. The intensity of traffic in the ports was so great that there was a special regulation system to prevent collisions between ships.

Currently, the first port is destroyed, the second, on the contrary, has been preserved and is used for parking fishing boats.

Near the port, not far from the Archaeological Museum, in the northeastern part of today's city, remains of Agora , which were found during the ongoing excavations of 1948 - 1955. The territory of the Agora was a rectangle 80x100 m, which was surrounded on three sides by porticos, commercial premises and warehouses, and in the northeast side there were administrative buildings and sanctuaries. The Agora was built in the 4th century. d.c.e. and was a trade and cultural center cities. From the Agora, the central street led to the Roman quarter with buildings of the 1st - 2nd centuries, this is the era when the city was under the rule of Rome.

From the port, a paved road leads to the antique Theater located in the northern part of the city. The theater was built in the 5th century. BC, it accommodated up to 3000 spectators. During the period of Roman domination, the theater was repeatedly used for gladiator fights, chariot contests and other spectacles.

From the theater, a country road leads to the antique Acropolis cities. Remarkable is the location of the acropolis, located among the three hills. The oldest remains of the acropolis date from the 5th century BC. d.c.e. The temple, located in the acropolis, was dedicated to the Pythian Apollo. On another hill there was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, probably originally the temple was built in the archaic period and reconstructed in the 5th century. d.c.e. Between the hills is the sanctuary of the god Pan.

On the last hill, which is the most steep, was the last line of defense of the islanders. The wall here was more powerful, with two towers.

Northeast of the trading port of the ancient city was the sanctuary of the gods Zeus, Athena, Artemis, Persephone and Nymphs. On the ruins of this sanctuary, a Christian basilica from the 5th century BC was built. Today in this place there is a small church of St. Apostles.

15 km from Limenas there is a settlement bringing , which became famous after the discovery of oil deposits in the sea.

The new settlement of Skala Prinu, founded on the seashore, is an area of ​​​​unique natural beauty, with beaches and clear sea water, as well as fashionable tourist complexes and campsites.

Kazaviti village

picturesque mountain village Kazaviti is located 7 km from the settlement of Prinos and 24 km from Limenas. This is perhaps one of the most picturesque villages of the island. Retaining its traditional look.

Traditional Macedonian architecture is presented here even in new houses

Not to mention the old

You can stop for lunch or just drink coffee at central square settlements with centuries-old plane trees.

The village of Limenaria and the beaches of the area

The coastal settlement is located 41 km from Limenas, located at the foot of a small hill jutting out into the sea. The local population is mainly employed in the tourism sector, here the most beautiful beaches are

Place on the beach Tripiti

Sami Tripiti Beach

Psili Ammos Beach Area,

Psili Ammos beach itself

Next village - Kaliva , in the vicinity of the village there was an ancient settlement. Here you can visit the private Papageorgiou Museum, which exhibits exhibits from the Classical, Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, as well as folk art.

The settlement of Potos and the beaches of the area

Settlement Pothos was located 7 km from Limenaria and 48 km from Limenas. The settlement is famous tourist place islands, there are many hotels and rented rooms.

Agios Antogios Beach (Agios Antonios)

Roussogremos beach

Those wishing to visit the oldest traditional settlement of the island, Theologo , start their journey from the settlement of Potos (After Kalyvia). The Theologos settlement was built in the interior of the island in a richly vegetated area. During the period of the Ottoman yoke, the Ottomans settled in the area, who built today's settlement. In the future, the settlement turned into the administrative center of the island, it became the most densely populated. To date, the settlement retains its traditional picture, many stone estates are preserved to this day.

Another traditional settlement of the island is Panagia , built in the 18th century, after the inhabitants of the coastal areas left their homes, due to repeated pirate raids. This is the settlement with the largest number of churches and chapels on the island. In the center of the settlement is main church Assumption of the Virgin.

A few kilometers from the settlement is the most famous sandy beach of the island - Chrysi Ammos, which stretches for 3.5 km.

Another picturesque village Potamya located at the foot of Mount Ipsario. A trail leads from the village to Mount Ipsario for those who wish to climb.

And a few more beaches

Saljara beach is located 5 kilometers from Makri Ammo beach, natje beach is called marmara, from the marble effect of white sand one of famous beaches islands

Petra beach which means stone. The beach is so named for objective reasons, it is located west of Tripiti

A beach, or rather a peninsula with two beaches, Alykes

Gkiola beach. This is not a beach but a kind of natural pool.

The Monastery of the Archangels is the main attraction of the island

The Monastery of the Archangel Michael is located twenty-five kilometers from the city of Limenaria. It is the largest and one of the most famous monasteries of the island of Thassos.

It was built in the 18th century and at first was dependent on the Philotheevsky Monastery on Mount Athos. In many ways, this is why the monastery of the Archangel Michael has preserved a collection of religious articles and works of monks. A piece of the Holy Nail from the crucifixion of Jesus is also kept here.

The monastery is female. During the visit, strict rules for visitors must be observed, which primarily relate to clothing. For men - long trousers, for women - long skirts and blouses with long sleeves.

It should be noted that the monastery is located on the edge of a cliff. This fact makes it a kind of observation deck with stunning views of the Aegean Sea.

Our family loved our holidays in Greece. Were in Rhodes, Crete, Kos. We heard a lot about the green island of Thassos and dreamed of visiting it.

Thassos is the northernmost island. It is separated from the mainland by a strait, which at its narrowest point is only 7 kilometers. The airport is located on the mainland, and guests are taken to the hotels by buses that call on the ferry, so no transfers are needed. Ferries sail from the port of Keramoti to the capital of Thassos - Limenas. Ferries also run from Kavala to the port of Skala Prinu. On the ferry, the favorite entertainment of tourists is feeding the seagulls, which circle above the deck and snatch pieces of bread from their hands, invariably flying up from behind.

We went to Thassos in July, having bought a tour for 14 nights. We lived in the Filippos hotel on the outskirts of the village of Skala Rachoni.

Filippos is a small family run hotel. It is run by a grandfather and his two grandchildren. Very polite and always ready to help. The bus cannot drive up to the hotel, and the brothers met the guests on the main road, so that they could then take them to the hotel. Filippos operates on a breakfast-dinner system (lunch is not provided). Breakfast is a buffet and dinner is a la carte. Drinks at dinner are paid, but water is served free of charge and without restrictions.

On the first day, we sat on the open veranda, but wasps immediately flocked to eat, of which there are a lot on Thassos. It's good that the guide Georgius asked the staff to light ground coffee in a saucer - a natural and harmless repellent that the locals use to escape annoying insects. We confirm: the method works fine. But, nevertheless, we no longer sat on the veranda.

The room has a refrigerator, air conditioning and TV. There is free but not very fast wi-fi. But most of all we were struck by the front door - a powerful steel structure with a peephole, an opening stopper and a safe lock! By the way, there is no safe in the room, but I don’t think that with such a door one is needed at all.

The room has a balcony, also with a good plastic door and sliding nets. There is a clothesline on the balcony to dry clothes. Unfortunately, there were no glasses in the room.

The village of Skala Rachoni is located in the northwest of the island, 12 km from the capital - the city of Limenas. We went to the city by bus. The stop is on the main road. Buses run infrequently, according to the schedule - only eight times a day and not very punctual. The fare to Limenas is 1.8 euros. From Skala Rachoni you can get to Limenaria and Potos (without stopping at Limenas).

Not far from the hotel there is a large supermarket Latsouris.

The beach closest to the hotel is sandy and the sea is shallow. The sand is unusual, shiny, probably due to inclusions of mica. Sunset is different everywhere: somewhere there are stones at the entrance, somewhere there is more algae. From the hotel we went to the right, the second turn to the sea, located near the Kostas tavern. There we found the most convenient entry into the sea. They brought a beach umbrella with them, but it never came in handy. Trees grow on the beach, which provide a dense shade. It is especially pleasant to lie under the pines, inhaling their spicy aroma.

In a small hotel, animation, of course, is not provided. Guests entertain themselves. It is a pity that there is no embankment in the village. We usually walked along the secondary road that led to Skala Rakhoni, or along the seashore (sometimes we sat on deck chairs and admired the bright stars). Walking along the road is not very convenient: there are no sidewalks and you constantly have to let cars pass.

If you leave the hotel and go to the right, then after about three hundred meters you will find yourself on a small bridge over a small river, which dries up in summer. Along it, in the tall grass, a lot of fireflies live! Every evening we went to admire these sparkling lights, however, you can not always see them. One evening the thickets literally shimmered with dozens of tiny but bright flashes, and another time there were no fireflies at all. We did not understand the patterns of their appearance, but we noticed that it is best to come to the bridge not in complete darkness, but at dusk.

Several times we walked along the sea to the neighboring village - Skala Prina. If someone decides to go there during the day, then grab a treat for the many turtles that live in the local river. There is a bridge across the river, and under it a lot of turtles gather and everyone looks at the passers-by with expectation.

There is a local travel agency in Skala Prinou. We decided to find out from them how much the transfer to Marble Beach costs. It turned out to be very expensive: 79 euros for 5 people. We decided that we would get to the Marble Beach on foot from Limenas, since we have considerable experience in hiking.

We went to the capital of the island Limenas by bus. Get off at the Center stop. inspected old port, climbed to the amphitheater, walked among the ruins of the ancient agora, examined the most interesting exposition Archaeological Museum. We drove back from the bus station, it is located opposite the new port, where ferries arrive.

As planned, we went to the Marble Beach on foot from Limenas. We arrived in the city by bus at 9.20. We got out in the center and, armed with a navigator, went towards the beach, past the Gates of Selena and some other "antiquities" that were located right among the houses in the town.

We climbed the asphalt road to the Makriammos Hotel. Then we walked along a dusty dirt road to Marble Beach (about 5 km). It seemed to us too crowded on Salyara beach, we went a little further to Vathi beach and swam there. Marble Beach, of course, is a beautiful place, but it is better to be there in the early morning or vice versa, in the late afternoon. During the day there are too many people. In Limenas, we managed to catch a bus at 14.50 (and the next one only at 17).

Rakhoni village, walks in the mountains

One day after lunch we decided to go to the village of Rakhoni, which is located 4 km inland from the main road. First we passed the village of Agios Georgios. We reached a stop near the entrance to the village of Rakhoni and turned onto a side dirt road that went into the mountains. We passed a marble processing plant (near it there was a table and benches made of solid pieces of marble), then past a marble quarry and apiaries. On the road there were numerous signs to the church of Agios Georgios, but the first time we did not reach it. We saw a pointer to the old road to Limenas. But it was too late to follow it.

When planning a trip to Thassos, I read a lot of reviews, and one of the must-see places was highest point islands - Mount Ipsario (height 1206 m). We were going to go up there together with my husband along the "main" tourist trail, which starts in Potamia. The weather forecast for July 25 promised a hot and sunny day (probability of rain according to the forecast 0%).

We left Skala Rachoni by bus at 9.20. In Limenas we took a bus to Potamia (departure at 10.30). We were still on the road when it got dark outside the bus window, the mountains were covered with clouds, and a severe thunderstorm began. Naturally, the trip had to be postponed. We drove to Golden Beach, waited for the bus to Limenas and returned back. The storm, by the way, passed as suddenly as it had begun and the sun was already hot with might and main. This is how unlucky our first attempt to conquer Ipsario turned out to be.

One day we decided to try our luck again and climb Ipsario. But now we have approached the "ascent" from the other side, and in the literal sense of the word, going towards Potamia straight on foot, along mountain paths, skirting Ipsario on the left.

According to the navigator, we had to go straight to the middle of the "main" path that goes from the village to the top. We left the hotel at 6 am and set off along the already explored route to the village of Rachoni and further to the church of Agios Georgios. We saw how the rising sun illuminated the top of Ipsario.

We reached the church easily, but then we lost the path. The navigator stubbornly showed that she was somewhere nearby, but we did not see her. Only after half an hour of wandering did we finally find a barely noticeable path behind the church. At first, it is really barely visible, and then it turns into a fairly wide road, along which (judging by the tire tracks) cars also pass.

For more than 20 kilometers along this mountain path, we met only one car (in the back were armfuls of mountain tea) and one cyclist. And they practically did not see footprints, car tires, bicycles, hoof marks ...

At first, the coast of Skala Rakhoni stretched out in front of us, then we turned, and the city of Thassos and the marble quarries became visible. When they crossed to the other side of the mountain, it opened beautiful view on Golden Beach.

The road winded: it went up and down, but remained wide. True, at intersections I had to check with the navigator. Along the way, we saw wild goats, lizards, and also passed apiaries with humming beehives. Walking along a row of such houses was a little uncomfortable.

We reached the trail to the top at 12 o'clock. Further, the ascent began immediately very steeply, we went up a little and realized that after thirty kilometers, in the heat itself and with thoughts of being late for last bus at 17.10 we can no longer master the rest of the route. I had to turn back, leaving Ipsario unconquered.

Before Potamia, we walked about three kilometers down, and even on this descent my knees were already trembling from exertion - the slope was very sharp. They saw a tree with a spring flowing from it, but they could not get drunk. Another apiary was located nearby, so a lot of bees flew by the water. In Potamia, the bus was supposed to be at 13.15, but it was late - it arrived at 14.00. We arrived at Thassos, waited at the bus station and left for Skala Rakhoni at 14.50.

As a result, we climbed to a height of about 600 meters, having overcome on foot about 35 kilometers, counting the descent to the village. And still, this walk in the mountains left the most pleasant memories: mountain air, deserted people, beautiful views... For the sake of this alone, it was worth going to the mountains.

From Skala Rachoni you can get to Limenaria without stopping at Limenas. The ticket costs 3.50. Bus at 10.15. The bus drove to Limenaria for 40 minutes - it stopped at Skala Prina, Prinos, Skala Sotiras, Skala Kalirahi, Skala Maries. In Limenaria we went down from the stop to the embankment, reached the park and climbed to the abandoned administrative building metallurgical plant - Palataki (Little Palace). The building is fenced, but the grid is torn in places and you can enter inside without difficulty. We wandered around the rooms, imagining that tables once stood here and people worked. Then we went further towards the beach of Metallia, at the same time examining the remains of the former metallurgical plant, incomprehensible to the uninitiated.

This part of Thassos has a completely different coastline: the steep coast reminded the Costa Brava in Spain. They didn’t swim in Metallia: they didn’t like the entry into the sea (using sandbags), besides, it was stormy. We wandered around the park, climbed a hill near the port, tried to see Limenaria, but ... Walking the streets of Thassos is more of a test than a pleasure. The sidewalk is very narrow, and usually there is either a car or a scooter or a trash can on it. You have to get out on the roadway, along which cars are rushing. In general, we looked a bit: we returned to the stop and began to wait for the bus. According to the schedule, it should be at 14.40. We sat in the shade on a side street. About 10 minutes before I decided to go out to see if anyone else was waiting for the bus. And I saw that he was already standing - so another feature of the buses on Thassos became clear: they can either be late or come earlier.

Pachis and Glyfoneri beaches

One day we decided to walk to the famous beaches of Pachis and Glyfoneri, which are located near Skala Rachoni. At first we walked along the seashore, then we had to walk a little along the side of the road. Pachis did not like it: it is filled with sunbeds to the very edge of the water. To Glyfoneri, which is located behind the cape, we walked along the coast, jumping over the stones. Glyfoneri is a cozy bay, all in the shade of pine trees, with fine, white, dense sand. The water in the bay was calm, although the sea was rough. I really liked this beach, but it is small, crowded, and besides, it was too far from our hotel to go there daily.

In our collection Greek islands Thassos took a special place. But I don't think we want to come back here. It turned out to be not very suitable for our usual trips on foot and by bus, and we never rent a car. And yet Thassos will be remembered as a sparkling island: shiny sand in the sea, iridescent marble and bright fireflies.