Tour of Thassos Island
Thassos the northernmost island of the Aegean is the ideal destination for unforgettable holidays.
It is a green island with a lot of natural beauties, graphic traditional villages, excellent beaches with crystal clear waters, many facilities for sport and entertainment, good food with plenty of fresh fish, traditional festivals, a cosmopolitan atmosphere and also some quiet corners where one can enjoy nature.
Thasos has a good road network, consisting of a coast road encircling the island and many side roads leading to the interior.
LIMENAS THASSOS
The capital of the island is THASSOS or LIMENAS, a picturesque little town of about 3.000 inhabitants with beautiful shops, restaurants, taverns, bars, coffee shops, hotels and rooms to let.
It lies on the north coast of the island, on the site of the ancient city founded by colonists from Paros in the 7th c. BC.
The archaeological site includes: a protected harbor, the Agora, the Odeion, the Passage of the Theori, the Sanctuaries of Artemis, Dionysos and Poseidon, an open harbor, a theater, a medieval fortification, various gates, the cave of Pan, the monument of Thersilochos, the arch of Caracalia, a large basilica, etc.
The Archaeological Museum has a display of finds from the excavations on the island.
The most important of them are a variety of sculptures – such as a Kouros, a statue of Pegasus and a head of Silenos – terracotta figurines, pottery, etc.
Behind the old port of Limenas you will find a small but very clear sandy beach.
There is for swimming a short distance from the city at the beaches of Glyfada and Makryammos.
Many tourists visit the town and harbor and there is a very good infrastructure.
In the summer, cultural events are organized, with performances of ancient drama and concerts, as part of the Filippi-Thassos festival.
Tour of Thassos Island
The island has some very beautiful inland villages, which have an authentic Macedonian tone and traditional architecture.
We may note:
THEOLOGOS 60 kilometers south of the town, one of the oldest and finest villages on the island, with its traditional architecture and churches.
RACHONI and AGIOS GEORGIOS, where there are popular festivals celebrating the feasts of the Virgin on 15 August and Prophet Elias on 20 July.
Skala Rachoni on the north coast of the island is a beautiful seaside village with ample accommodation and taverns.
Also: PRINOS with the mountain settlements of Mikros and Megalos Prinos, which still retain their local color and have several interesting churches.
At the cross-section of Prinos, there is a road which leads to the traditional village Kazaviti.
It is one of the most picturesque villages on Thassos.
Kazaviti is built on the slopes of an evergreen hill and it has lovely houses with wooden balconies and stone walls.
In the village you will find taverns and traditional coffee shops.
Tour of Thassos Island
Skala Prinou is the second port of Thasos.
Next to this port is the new settlement Dasillio which presents tourist interest.
It has fine beaches with clear waters, hotels, rooms to let, camping site, etc.
A little further south, in the heart of the island are AGIOS PANTELEIMON, MARIES and KASTRO, the oldest village on the island, now abandoned.
Here are preserved the remains of a Byzantine fortification, churches and mansions.
PANAGIA
PANAGIA 7 kilometers south of the town, is the old capital.
Today it is a traditional and beautiful village.
It has mansions with Macedonian architecture, an important church of the Panagia (1832) and, a short distance away, there is a cave called Drakotrypa, which has inhabited in ancient times.
On the coast is Skala Panagias (or Chryssi Ammos = Golden Beach), a fine beach with golden sand and blue crystal waters.
It is a much frequented resort with amenities, water sports, rooms to let, taverns and café bars.
POTAMIA
POTAMIA, built on the slopes of the mountain Ipsario and 2 kilometers south of Panagia, has two interesting churches: of Agios Dimitrios and of Agios Nikolaos, and a Folklore Museum.
2 kilometers away from Potamia, you will find Skala Potamias the coastal region of the village with a fine sandy beach.
In the area there are a lot of hotels and rooms to let.
Tour of Thassos Island
South of Potamia (11 kilometers) is PALEOCHORI, where the galleries of the ancient gold mines can be seen.
Further south, at THYMONIA, are the remains of two Hellenistic towers and a Byzantine basilica.
The monastery of Archangelos Michail, patron saint of the island, is on the coast.
ALYKI – POTOS
A short distance away, at ALYKI, are preserved Classical, Byzantine and Roman remains and ancient marble quarries.
Along this coast are some of the finest and most frequented resorts on the island:
POTOS: It is the most cosmopolitan place on the island.
You will find hotels, rooms to let, restaurants, cafes, bars and many tourist shops.
Tour of Thassos Island
ASTRIDA: with the monastery of Archangel, dedicated to the protector of the island Archangel Michael.
Around the region there are gorgeous sand beaches
PSILI AMMOS a small but fully organized beach with fine sand and crystal clear waters
PEFKARI
It provides everything to the tourists, as well as a beautiful beach with water sports, hotels, café bars, restaurants, etc. It took its name from the pine forests around it. (in Greek the word pefko means pine).
LIMENARIA: with the remains of a Venetian castle.
It is the second town on the island with many beaches.
The two most known sites of the place is the cave underneath the Palataki and the beach named Mines with the abandoned iron mines.
Furthermore, this place is considered to be one of the best at providing top quality services to its visitors.
You will find hotels, rooms and apartments to let, many taverns, restaurants and many tourist shops with souvenirs and traditional products. In the region there are two museums.
KINIRA
KINIRA: It is a beautiful and quiet settlement with fine beaches.
One of the most beautiful and exotic beaches on the island, can be found in Kinira, called Paradise.
Kinira is well known for its fish taverns, where you can enjoy fresh fish and sea food.
In the past there was found the gold of the isle Thassos.
MACEDONIAN ARCHITECTURE
Many houses and churches on Thasos were built according the traditional Macedonian architecture.
You will see beautiful houses with walls made from crude pieces of limestone and roofs made from wood and finely chiseled stones.
Almost every house is surrounded with a fenced yard that is usually filled with lovely flowers.
LOCAL PRODUCTS
The fragrant thyme honey and the wine of Thasos are famous.
TRADITION – EVENTS
The island celebrates a lot of religious and cultural festivals all over the year.
In the middle of July various cultural activities are organized in Theologos village.
In July and August a Cultural Festival takes place in the ancient theater of Limenas.
In the 29th June is celebrated the feast of Agii Apostoli in Megalos Prinos.
The feast of Agios Panteleimon in 27th July is celebrated in the homonym monastery.
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on the 15th August in all the churches of Thassos dedicated to the Virgin.