We planned our vacation very last minute this year due to the uncertainty related to Covid. Two weeks before they started, we met a Greek couple at a wedding and they recommended us Spetses, an island three hours from Athens.
You access Spetses either by a 2.5-hour ferry from the Piraeus port (the port is 40 min away by cab from Athens airport) or by taxi (2.5 hours) that takes you to Kosta, a port 5 min away from the island by taxi boat. The taxi is more comfortable and the drive from Athens to Kosta is one of the most scenics I’ve seen, with spectacular views in the Peloponnese.
Spetses ended up being a great choice. It’s relatively easy to access, small, with nice beaches, good restaurants, a beautiful night scene and partying for teenagers. There are very few cars, only seven taxis and the (real) disturbance of motorcycles is limited to a small stretch around the center. The gorgeous road that does the tour of the island (around 30km) is an amazing spot to run and bike without cars. We met several people (lots of French) and many of them come here for years, one of them for 31 years!
Hotels
We stayed at two hotels given the last-minute reservation, Zoe’s club and Orloff. We also went several times to the Poseidonion, the island’s historical grand hotel and had dinner once at Nissia.
Zoe’s club is a great choice. Recently constructed, it’s tastefully designed, rooms are simple and neat and it is run by women only (Zoe is the owner and manager, she’s present most of the time) which gives it a special vibe. The location is right at the center, minutes from Dapia – the new harbor – and yet in the middle of quiet small roads with no motorbikes. Only drawbacks are expensive laundry and no good coffee. But you have great cappuccinos minutes away on the port. Also, I would avoid rooms around the pool that might lack privacy. At dusk, when the kids are out of the pool, there’s a sense of vesperal peacefulness that’s delightful. It’s pleasant to share bits and pieces of life experiences with other guests that come here year after year.
Orloff is a special, boutique hotel with beautiful maisonnettes. Inside, it’s probably nicer than Zoe’s club. The hotel is older and the rooms less neat but the team is very nice and there’s good coffee. Orloff is on the busiest street of the island with a constant flow of trucks and noisy motorcycles. You don’t see them from inside, but you hear them, yet you tend to forget at some point. You should avoid rooms overlooking the street though, as it’s noisy early in the morning. Orloff is at a walking distance from Paradise beach, see below, and 5 minutes away from the old harbor, its restaurants and bars. Some rooms (like the one we had as a large family) are simply gorgeous with a charming yard planted with trees, others less, such as the ones in the basement. To compensate for the street noise, bells ring melodiously before the orthodox mass, and their sound transcend the lush surroundings.
Neither Zoe not Orloff have a restaurant at the hotel itself. Orloff has a restaurant 10 minutes away.
I wouldn’t recommend Poseidonion. It’s a Grand Hotel with a lot happening all the time and a constant flow of visitors. The pool and its surroundings in the back are not very nice neither. We preferred to have drinks at Mr Fox bar and stay elsewhere.
Nissia is a new hotel, very well situated, and it’s cute from inside with the biggest pool of all and maisonettes all around. It somewhat lacks the charm and authenticity of the other hotels though and from the outside it looks like a hospital.
Restaurants
Our best meal was at Boustani, Poseidonion’s restaurant in the mountains. It’s an 85 euro set menu with organic produce from the gardens the place overlooks. The whole experience including going there in a tuk-tuk then an old Renault, Greek music swishing in the silence and the sunset, was magical.
Poseidonion has couple of other options at the hotel itself on the new harbor, On the verandah and the Library. Both are good but busy. We preferred to have finger food at the bar, Mr Fox.
To our surprise, another great and this time simple and authentic place was Akpogialia with tables directly on the beach. The staff is nice and the food tasty and fresh, although the hotel told us it’s frozen (probably mussels or prawns). We actually saw the fish we ate; the fava was one of the best on the island as well as the grilled calamari.
We loved Ombra, an Italian roof-top restaurant with beautiful views of the old harbor at sunset and the best vibes. Food is good, but you should choose pasta or pizza, not the expensive fish or meat dishes that are not worth it given several cheaper and tastier options on the island.
There are two good restaurants close to Dapia called Patralis and NTA Water of love. We were a bit disappointed as the raving Google reviews set our expectations high. They are busy, with large noisy tables and sometimes overwhelmed servers.
Many locals recommend Tarsanas as the best fresh fish restaurant. We ate there the first day after a short stay at Hydra where food is great and we were somewhat disappointed, in particular by the appetizers. We didn’t like the set-up neither, crowded, noisy with large tables in an exiguous set-up. We probably didn’t pick the right dishes.
La Scala, Nissia’s Italian restaurant, was a good surprise even if the hotel from the outside looks like a hospital. Chic ambiance and nice view of the port.
We ate couple of times at the Orloff restaurant that’s 10 min away walking from the hotel itself, and we loved it once but had a more mixed experience the second time. The place is charming on different levels in the old port.
Nuovo, near the Poseidonion has a nice vibe and decoration and good drinks. Food changes from one season to the other. When we went, it was sushi and… chicha, but the place itself is gorgeous with a beautiful sunset view.
The somewhat secret and special place is To Pachni, an authentic Greek tavern away from the tourists and just minutes from Orloff. It looks like the owner’s home and the produce come from the garden. Appetizes are delicious and Pachni has the best meat on the island with world famous lamb chops.
Bars
All the bars are in the old port and you’d typically follow the vibe, Hono&lulu and Bikini are good options but my daughter mostly went to Throubi to dance late at night. The island is very safe, and teens can come back walking to the hotel. People also party on the beach, for example the small one next to Paradise.
Beaches
We did an e-bike tour of the island; it took us 5 hours with stops at different beaches. Also, we went to different beaches every day. Therefore, we know almost all of them.
Beaches in Spetses are pebble beaches except a couple like Zogeria that has a mix of pebble and brown (not beautiful) sand. We like pebble: it’s clean, colorful and when waves recede, they produce a beautiful sound. A piece of advice: buy for 10 euros the special pebble shoes to go in and out of water easily. Beaches are clean, water is pristine. Spetses has also many small coves that you can access on foot or boat. We did a boat tour of the island (booked at Paradise for the same day in high season) and the nicest cove is called Piscina I think, a long one on the western part of the island. Contrary to Italy, there aren’t hundred of sunbeds on Spetses beaches, so even when it’s crowded you don’t suffocate. The sunbeds are also relatively cheap, 10 euros for a set of 2.
There are two sides of the island, northeast and southwest. The NE part is busy and commercial with hotels, restaurants, shops and motorbikes. The SW is wild and desert and hence more beautiful. The two sides meet in the North at Zogeria beaches in lush and breathtakingly beautiful hills.
Paralia Xilokeriza is a simple and secluded beach. No music, no water sports, easy to access by e-bike, motorbike, or cab. The waves, wind, crickets compose an ideal summer soundtrack. There is a basic canteen, with good Greek salad, potatoes (don’t miss the potatoes) and souvlakis. It was our preferred beach.
A bit farther from Dapia, also on the SW side, Paralia Agii Anargiri is the longest beach. No music, but water sports, many sunbeds, and a big restaurant. Easy to access. Less charm than Xilokeriza but a good compromise between beauty and practicality. There’s a small cave to visit five minutes walking from it. A bus boat takes you from Dapia to Anargiri once every day.
Just next to it, Agia Paraskevi is a smaller version with a simple snack bar. Easy to access, in a beautiful pine forest, it is less airy and would be a good option in low season with fewer people.
Paradise is the most developed beach. A 20 min walk from Dapia on Agia Marina, it’s Poseidonion’s beach with a modern restaurant offering international food (Greek, sushi and pizza, Italian ice cream). Water sports, music, crowd: a noisy place. You can call them a day before to book sunbeds and the restaurant.
Kaïki is the other option at a walking distance from Dapia. It is a basic beach, and you’d go there for the vibe, music, restaurant, and most extensive water sports of the island. I was told the restaurant is nice at night.
Between Kaïki and Zogeria on the NE side, there are couple of small beaches and coves such as Ligoneri and Lovers Cove (difficult to access on foot). Vrelos beach in that area is a good option if you want music, a restaurant with good cocktails. The beach is small and crowded in high season.
Zogeria is many locals’ preferred beach, and they love the restaurant and its wood barbecue. The bay where the beach is nestled is marvelous, but the beach is crowded, and the restaurant somewhat overrated. There are few options and no vegetarian ones except Greek salad. There is relatively cheap boat bus that takes there every day as the beach is not easy to access. The restaurant can be reserved if you call a day before to have one of the better tables.
Things to do
Read, rest, enjoy life and the sound of cicadas.
Have a coffee at Dapia Porto Café jut next to the Polo store and the water taxi line, after your morning run.
Shopping is very pleasant at night after dinner. There is the most impressive selection of beach dresses I’ve ever seen.
The e-bike tour of the island is a must (15 euros per day, I recommend Ilias, next to Orloff), you can do it in half a day or one day with stops in beaches and coves. One option would be to do it early on in your stay to check the different beaches and select the ones you like. You should book the e-bike in advance.
The boat tour is also recommended if you want to spend time in more secluded coves and have lunch there. We paid 45 euros for 2 hours per person for a Zodiac with a skipper.
Hydra
I would spend couple of days in Hydra, 40 minutes away by taxi boat (300 euros one way) or ferry (much cheaper). Hydra is a magical island, with historical buildings, no vehicles at all (only donkeys), couple of amazing restaurants (Tekné, Castello and Sunset for the view). Walking or hiking around the island is a wonder.
As a friend explained to me, Hydra is one of the rare islands where you find palaces of the seventeenth century (usually in the islands you only find vernacular architecture) for the most part transformed into art foundations. It was historically a capital of pirates, the rocky relief allowing them to protect themselves from attacks and to deploy their wealth. I checked the Deste Foundation at the Slaughterhouse that is worth the visit. It was supposed to exhibit Jeff Koons this year but the event was postponed due to Covid. If you want to spend the night in this pirates island, Hydrea is a good option (adults only, no pool but beautiful views and terraces). The island is a rock with no vegetation and almost no beaches. We spotted three of them in an island two times the size of Spetses, but they are easy to access on foot. Castello is a great restaurant on the beach, and you can alternate the meal courses with dives in the warm and deep blue Mediterranean water.
Sauver quelque chose du temps 