Thasos

Thasos, sometimes spelled Thassos (Greek: Θάσος), is a Greek Island tourist destination in the North Aegean Islands group, close to Kavala.

Understand
Thassos is a green island with many picturesque bays and the best sandy beaches, high forested mountains and interesting archaeological sites. It also offers plenty of "beach nightlife". The landscape is similar to that of Chalkidiki. The lively and fully developed south and east sides attract a younger crowd, while older visitors often prefer the much quieter west side between Limenas and Limenaria.

In recent years, Balkan tourism to Thassos has increased considerably and the island is very crowded in July and August. If time permits, it is not advisable to travel during this period. In recent years there has also been an increase in visitors over Christmas and New Year. As the island is very quiet in winter and most restaurants and shops are closed, it is advisable to stay in accommodation in the larger towns such as Thasos Town, Limenaria, Prinos or Theologos.

History
Earliest settlements are known from the Neolithic era. About 1500 BC, Thasos was taken by the Phoenicians, and by their knowledge in metallurgy, they were the first to exploit the mineral resources of the island. The island was then taken over by the Thracians until the Greek Ionian tribe displaced the Thracians in the 7th century BC. Gold and silver mining and trade flourished during this time and brought prosperity to the island. In 492 BC, the Persians conquered the island, which led to an economic decline. In 464 - 404 BC, Thasos was occupied by Athens and served as a colony of wood and metal supplies. 340 BC Philip II, king of the Macedonians, took over Thasos. In the period from 281 - 202 BC, Thasos was independent, until it was connected to the Roman Empire in 196 BC. After the division of the Roman Empire, it belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) from 330 AD. In 1455 AD, Thasos passed over to the Turks and was freed by Greek troops by 1912 in the Balkan War. In the Second World War, Thasos and larger parts of northern Greece were handed over by the Wehrmacht to Bulgaria, who had to leave these areas with war dead.

Get in

 * Since Thasos does not have its own airport, the connection runs through the airport Kavala (near Chrysoupolis). From there it is 12 km to the ferry at the village Keramoti (ferry time Keramoti-Limenas, 45 min). By taxi the way from the airport to the ferry costs about €20, to Kavala the cost is €40. The bus connection is bad.
 * From Thessaloniki Airport, there is a bus to the KTEL Macedonia bus station (1 hour), which is the bus station for intercity buses. From there, buses go to Kavala (2½ hours) every hour. From Kavala you either take a ferry to Thasos or a bus from the bus station to Keramoti (1 hour) and from there by ferry to Thasos. Alternatively, go by rental car from Thessaloniki Airport to Kavala/Keramoti (2½-3 hr). Some car hire companies from Thasos also have rental cars at the airport. Many cars rented on the mainland are not allowed to go onto the islands.


 * Ferries: There are 2 ferries for vehicles and passengers to Thasos:
 * 1) Kavala-Scala Prinos (1½ hours
 * 2) Keramoti-Thasos Town (Limenas) (45 minutes).

The timetables vary depending on the season. Since the island is close to the mainland, the ferry costs are comparatively low, so that many weekenders and camper vans visit the island. In high season there are sometimes kilometre-long traffic jams at the ferry in Keramoti on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and in Thassos town from Sunday afternoons for those returning. There are far fewer traffic jams to and from Kavala. Do not take the last ferry. There is a risk that you won't make it if the ferry is very busy.

Get around
The island has one main road which circles the perimeter. There is a bus service during summer. Taxis (costs about 1,5€/km) are common and can be called from most restaurants, bars and supermarkets (taxis after midnight need to be booked in advance). Car and bike hire is possible from many of the larger towns and villages. To really see the interesting parts of the island, especially the mountain villages, a car or motorbike is needed. Normal cars are not allowed on dirt roads but some of the nice beaches an attractions can be reached on dirt roads only. Hire a 4WD at least for the days you want to go off-road.

See
Must see for short time visitors:
 * Thasos town
 * Panagia
 * Aliki
 * Giola
 * Theologos and its waterfall
 * Kastro
 * Megalo Kasaviti

Most tourists rent a car at least for one day to explore the island. As there is only one ring road the villages are described starting from Thasos town clockwise. From the main ring road the mountain villages can be reached via side roads or dead-end roads. If you visit the main attractions only a tour takes from 4-6 hr.





Do




Ancient sites tour
It is recommended to visit the ancient sites of the island in 2 tours in Thasos town and 1 in Aliki and Thimonia. The first leads up to the Acropolis of Thasos town and is also recommended for people who are less interested in ruin sites, because of the beautiful landscape and the wonderful vantage points. The second tour stays within the village and is less spectacular.

1) Thasos Town

Tour 1: It starts in the immediate vicinity of the old at the, the economic center of the ancient city, a kind of marketplace with shops, religious and cultural sites. Even if only the foundation walls and a few pillars are present, the agora is the most interesting ancient area in the center. Directly following the agora are the, a stone walled access from the residential quarters to the agora, the , a small 2nd-century theater. and the from early Hellenistic times. From the agora you go northeast passing the, the , the slowly uphill under shady trees towards the headland. There stands the very photogenic on the foundations of a 5th-century basilica. The view from there of the landscape and the sea is breathtaking. Below the chapel you can see the beach bar Karnagio. From here, the trail now leads steeper and much more strenuous uphill to the from the 3rd century with beautiful views of Thasos. Performances take place here during the summer months. Further above is the. In 1204, the Venetians built a castle in the eastern part of the Acropolis out of the ruins of the temples there, whose ruins are hidden between trees and barely visible from the village. If one follows the path one reaches the. Only the foundations of the 5th century BC are left of the temple. Nevertheless, the path is worth it, as the view of Thasos and the surrounding mountains makes up for the effort. A narrow pawn leads east to from the 4th century BC. Again, it is more the view that is worthwhile. From here you go back to the city.

Tour 2: It can be done well in less than 1 hour as you stay within the flat area of Thasos town and is really worthwhile only for people really interested in ancient ruins. It's best to start from the. If you follow the road away from the coast you will reach the. Here too, only the foundations of temples and buildings from the 5th or 6th century BC are preserved. Now follow the signs along the Pier de Vambez road to the past the remains of an Arch of Honor for Emperor Caracalla. The Gate of Zeus is the most elaborate and best preserved gate of the city, but also almost exclusively preserved as foundations. From there one arrives at the interesting remainders of the south wall to the that is quite well preserved. From here it goes back towards the harbour.

2) Aliki

Tour: 3 starts in Aliki. The entrance to the archeologic site is free and you can explore the place walking on market trails. The archeological site of Aliki includes the ancient, the remains of an ancient settlement, a double sanctuary and two paleochristian basilicas. The of which only the ground walls remained is on the opposite site of the taverns. An interesting inscribed sarcophagus is worth to see. Following the path uphill for about 50 m you reach out at the. The remains of the sanctuary consist of two constructions with both ionic and doric architectural elements build during the 6th-5th centuries BC. dedicated to god Apollo as protectors of ships and sailors. At the stairs that are at the facade of the sanctuary, there are inscribed names of many sailors that had arrived at the island in order to ship marble. The sanctuary was abandoned during the early Byzantine era, with Christianity becoming the dominant religion. The two churches were built in the 5th century AD and destroyed by an earthquake. Going from Aliki about 1 km towards Limenaria the is signposted. A field road leads up to the tower that needs good ground clearance if you drive up or walk for 10 min. The ruined Hellenistic tower was probably part of an ancient settlement but no excavations have taken place an the knowledge about this place is very limited. The nice view from the tower is more worth than the ruins itself.

Mining site tours
The mining on Thasos can look back on a highly developed metallurgy that began about three and a half thousand years ago and thus plays a significant role in the Aegean region. Probably in the late Bronze Age, beginning at the latest in the early Iron Age, took place an intensive and until the Byzantine period ongoing ore smelting. The ores mined in tunnels and open-pit mining contributed to the wealth of the island in ancient times and are an important part of the history of the island. Unfortunately, the wealth also aroused greed and so in the history of the island mostly foreign powers exploited the ores. Some former open pit areas are easily accessible and today interesting and photogenic "lost places". Also galleries are accessible, but only with a local guide to recommend and experience walking in caves and only with appropriate equipment.



Beaches
The east and south sides of the island have many picturesque bays and popular sandy beaches, while the west side has more elongated, lonely, rocky beaches, but also beautiful sandy ones. For people who are looking for nudist beaches, Thasos is a good destination too. In the following, only the best known beaches are listed. There are still many bays and beaches to discover.

On a tour around the island with starting point Thasos town you will pass by the following beaches in clockwise order:

Buy
Thasos is known for its tasty dark Pine honey (ca €8/kg), fruits and vegetables in glycose syrup (extremely sweet) and good Zipouro, a pomace brandy at about €8/L.

Eat


There are a lot of restaurants and fast food places around the island. Since the quality varies from season to season, it is impossible to provide reliable recommendations. It is better to ask advice from other tourists there. Places you should go to because of their nice environment are Theologos, Kastro and Megalo Prinos.

Drink
Centres for night life are Limenas, Limenaria and especially Potos where younger people like to meet. Most of the bars and beach bars organize themed nights, beach parties, etc., which are announced on posters in the hotels or in the places. Very popular "Greek Nights" are offered by some big hotels and some restaurants and pubs (check postings).

Sleep

 * Thasos has few bigger hotel complexes but a large number of small hotels, guest houses and private rooms, which are listed in the well known internet hotel search sites and evaluated. The more lively and crowded east side and Potos attract more younger tourists, while older guests often prefer the quieter west side from Limenaria onwards.
 * There are several camping sites: in Scala Prinos, between Prinos and Scala Sotiros (Camping Daedalos), AstroCamping in the mountains, Camping Pefkari, Camping at Golden Beach in Scala Panagia.

The most famous large hotel complexes are:



Connect
Most hotels and restaurants have Wi-fi.

Stay safe

 * There is no danger for tourists, so you can move freely anywhere. Only take care of pickpocketing.
 * Medical Care: There is no hospital in Thasos, but a "Health Center" in Prinos from the patient will be relocated to the Kavala Hospital for more serious illnesses. Medical practices (including dentist, orthopedist, cardiologist and general practitioner) can be found in Limenas and Limenaria.
 * The drinking water quality is controlled, but differs from village to village. It is usually safer to use bottled water for drinking.
 * Snakes: there is a poisonous snake that lives mainly in the mountains, often on stony terrain or in holes in walls, between rocks etc. (horned viper) It is very poisonous! Therefore, you should pay attention to good footwear and clothing, if you want to go off the beaten track and generally be careful with walls in abandoned houses and land.

Go next
An advantage of Thasos is the close distance to the main land what makes day trips easy.
 * Kavala: often visited by ferry boat from Scala Prinos at Saturday morning as a day trip when Kavala's big and colorfull market (bazar) at the promenade is open (07:30-13:00, best visit time before 11:00, as it gets very busy later). The famous archaeological site of Philippi can be reached by bus from Kavala bus terminal Ktel, close to the bazaar. The best way to do this day trip is by taking the first ferry from Scala Prinos to Kavala and back on the afternoon ferry or back by bus to Keramoti and from there on one of the many later ferries. At the Aquadukt in Kavala you can also rent scooters and thus easily reach the sights outside the city center.
 * Nestos-Delta and Nestos-Gorge: natural reserve areas of stunning beauty reachable by bus from Keramoti or but better by car as a day trip,
 * Pangaion Hills: the Pangaio is with almost 2000 m the highest mountain in the Kavala area, with picturesque mountain villages, a multitude of monasteries and impressive vegetation. As a day trip from Thasos a car is necessary to reach the points of interest in a reasonable time.
 * Drama. Provincial town but a good place to start an excursion to the Rhodope Mountains, wild, almost deserted natural landscape on the Bulgarian border.
 * Xanthi: famous for its Old Town with many pubs and restaurants and night life
 * Samothrace-Island: using public transport you go by bus from Kavala Ktel to Alexandroupolis where the ferry to Samothrace starts