Greece - Korina Miller [239]
Vryallida ( 6948351600; Gravias 17; 8am-late) This hole-in-the-wall cafe approaching Panagia has a low-lit, relaxed ambience and brooding Greek music.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Kavala shares Alexander the Great Airport, near Hrysoupoli (29km), with Xanthi. Olympic Air ( 25102 23622; www.olympicairlines.com; Ethnikis Andistasis 8) does two daily Athens flights (€76), Aegean Airlines ( 25210 29000; Erythrou Stavrou 1) does one daily (€66). The few island flights all go via Athens or Thessaloniki.
BOAT
For timetables and prices for boats from Kavala to the northeastern Aegean Islands, Island Hopping.
Ferry tickets for Thasos are sold on the eastern waterfront’s ticket kiosk ( 25930 24001; www.thassos- ferries.gr).
Euro Kosmos Travel Agency ( 25102 21960; www.eurokosmos.gr, in Greek; Erythrou Stavrou 1) near the bus station, Nikos Miliadis Shipping Agency ( 25102 26147; Karaoli-Dimitriou 36) or Alkyon Travel Service ( 25102 31096; alkyon-trv@ticketcom.gr; Eleftheriou Venizelou 37) all sell ferry tickets to the northeastern Aegean Islands.
From Kavala, hydrofoils serve Thasos only; for more information, Island Hopping. In Kavala, these hydrofoils berth at the port’s western side, by the port police kiosk, which posts hydrofoil and ferry schedules. Buy tickets on boarding.
BUS
Domestic
The bus station ( 25102 22294; cnr Filikis Eterias & Hrysostomou Kavalas) serves Athens (€52, 8¾ hours, two daily), Xanthi (€5, one hour, half-hourly), Keramoti (€4.20, one hour, hourly), Serres (€8.40, two hours, four daily) and Thessaloniki (€13.30, 2¼hours, 15 daily). The apothiki (storeroom) keeps luggage cheaply.
Buses for Alexandroupoli (€10.95, two hours, seven daily) depart from the bus station (Hrysostomou 1) outside the small 7-Eleven snack bar opposite the KTEL office. Get tickets and information inside.
International
OSE buses from Thessaloniki via Drama leave Kavala for Turkey at 10pm daily (single €52).
Alkyon Travel Service ( 25102 31096; alkyon-trv@ticketcom.gr; Eleftheriou Venizelou 37), from which buses also depart, has tickets.
Getting Around
Getting to or from the airport, taxi (€35) is the only option. Taxis ( 25102 32001) wait near the bus station.
Alkyon Travel Service ( 25102 31096; alkyon-trv@ticketcom.gr; Eleftheriou Venizelou 37) rents cars from €40 a day.
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PELLA ΠΕΛΛΑ
The birthplace of Alexander the Great, Pella ( 23820 31160; admission €6; 8am-7.30pm Tue-Sun, noon-7.30pm Mon) spans the Thessaloniki–Edessa road, and features spectacular mosaics. Pella became Macedon’s capital under King Archelaos (r 413–399 BC), though Vergina (Aigai), the former capital, remained the royal cemetery.
Created with naturally coloured, subtly contrasting stones, the mosaics depict mythological scenes. They were created for ancient houses and public buildings now destroyed. Some are in situ, others in the museum. Also on this (northern) side of the road are six re-erected columns and a courtyard decorated with a black-and-white geometric mosaic.
On the southern side is the museum ( 8am-7.30pm), admission is free with the Pella ticket. Room 1 has a wall reconstruction from an ancient house, and a circular table inlaid with intricate floral and abstract designs, which possibly belonged to Philip II. Room 2 houses more mosaics.
Getting There & Away
Thessaloniki–Pella buses go every 45 minutes from 6am to 10pm (€2.90, 40 minutes). To visit Pella and Vergina by bus in one day, first see Pella, then take a Thessaloniki-bound bus to Halkidona and take a Vergina bus from there.
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LITOHORO ΛΙΤΌΧΩΡΟ
pop 7011 / elev 305m
Relaxing Litohoro (lih-to-ho-ro) is the base for climbing or just admiring Olympus, though its winding, cobbled upper streets and lovely Macedonian-style wood-balconied houses make it appealing in its own right. The arrival here is dramatic: on the final eastern approach, the Enipeas River gorge parts, revealing the towering double peaks of Olympus. Booking