Greece - Korina Miller [290]
Only locally owned vehicles are allowed on Spetses. There are not too many of these, although the number is increasing. Hundreds of noisy scooters and motorbikes more than make up for it. There are motorbike-hire shops everywhere; rental is around €16 to €25 per day.
For quieter pedal power, there are sturdy bikes for hire (€6 per day) to suit all ages, including baby seats, from the excellent Bike Center ( 22980 74143; 9.30am-9.30pm) behind the fish market.
Water taxis ( 22980 72072; Dapia Harbour) leave from the quay opposite the Bardakos Tours office. Fares are displayed on a board. One-way fares are €16 to the Old Harbour, €30 to Agia Marina, €63 to Agii Anargyri, €45 to mainland Porto Heli, and €20 to Kosta. A round trip of the island costs €80. Fares are per trip, not per person. Add 50% to the price from midnight to 6am.
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SPETSES TOWN
pop 3550
Spetses Town lies on the northeast coast of the island. It straggles a lengthy waterfront and its houses rise steeply from behind the main Dapia Harbour.
There’s evidence of an early Helladic settlement near the Old Harbour (Palio Limani) and at Dapia. Roman and Byzantine remains have been found in the area behind Moni Agios Nikolaos, halfway between the two.
From the 10th century Spetses is thought to have been uninhabited for almost 600 years, until the arrival of Albanian refugees fleeing the fighting between Turks and Venetians in the 16th century.
The Dapia district has a few impressive arhontika (old mansions). The main part of town is given over to chic tourist shops and cafes. There are some rich ironies, not least the juxtaposition of the cheerfully whiffy fish market with fashion shops selling such fragrant lines as Danoff, Clink, Zulu and Trussardi.
The town is awash with noisy motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes. Take great care at sharp corners.
A kilometre or so along the eastern harbour front takes you to the attractive Old Harbour (Palio Limani), the Church of Agios Nikolaos, and Baltiza yacht anchorage and boatbuilding area.
Orientation
At Dapia Harbour the quay serves both ferries and hydrofoils. A left turn at the end of the quay, facing in, leads east through Plateia Limenarhiou and along the harbour-front road of Sotiriou Anargyriou, past the town beach and Plateia Agiou Mama. Beyond here, the seafront road continues to the Old Harbour and on to Baltiza.
From the inner left-hand corner of Plateia Limenarhiou a narrow lane leads left to Plateia Orologiou (Clocktower Sq), which is enclosed by cafes, tavernas and shops and is overlooked by its namesake clock tower.
The narrow ‘Main Street’ climbs directly inland from the back of Plateia Limenarhiou.
From the north side of the harbour a road leads through the harbour-front Kounoupitsa area to become the road that runs northwest to Ligoneri.
Information
There is no tourist office on Spetses. A useful website is www.spetsesdirect.com.
Alpha Bank at Dapia Harbour has an ATM and there are others outside Alasia Travel on the waterfront and the Bank of Piraeus at the entrance to Plateia Orologiou. There are ATMs just up to the right along the harbour terrace.
The port police ( 22980 72245), tourist police ( 22980 73100; mid-May–Sep) and OTE (telephone office) all share the same building just beyond the Dapia Harbour upper terrace.
1800 Net Café ( 22980 29498; near Hotel Possidonion; per hr €3; 9am-midnight; ) Wi-fi is free to customers.
Mimoza Travel ( 22980 75170; mimoza-kent@aig.forthnet.gr) On the harbour front just past Plateia Limenarhiou; can help with accommodation and other services.
Newsagent ( 22980 73028; Main