Greece - Korina Miller [292]
Akrogialia ( 22980 74749; Kounoupitsa; mains €9-17; 9am-midnight) This excellent restaurant is on the Kounoupitsa harbour front and matches its great food with friendly service and a bright setting. There are tasty options such as oven-baked melitzana rolos (eggplant with cream cheese and walnuts). Fish is by the kilo but you can enjoy a terrific fish risotto for €17 or settle for a choice steak; all accompanied by a thoughtful and classy selection of Greek wines. Breakfast, coffee and lunch are also available.
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PEDAL POWER
Spetses’ circular coast road can be enjoyed astride motorbike or scooter, but it cries out for a cycle – an antidote to all that fine Greek food. The road is satisfyingly sinuous and scenic and the circuit hugs the coast for 26km. Which way to go is definitely arguable. Locals advise anti-clockwise to get some hefty climbs behind you, but going clockwise leaves some well-earned freewheeling at the end of the trip. Why not do it twice, both ways, and get really fit and virtuous? You can bounce off all of the island’s beaches on the way.
The interior of the island is crisscrossed with quieter roads and woodland tracks and you can veer off for some more strenuous uphill off-roading into the lovely wooded hills of the island. (But take a decent map and compass with you.)
Bike Center ( 22980 74143; 9.30am-9.30pm) behind the fish market hires out bikes for €6 per day.
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To Nero tis Agapis ( 22980 74009; Kounoupitsa; mains €12-19) The sweetly named ‘Water of Life’ is a sister restaurant to Tarsanas (below) but offers meat as well as fish dishes. The crayfish tagliatelle is worth every bite, as is the zarzuela (fish stew). Meat-eaters can settle for pork fillet in a cream sauce, and there’s a selection of creative salads. It’s located about 1km northwest of Dapia Harbour.
Tarsanas ( 22980 74490; Old Harbour; mains €17-26) A hugely popular psarotaverna (fish taverna), this family-run place deals almost exclusively in fish dishes using fresh local fish when available. It can be pricey, but the fish soup at €6 alone is a delight and other starters such as anchovies marinated with lemon start at about €4.50. For mains try the Tarsanas special: a seafood saganaki (fried cheese) for €17.
Self-caterers will find everything they need at Kritikos Supermarket ( 22980 74361; Kentriki Agora), next to the fish market on the harbour front. The entrance is along a covered passageway. There’s also a fruit and vegetable shop next to the newsagents in Main St.
Drinking & Entertainment
Bar Spetsa ( 22980 74131; 8pm-late) One of life’s great little bars, this Spetses institution never loses its integrity and its easygoing atmosphere. The music is guaranteed to stir memories for just about everyone with a soul. The bar is 50m beyond Plateia Agiou Mama on the road to the right of the kiosk.
Balconi Wine Bar ( 22980 72594; Sotiriou Anargyriou; 10.30am-3am May-Oct, 7pm-3am Nov-Apr) Paying stylish homage to cocktails, wine and well-sourced whisky, this smart place next to the seafront Stelios Hotel features classical music by day and subtle jazz riffs by night.
Music and dance venues are concentrated at the Old Harbour–Baltiza area and include Fortezza and Mourayo, which play Greek pop, Tsitsiano for traditional Greek and the big dance venue Baltiza, which may have a cover charge.
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AROUND SPETSES
Spetses’ coastline is speckled with numerous coves with small, pine-shaded beaches. The beach at Ligoneri, about 2.5km west of town, is easily reached by bus. The long, pebbly Agia Paraskevi and the sandier Agii Anargyri on the southwest coast have good, albeit crowded, beaches; both have water sports of every description. Agia Marina, about 2km southeast of Spetses Town, is a small resort with a beach that gets crowded.
A surfaced road skirts the entire coastline, so a scooter is the ideal way to explore the