Greece - Korina Miller [521]
Studios Ktima Holovan ( 25510 98335, 6976695591; d/tr €70/80) Located 16km east of Kamariotissa, this relaxing place has very modern, two-room self-catering studios set on a grassy lawn 50m from the beach, and a mini-playground for kids. The price also includes a free hire car.
Mariva Bungalows ( 25510 98230; d incl breakfast €80; ) These secluded bungalows, with breezy modern rooms, sit on a lush hillside near a waterfall. To reach them, turn from the coast road inland towards Loutra, and then take the first left. Follow the signs to the bungalows (600m further).
Kafeneio Ta Therma ( 25510 98325) This big open cafe near the baths is always full, whether for coffee in the morning, beer at night or homemade fruit sweets at any time.
Loutra has fast food like souvlaki, though Paradisos Restaurant ( 25510 95267; mains €5-8) and Fengari Restaurant ( 25510 98321; mains €5.50-9) have good sit-down fare; try the latter’s stuffed goat or imam tourlou (roast eggplant stuffed with potatoes and pumpkin).
Fonias River
After Loutra on the northeast coast is the Fonias River, and the famous Vathres rock pools (admission €1). The walk starts at the bridge 4.7km east of Loutra, by the (summer-only) ticket booths. The first 40 minutes are easy and on a well-marked track leading to a large rock pool fed by a dramatic 12m-high waterfall. The cold water is very refreshing on a hot summer’s day. The river is known as the ‘Murderer’, and in winter rains can transform the waters into a raging torrent. The real danger, however, is getting lost: though there are six waterfalls, marked paths only run to the first two; after that, the walk becomes dangerously confusing. For serious hiking here and in the Mt Fengari area, consult Niki Tours in Kamariotissa.
Beaches
The 800m-long Pahia Ammos Beach is a superb sandy beach along an 8km winding road from Lakoma on the south coast. In summer, caïques from Kamariotissa visit. The boat tour from Loutra stops around the headland at the equally superb, nudist-friendly Vatos Beach.
The formerly Greek-inhabited island of Imvros (Gökçeada), ceded to Turkey under the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, is sometimes visible from Pahia Ammos.
Pebbled Kipos Beach on the southeast coast, accessed via the road skirting the north coast, is pretty but shadeless; like the others, it’s reached in summer by caïque or excursion boat.
Other Villages
The small villages of Profitis Ilias, Lakoma and Xiropotamos in the southwest, and Alonia near Hora, are all serene and seldom visited, though they’re easily accessible. The hill-side Profitis Ilias, with many trees and springs, has several tavernas; Vrahos ( 25510 95264) is particularly famous for its roast goat.
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THASOS ΘΑΣΟΣ
pop 13,530
One of Greece’s greenest and most gentle islands, Thasos lies 10km from mainland Kavala. While similar climate and vegetation gives the feeling that the island is but an extension of northern Greece, it boasts enviable sandy beaches and a gorgeous, forested mountain interior. It’s also quite inexpensive by Greek island standards and is one of the most popular with families, as well as young people from the greater Balkan ‘neighbourhood’ of Bulgaria and the ex-Yugoslav republics. Frequent ferries from the mainland allow independent travellers crossing northern Greece to get here quickly, and the excellent bus network makes getting around easy.
Over its long history, Thasos has often benefited from its natural wealth. The Parians who founded the ancient city of Thasos (Limenas) in 700 BC struck gold at Mt Pangaion, creating an export trade lucrative enough to subsidise a naval fleet. While the gold is long gone, Thasos’ white marble – said to be the second whitest in the world – is still being exploited, unfortunately blighting the mountainside with quarries in the process. Environmentalists have criticised this, and the (subdued) exploration for offshore oil between Thasos and Kavala.
For visitors