Places to go, things to do.....

First off, buy a map. You may be content to stay around the town in which case... fair enough. But out of town it helps to know where places are in relation to each other. Click Here for my map page.

Please don't do the all too frequently seen tourist trick of unfolding the map in the shop, trying to memorise its content, then screwing it up and putting it back on the rack. They are not expensive and you don't win friends like that - the shopkeeper probably speaks good English and would have been happy to help you with directions - and the map may come in very handy once you manage to lose yourself - surprisingly easy, even on such a small island.

Beaches.

Prime importance for most visitors I suppose! We have a full range - though I have to say, not much sand.

Aghia Marina (Paradise Beach), Kaiki/Lefka at the edges of town boast ranks of sunbeds, beach bars and music - and people flock there in crowds. Other beaches around town like the Town Beach, Aghios Nikolas and Garifallo are less commercial but can all get busy at times and none of them are far from refreshments. Out of town, the only other settlement is Anargyri - and the beach here is not only one of the sandiest on the island but is also quite well served with a taverna and sunbeds. Xilokerisa, Vrellos and Zogheria also all have some facilities - sunbeds/cafes/bars/music and so on (very limited at times though).

For the more adventurous, Ligoneri and Kouzounos, Paraskevi can be reached by bus but Paradisos, and Korbi will take a bit more stamina, a boat or a bike to get there - but well worth the effort in my opinion. There are all sorts of other bits of beach and cove that are worth hunting out - and it is not too difficult to find a quiet corner, even in the height of summer.

If water sport is your thing then the main bit is at Anargyri with a limited amount at Kaiki and Aghia Marina beaches but we are hardly the water skiing or windsurfing capital of Greece.

Getting to the beach... Caique boats go from the Dapia in town to some of these beaches on most days during the main season (look for notices at the Dapia harbour); there are also limited summer bus services to Kouzounos, Anargyri and Paraskevi in one direction and Kaiki, Ligoneri and Vrellos in the other.

In Town

The two focal points of town are The Dapia and the Old Harbour (Palio Limani). On a sunny day in summer the cafes around the Dapia harbour will be packed by late morning, whereas the Old Harbour gets into action much later on in the evening. Enjoy the traditional architecture... and the shopping.

The Forest.

In theory, most of the island is still forested and indeed the John Fowles quotation on the front page still holds good in many places. A series of fires during summer 2000 followed by a further big fire in 2005 destroyed much of the older forest and this will take many years to recover. Mature forest still stands though, in the west of the island and in sections above the town. For the rest of it, the scarred hills have greened over and the forest is steadily restablishing itself. From most beaches the forest backdrop is still quite magical. In summertime it's best to leave the forest as a visual attraction; you lessen the fire risk and save your suntan from being tattooed by the dry, thorny undergrowth. IF you do venture into the forest, make sure you at least take some water with you - there are no facilities up there and in 35 degree heat you will need it.

Other places

Try to visit the mainland. The nearest point is Kosta which has good beaches and is well served by caique, ferry and sea taxi. From there it is fairly easy to get to the nearby towns of Porto Heli, Ermioni and Kilada all of which show a gentle side of modern rural Greece - and you can find good seafood at sensible local prices. Further afield, the ancient sites of Mycenae and Epidavros, the spectacular rock at Monemvassia, the old capital Napflion with it's impressive fortress, the picturesque island of Hydra and the busy island of Poros are all accessible without too much trouble.

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Eating, Drinking and Nightlife

At one time I included a list of personal favourites in this slot. I know it was appreciated by many - taverna owners and visitors alike told me so.

OK, so one bar owner made a point of cutting me dead in the street when they discovered that I was recommending their bar; which shows that there is just no pleasing some people.

BUT times change. Opening, closuresand staff changes had made the list pretty much out of date. And too many people started greeting me with lines like 'Oh you must mention my brother's restaurant'. SO I thought it was time to drop the list.

Now for newcomers to Greece there is a whole list of categories of eating place; bars, kafeneion, restaurants, tavernas and so on. If you really want to know, any good guide book will tell you what each name implies. In practice the lines get blurred though.....

There is a wide range of cafes restaurants and bars in town. There are some very basic down to earth places .... and some that are quite sophisticated, partly in response to the fashionable status of Spetses. You can find restaurants on beaches, on roofs, on little platforms hanging over the water, in the streets - and even some that appear quite normal.

Bear in mind that a novel location may not always mean the best food. From traditional Greek to Pizza to Burger, there is a good choice in the town centre, along the seafront from the town hall to Kaiki, through the Old Harbour, at Aghia Marina and also tucked away in the back streets of town. Places you will want to come back to - and places you will wish you never set foot in - but different people have different ideas about what makes a good night out, so most manage to stay in business most of the time! It's worth hunting around a bit too - sometimes excellent food can be found in the most unpromising looking places.

Personal favourites?

Heading out to eat, my first choices tend to be... so many to choose! New places open (and old ones close), owners change each season, so wherever I used to enjoy may not be the same by the time you get there.... it's an adventure...enjoy!

Be bold and experiment - many tourists (particularly the English) find a nice place on their first night and then never go anywhere else. Now they may, by luck have found the best place on the island - but how would they know??

Out of town. During summer months only, at lunchtime you can find food at Ksilokerisa, Anargyri, Zogheria. But as far as I am aware, the taverna at Anargyri is the only place out of town where you can get an evening meal.

The cafes, bars and tavernas can keep you occupied pretty much all night if you wish, but if you really need more....

Nightlife......

We have a variety of night clubs including a couple with traditional Greek pretensions, mainly in the Old Harbour. Many don't even open until midnight and they will keep you out till dawn if that's what you want. On the basis of my limited experience I can tell you they are lively, noisy and sometimes weird - an amazing and wonderful mix of Greek and Western youth culture. Strange that the loudest clubs should be right next to some of the most expensive houses; but then you get used to that sort of paradox in this country.

And finally, we have two open air cinemas open through the summer months - it can be fun watching the moths flitting across the projector beam in the night. Films other than cartoons are nearly always shown in their original language, so you don't have to contend with Brad Pitt speaking Greek - now there's a surreal thought....