Looking for help with daily trips when using Nafplio as the base for your summer vacation? Well you have different options but a highly recommended one is the daly trip from Nafplio to Spetses, an island located South East from Nafplio at the Saronic. Spetses is one of the Islands close to the Peloponnese region and is one of the most graphic Islands of Greece. The fact that there are only limited cars (only the permanent residents’ cars of the Island are allowed) on the Island is what it makes it more unique. The transportation is with carriages with horses, by foot, with motorbikes (a license is required) and bikes. On the Island you expect a very traditional architecture, a legendary history with the Spetses Museum and the Bouboulinas Museum, nice beaches and traditional taverns especially sea-food taverns.
Taking into consideration that you will need aprox 1.5hour until you go to the Island, we would suggest you to leave early in the morning, so to have enough time to explore the island. You will have to drive to the Kosta port, the closest part of the mainland of Greece to Spetses, where you will park your car and then will take a boat for aprox 5-10 min before you arrive to Spetses. Kosta is located 82 kms South East from Nafplio and has two huge parking lots where you can safe park your car.
HERE you will find directions to Kosta Port.
From Kosta you can take either the traditional boats (aprox 20 people, 2.5€ per person per route) that need aprox 15 min to take you to the island or the taxi boats (5-7 people, aprox 23€ per route) that need only 7mins to take you to the island. Both of them will stop at Spetse new port that is located right at the downtown.
What you can do in Spetses
We would highly recommend you to rent bikes for your transportation on the island in order to have the options to see different places and get more from Spetses (do not forget to have a piece of id with you in order to rent). The other option would be to take the bus that makes all the round of the island and stops at different beaches and places. It starts from next to the port.
Beaches
There are several beaches at the island some of them located at the East side of it and some of them at the west side of Spetses.
Kaiki Beach– Directions HERE
Ligoneri Beach (Highly recommened) – Directions HERE
Vrelos Beach (Highly Recommended) – Directions HERE
Lovers Cove – (more difficult access) – Directions HERE
Agii Anarguroi Beach (highly recommended) – Directions HERE
Agia Paraskeui – (highly recommended) – Directions HERE
Xilokeriza Beach – Directions HERE
Places to Visit
Dapia Square
The new port or the dapia square is the place where the boat will stop once arrive at the island. Around dapia square you will find different options for cafes and patisseries. Here is the heart of Spetses island and at the square is the place where in the 1820 the island’s seafaring leaders were organizing the revolute against the Turks. At the east side of Dapia is located the Roloyiou square where a lot of retail shops, restaurants and bars can be found. All around Dapia you will find small pedestrian paths where the ground has small rocks that can be found only at Spetses island. In addition as you will be there do not forget to check how the supermarkets are, they are built in a very unique way! In Dapia you will find the Spetses Museum and the Bouboulinas Museum that is located in the heroine’s former home, a typical Spetses mansion.
Directions to Dapia Square HERE
Spetses Museum
So Spetses museum is a 200 old building with high ceiling. It was built between 1795-1798 and is the former mansion-villa of Hatzigiannis Mexis, the island’s first governor. The importance of the museum comes from the Greek Revolution of 1821 when it was a hub of activity. At the museum there are different exhibits connected to 1821 such as traditional costumes, weapons, household artifacts, pottery from the Early Helladic period sculptures and tombstones of the Roman period and the bust of Mexi Hatzigiannis.
Directions to Spetses Museum HERE
Bouboulinas Museum
Lascarina Bouboulina, the strongest woman of the Greek history, is among the few females that had an important role during the Greek Revolution of 1821. The museum is her former house and inside you can see really interesting collection of her personal objects and the household furnishing. She lost both her husbands from pirate attacks and she was one of the leaders of the Greek Revolution.
Directions to Bouboulinas Museum HERE
Anargyrios School
Anargyrios and Korgianelios School is a school found on Spetses in 1927. It had only male students until when it was shut down in 1983. It was named after its founders Anargyrios Sotirios and Korgianelios Marinos.
Directions to Anargyrios School HERE
The Old Harbour
The old Harbour of Spetses was an important ship building center. It is located aprox 1km East from Dapia. Over there you can find different cafes and restaurants and it is really worth your attention. At the old harbor you will find the old lighthouse that is one of the oldest light houses in Greece. The residential area at the east of the old harbor is one of the most high end areas of Spetses. All the part from Dapia Square till the Old Harbor is an area that for sure you have to walk. It is a short distance but with picturesque places and nice architecture buildings.
Directios to the Old Harbor HERE
Restaurants
Patralis Fish Tavern (Highly Recommended) – Directions HERE
On the verandah – Directions HERE
Akrogialia – Directions HERE
Mourayo (Highly Recommended) – Directions HERE
