Trip to Thassos

    Keramoti is not only the place where one can lie on the beach and swim in the warm transparent clean sea, it is also an important ferry port, from where you can travel by sea to many destinations, nearest one being Thassos Island. Fishing boats and other vessels also coast at the harbor and you can always order fresh fried fish from the menu in Keramoti restaurants, often very tasty. It would be better if you try to learn your order in Greek in advance, otherwise you may risk to get something unexpected, because some waiters might tend to ignore you English (unintentionally). While in Keramoti we regularly take the opportunity to travel to Thassos, at least twice, once for sightseeing and the second time to buy souvenirs from the famous souvenir (or Market) street on Thassos Island. The voyage itself is exciting with all the seabirds accompanying the ferry rout all the way from Keramoti to Thassos, flying closely at an arm distance. You can actually feed them in motion from the decks of the ferry and enjoy their masterly swooping and taking off.

There are sure things to see to Thassos, it is a very green mountainous island with cozy little beaches hidden in beautifully nestled inlets, old and new houses, churches and chapels, shops and hotels, ancient ruins and marble quarries spread out its hills. The streets and yards in front of the houses are often decorated with flower bushes and exotic plants. If the ferry doesn’t carry your car to Thassos, you can take a bus to make a round trip from the port, or just walk to the centre for 15 minutes. In fact Thassos comprises such picturesque diversity of scenes and places, that when checking your photo album from there, you have the impression that you have visited many different places, not one island only. Historians say the island has been inhabited since Neolithic time and Thassos has always been a source of history and mythology. The legend of Agenor, the king of eastern Phoenicia and his daughter Europa who was abducted by Zeus, the greatest god of the ancient Greeks in a form of bull, and the following search for her, came to discovery of Thassos and eventually renaming the Island of Thrace into its present name – Thassos. Other legends connect Thassos to the Greek half-god and hero Heracles, who was the island’s patron and to many ancient feasts and celebrations dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine, Demeter, Pythian Apollo and other mythical figures. You can actually see and touch the remains of ancient temples, amphitheatres and other archeological attractions on Thassos.

Although remote from the main stream of Athens and other islands tourist destinations and somehow still undiscovered for the mass tourism, Thassos keeps the reputation and higher accommodation prices among the tourist agencies. We have always preferred to stay in Keramoti and visit Thassos while there, than look for booking in Thassos for our holiday.

To be continued