OUR TRAVEL: 2 days from 10 to 12 May 2022
WHERE? Spetses, one of the Saronic Islands
TIME ZONE: +1h all year round
HOW TO GET THERE: By boat from Athens, the journey takes about 3 hours.
WHEN TO GO? Like Athens, this island deserves to be visited outside the busy periods to live at the pace of the locals
WHY GO THERE? For the charm of the village of Spetses, the beauty of its beaches and finally for the endless turquoise water!
ACCESSIBILITY : Find all our addresses on our map Mapstr !
Spetses, an island of waves
When we talk about Greece, we often think of the Acropolis and the Cyclades with Mykonos and Santorini. But that's without counting the myriad of islands along the Peloponnese! This is the case of Spetses in the heart of the Argolic Gulf. It is attached to the Saronic Islands as is Hydra a few kilometres away.
Popular with Athenian high society at the beginning of the 20th century, many families settled on the island and had sumptuous houses built. They can be seen behind the coloured doors scattered throughout the village.
At this time of year, every street corner is an invitation to travel with the blossoming trees and the many palm trees. If you move away from the ferry terminal area, you will find the old harbour with its not so young ships!
Many terraces offer delicious fresh fish dishes throughout the day. Sitting under a parasol with the water lapping in the background... what more could you ask for!
Touring the island on an electric scooter
The island is not big and we want to see as much as possible before leaving. So we go to Spetses Moto Rent to rent an electric scooter. Its 45km autonomy is perfect for this trip as the tour of the island is about 30km long. Be aware that not all the beaches are accessible with this vehicle. Some accesses are indeed quite steep and often covered with gravel, which are not favourable to venture there with the scooter. Rest assured, some are easier than others!
This is the case of the Paraskevi beach in the south-west of the island. As the high season has not yet started, there are no boats at anchor and the beach is empty... a dream!
Between two beaches, as soon as the wind blows, let yourself be invaded by the smell of pine trees! There are so many of them that it has been nicknamed the pine island!
Create your own soap at the Poseidonion Hotel
ThePoseidonion Hotel, built in 1914, dominates one of the island's harbours. Its imposing shape and luxury have made it famous. The concierge service offers its lucky guests a typical Spetses experience.
We selected the workshop to make your own soap! When we are in Paris, we love this kind of workshop to make something with our hands so we jumped at the chance!
We meet Helen, who runs the island's soap factory, and she teaches us how to make olive oil in the garden of our room. She is very precise and we follow her instructions to the letter. The quantities and the texture of the paste are very precise! Without this, the soap does not hold! To finish in beauty, we choose a colouring agent and Helen gives us the trick to make shapes that will set during the drying process!
Poseidonion : À quelques mètres de l’embarcadère, vous ne pourrez pas le rater ! Le lieu de repos parfait après une journée à arpenter les sentiers de l’île. Le petit-déjeuner est copieux et la carte divine. Ne manquez pas leurs cocktails ! Tarifs : À partir de 205€ par nuit en hors saison. Les prix augmentent fortement pendant l’été. Accessibilité : L’accès se fait à l’arrière de l’hôtel avec plusieurs rampes. Lorsqu’il y a des marches, l’hôtel fait son maximum pour installer des rampes afin de les combler et permettre à tous d’être autonome.
Kapelogiannis : Right next to the old harbour, the restaurant's terrace catches the eye! The chairs are so close to the edge that you don't dare move for fear of falling in the water! Everything is delicious, go there with your eyes closed. Prices: from €7 for starters to share and €13 for main courses. Accessibility: Only the restaurant's terrace is accessible.
Spetses Moto Rent : À quelques minutes à pied de l’hôtel, louez ici votre scooter, vélo ou triporteur électrique ! Tarifs : Contactez les via leur site pour obtenir toutes les infos ! Accessibilité : Le triporteur électrique est super pour faire le tour de l’île. Un transfert sur la banquette arrière assez souple et c’est parti !
Elaionas tou Iliou : Make your own soap with Helen. The real bonus: she speaks very good French! Prices: Contact them for more information. Accessibility: We did the workshop in the garden in front of our hotel room. Please contact Helen for more information on the accessibility of the shop.
After going back in time to Athensthese few days in Spetses allowed us to recharge our batteries amidst the pine trees. You don't have to go all the way to the Cyclades to find a little paradise!