Places not to miss in Thassos - Locuri pe care sa nu le ratezi in Thassos

Hi,

In this article I will talk about places that you shouldn't miss in Thassos, as well as things I liked and disliked about my trip there. The first thing you should know is that Thassos isn't a very big island, but you will need a car to be able to explore all of its beauties. So if you travel by plane, renting a car is the first thing you should put on the to-do list.
We went there by car and had to take the ferryboat to get to the island. We took the ferry from Keramoti and in about 40 minutes we arrived on the island. You will find more information about the routes and schedules here. Very soon after we left the shore, hundreds of seagulls appeared above us. They enchanted us with a beautiful show and, at the end, they took their rewards from the passengers who gave them bread and biscuits. It was lovely, but the magic was just about to begin. Little did we know how many more beautiful thing were waiting for us on the island.

Buna, 

In acest articol va voi prezenta cateva locuri pe care nu trebuie sa le ratati in Thassos si va voi spune ce mi-a placut si ce nu mi-a placut acolo. Primul lucru care trebuie mentionat este ca Thassos nu este o insula mare, dar veti avea nevoie de o masina pentru a putea explora toate frumusetile ei. Daca mergeti cu avionul, va trebui neaparat sa inchiriati o masina. 

Noi ne-am dus cu masina si am luat feribotul din Keramoti spre insula (dureaza cam 40 de minute). Aici puteti gasi mai multe informatii despre rutele disponibile si orarul lor. In putin timp dupa ce am parasit portul, sute de pescarusi si-au facut aparitia deasupra noastra. Ne-au incantat cu un spectacol superb si la sfarsit au fost recompensati de oamenii de pe bord care le dadeau paine si biscuiti. A fost superb, iar magia abia acum incepea. Pe atunci nu aveam nicio idee cate surprize frumoase urmau sa ne astepte pe insula.

 

 As I said, it would be a pity not to explore the island by car, as there are so many beautiful beaches. Don't even think about spending your whole stay on the same beach, because all of them are different and all of them are full of surprises.
Day 1: we arrived in the afternoon, so after we checked in at our hotel, we decided to spend the rest of the day at Pefkari beach, the one that was the closest to our accomodation. The sand is really soft and there are no words to describe the delicate particles that were comforting my feet. If you have been to Greece before, you may already know that the sand is rather rough on most beaches, but it is not the case in Thassos.

Dupa cum am spus, ar fi pacat sa nu explorati insula cu masina, deoarece sunt o gramada de plaje frumoase. Nici sa nu va ganditi sa petreceti intregul sejur la o singura plaja, pentru ca toate sunt diferite si toate sunt pline de frumuseti. 
Ziua 1: am ajuns dupamasa, iar dupa ce ne-am cazat, am decis ca vom petrece restul zilei la plaja Pefkari, cea care era cel mai aproape de cazarea noastra. Nisipul este foarte fin si nu as putea descrie in cuvinte cum particulele delicate ale acestuia imi mangaiau picioarele. Daca ati mai fost in Grecia pana acum, probabil ca stiti deja ca nisipul este mai dur pe majoritatea plajelor, dar nu si in Thassos.

The moment I knew for sure that this trip is going to be magical was when I saw a couple getting married by the sea. It was indeed a great place to unite their destinies: the sunset was perfect, the wind was blowing just a little bit, the atmosphere was romantic. People came near them and watched the moment and everyone was rewarded with a sweet bag as a thank you for being with them in the most special moment of their lives.

Momentul in care am realizat ca aceasta excursia urma sa fie magica a fost atunci cand am vazut un cuplu care se casatorea pe plaja. Era intr-adevar un loc perfect pentru a-si uni destinele: apusul era superb, vantul sufla doar un pic, atmosfera era romantica. Oamenii au inceput sa se adune in jurul lor si urmareau momentul de pe margine. La sfarsit, toti am primit niste pungi cu bomboane ca o multumire pentru ca am fost alaturi de ei in acel moment special.

I think the top attraction of the island is Giola - the mermaids' gulf. It is also in Top 14 natural pools in the world on TripAdvisor. If you are the courageous type, you can jump in it from the cliff. Swimming in it feels great, the water is cristal clear and you surely feel like a mermaid.

Cred ca principala atractie a insulei este Giola - golful sirenelor.  Acest loc este de asemenea inclus in Top 14 piscine naturale din lume pe TripAdvisor. Daca sunteti mai curajosi, puteti sari in golf direct de pe stanca. E minunat sa inoti aici, apa este transparenta ca si cristalul si cu siguranta te vei simti pentru cateva clipe ca o sirena. 

 Another attraction that impressed me was the stone horoscope. You can find in on your way to Metalia beach. There are 12 stones placed in a circle, each representing one of the signs. You can make a stop here and take pictures with your stone, but also enjoy the beautiful view of the sea from the top.

Alta atractie care m-a impresionat a fost horoscopul de piatra. Il puteti gasi in drum spre plaja Metalia. Sunt 12 pietre mari amplasate intr-un cerc, fiecare reprezentant o zodie. Va puteti opri aici pentru a va fotografia cu piatra voastra si pentru a va bucura de peisajul superb cu marea vazuta de sus.

Limenas is the capital and also the most important harbour that connects the island to the continent. The coloured buildings built on the hill make you think about the italian coast. The beach is not very big but you can enjoy tasty Greek dishes on the taverns with the view.

Limenas este capitala si de asemenea cel mai important port ce uneste insula si continentul. Cladirile colorate construite pe dealuri va vor duce cu gandul la coasta Italiei. Plaja nu este foarte mare aici, dar va puteti delecta cu mancaruri grecesti gustoase la tavernele cu aceasta priveliste.

 You can take a day off from tanning and visit the villages in the mountains. You won't find many locals, but their stone houses will impress you. You will find out that Thassos is an island where the sea and the mountin merge beautifully into something unique. Their streets are really tight and there are many places where there is space for only one car, although it is a two-way road. You will reach the top wondering how they managed to build a community there in the first place, as it is so high and so tight. You will have to park your car and visit the village by foot. The following pictures are from Kastro.

Puteti face o pauza de la plaja intr-o zi si sa vizitati oraselele din munti. Nu veti gasi foarte multi localnici pe acolo, dar casele lor va vor impresiona. Veti descoperi ca Thassos este o insula unde marea si muntele se contopesc perfect. Stradutele lor sunt foarte inguste si sunt o gramada de locuri unde este loc pentru o singura masina, desi este un drum cu doua sensuri. Veti ajunge in varf intrebandu-va cum au reusit sa construiasca o intreaga comunitate acolo, atat de sus si atat de ingramadit. Va trebui sa lasati masina intr-o parcare si sa vizitati orasul pe jos. Urmatoarele poze sunt din Kastro. 

 Another nice village is Kazaviti. We arrived there in the evening and caught a great sunset among the crowded houses. We had dinner at a local tavern, which was a great idea because the cuisine up in the villages is genuine - it's made by the locals and it tastes amazing.

Alt sat dragut este Kazaviti. Noi am ajuns acolo seara si am prins un apus superb pe care l-am vazut printre casele inghesuite. Am luat cina la o taverna de acolo, o idee foarte buna deoarece mancarea de sus din sate e autentica - e facuta de localnici si are un gust minunat. 

Golden beach is know as the most beautiful beach in Thassos. From there, you can go up in Panagia village, known for their roasted chicken, lamb and pork. That's how we did every day, we went to the beach in the morning and at noon, when the sun was too hot, we would go up in the mountains - the food is always tastier there. After lunch, we would take a walk in the village and be amazed by their beautiful hoses and then go back to the beach and enjoy the rest of the day by the sea.

Golden beach este cunoscuta ca si cea mai frumoasa plaja din Thassos. De acolo, puteti urca in Panagia, un sat cunoscut pentru puiul, mielul si porcul rotisat pe care il servesc. Noi am facut asa in fiecare zi: mergeam dimineata la plaja, iar la pranz, cand soarele era prea puternic, urcam in munti, unde mancarea e mereu mai gustoasa. Dupa pranz, faceam o plimbare prin sat si ramaneam uimiti de casele lor frumoase. Apoi mergeam inapoi pe plaja si petreceam restul zile langa apa. 

I know that in the begining of this article I told you that there are many beaches and you should go to a different one each day, but I went to this one twice because I simply couldn't get enough. I enjoyed my time so much there that I forgot to take more pictures of it, so I only have these ones. This beach is called La Scala beach and it's different from others because it is much more elegant. The atmosphere is different, in the background you have great italian music and everything is so fancy, from the sunbeds and umbrellas to the glasses the frappe is served in. If you want to feel the atmosphere, just listen to Alberto Fortis - Il duomo di notte -a song I heard there- and imagine you are in your sunbed with a good book, sipping an ice cold frappe.

Stiu ca la inceputul articolului v-am spus ca sunt multe plaje frumoase si ca puteti merge la alta in fiecare zi, dar eu am fost la aceasta de doua ori pentru ca pur si simplu nu m-am putut satura. Mi-a placut atat de mult acolo incat am si uitat sa fac mai multe poze, deci le am doar pe acestea. Aceasta este La Scala beach si este diferita de celelalte pentru ca este mult mai eleganta. Atmosfera e diferita, pe fundal e muzica italiana si totul este foarte extravagant, de la sezlonguri si umbrele pana la paharele in care este servit frappeul. Daca doriti sa intrati pentru cateva clipe in acea atmosfera, ascultati Alberto Fortis - Il duomo di notte - o melodie pe care am auzit-o acolo - si imaginati-va ca sunteti pe sezlong cu o carte buna, sorbind un frappe rece ca gheata.

Of course no trip to Greece is complete without a Greek night, one of those nights with plenty of their food and a little show made by the locals. We went to Taverna Avgustos in Theologos, a place very much advertised everywhere on the island. It was ok, but it wasn't great. I've been to other Greek nights in other parts of Greece that were much better, but if you've never been to a Greek night before, it's definitely worth going. If you have been, you'll be a little disappointed - the food is good but not great and the atmosphere could have been just a little better, all in all, the ratio between cost and quality is not quite ballanced.   

Cu siguranta ca nicio excursie in Grecia nu e completa fara o seara greceasca, una din acele seri cu multa mancare si putin spectacol facut de localnici. Am fost la  Taverna Avgustos din Theologos, un loc caruia i se facea foarte multa reclama peste tot pe insula. A fost ok, dar nu minunat. Am fost la alte seri grecesti mult mai reusite in alte parti ale Greciei, dar daca nu ati fost niciodata la asa ceva, merita sa vedeti cum e. Daca ati mai fost, veti ramane putin dezamagiti -  mancarea e buna, dar nu minunata, iar atmosfera putea fi ceva mai mult. Raportul calitate-pret nu este tocmai echilibrat aici.  

A little more about the food - what I reccomend you to eat if you go anywhere in Greece: anything with tzatziki! You will never again taste such good tzatziki like in its mother country. And also the big plates of fresh fish and sea food. There are plenty of taverns by the beach so it's very likely that you'll have a view anywhere you decide to stop and eat.

Inca putin despre mancare - ce va recomand sa mancati daca mergeti oriunde in Grecia: orice cu tzatziki. Niciodata nu veti mai gusta tzatziki atat de bun ca in tara lui. Si desigur platourile mari cu peste si fructe de mare proaspete. Sunt o gramada de taverne pe faleza, deci este foarte probabil ca oriunde veti manca veti avea si o priveliste superba.

And now, the last thing worth mentioning - their huge orchards of olive trees that are literally everywhere. It doesn't matter where you are driving to, on one side you'll see the sea and on the other, the ochards. The trees are really impressive because of their massive trunks. Most of them are cultivated not for the fruits, but for their wood. If you think you'll be able to taste the olives directly from their home, I'll have to destroy your hopes. If you travel in the summer, this will not be possible, as olives aren't mature yet. They're only good to eat and harvest in the winter.

Ultimul lucru pe care vreau sa il mentionez - livezile mari de maslini care sunt absolut peste tot. Nu conteaza inspre ce va indreptati, mereu pe sosea veti avea pe o parte marea si pe cealalta livezile. Pomii sunt impresionanti din cauza trunchiurilor lor masive. Majoritatea sunt cultivati pentru lemn si nu pentru fructe. Daca va imaginati ca o sa gustati masline direct de la ele de acasa, va trebui sa va spulber aceste vise. Daca veti calatori vara, acest lucru nu va fi posibil pentru ca inca nu sunt coapte. Ele se pot culege si manca doar iarna.  

In conclusion, I have to say that Thassos is the most beautiful Greek island from all that I visited until now and it impressed me the most. Somhow, most Greek island are similar to eachother, but Thassos has something that will make you remember it forever. Still, there is a possibility that Santorini will surclass it, but I've never been there so I can't tell yet.

In concluzie, trebuie sa spun ca Thassos este cea mai frumoasa insula greceasca pe care am vizitat-o pana acum si care m-a impresionat cel mai mult. Oarecum, insulele grecesti sunt toate la fel, dar Thassos are ceva ce te face sa ti-o amintesti pentru totdeauna. Totusi, este o posibilitate ca Santorini sa o surclaseze, dar inca nu am fost acolo asa ca nu ma pot pronunta.