Spetses is a small island in the Saronic gulf, the furthest from Athens, situated very close to the mainland only 2.5 km off the Peloponnese coast. The island is approximately 27 km square and the permanent population is around 3,500 but of course this number increases dramatically during Greek Easter, July-August & during the Armata festival in September. It is situated very close to the mainland, lying only 2.5 km off the Peloponnese coast.
The old harbour and Dápia, a tourist & commercial centre where the heart of the island’s entertainment beats, are the trademarks of the town of Spetses. An island boasting a long naval tradition, it’s famous for its significant contribution to the 1821 War of Independence.
Take a romantic trip around the island in horse-drawn carriages & admire the grand mansions adorning the narrow cobbled streets of the island.
Cars in the towns of Spetses are forbidden. You can get around the island very comfortably on a 50cc motorbike in about 2 hours. There are bicycle rental shops in the city, as well as rental shops for electric bicycles. There are 2 ‘bus lines’ on the island.
The first bus departs from the beach of Ayios Mamas and travels to the southeast, with the final destination of Ayia Paraskevi beach on the south side of the island.
The other bus departs from Bouboulina’s square and travels in the southwest direction, with the final destination of Vrellos beach.
Caiques are traditionally small, wooden fishing boats. They have, over the past couple of decades, been used to transport tourists to all the organized beaches of the island.
Horse buggies are a very traditional mode of transport on Spetses. They are ideal for sightseeing on the island.
Water Taxis are available all day & all night. They can be found moored right in Dápia harbour & also at Kosta on the mainland, as a way of getting to the island.
There are approximately 4 car taxis in operation on the island that are usually waiting in the harbour.
The most common option is to travel by sea. Spetses is accessible with a Flying Dolphin from the port of Piraeus or from Hydra, Aegina and Poros. Another option is to travel by car (or by bus with (Argolida Prefecture Bus Company-KTEL) to Kosta in Peloponnesos and to get a boat from there to Spetses (the boat trip lasts around 15 minutes). Or there is the option of renting a car at the airport and self driving to Kosta where you leave the car and hop on a boat to the island. For more detailed information on how to get to the island please visit www.spetses.gov.gr , the official website of the municipality of Spetses.
