SPETSES

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There are a lot of remarkable historic sites in Spetses, which are maintained with love and care. The Museum of Spetses situated at the mansion of Hatziyiannis Mexis (one of the wealthiest leading activist of that era), the main mansion of Laskarina Bouboulina that now is a private museum, and the historical monastery of St. Nicolas.

Traditional sites missing from other parts of Greece, decorate the village of Spetses. The famous shipyards with their wooden keels, the mansions of the great captains and admirals from the last century with their own characteristic architecture, the churches in the neighborhoods, built after the Byzantine Empire, the horse and the buggies.

The most Important Festival of religious and historical meaning is "Armata". Early in September with weekly events leading to their peak on the 8th, the locals together with the guests celebrate the anniversary of the Great Spetses naval battle, one of the most significant fights of the 1821 revolution, which took place on the 8th of September 1822, where the enemy fleet was defeated to retreat after losing their flag ship.

Every year thousands of visitors on the above date re live that courageous victory with a spectacular dramatization. The ferries cruise the scenic 4-5 hr journey via all the islands of the Saronic Gulf. A faster solution is the hydrofoils "flying dolphins" only in 2 hr. It is also easy by car through Korinth, but since cars are not allowed on the island, there is an organized parking in Costa. The short crossing of 1,5 mile can be made by using the sea transportation which is available.

By renting a small boat for the day it is easy to visit the island all around. On the south there are beautiful beaches like Agios Mamas, Agios Nikolaos, Agia Marina, but on the north you can also swim at Kounoupitsa, Ligoneri, Vrellou and Agia Paraskevi.

Island's specialty is the "fish a la Spetsiota" cooked in the oven with a lot of tomato, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.