Thassos holidays

Highlights

Highlights offer endless opportunities to discover, wonder, relax and enjoy - here is a selection...

Evening Flavour

• Thassos carefully protects its trademark laid-back ambience, so doesn’t have the sizzling nightlife of Corfu or Rhodes. However, there are plenty of bars where you can down a few drinks in a lively atmosphere, and quite a few have music playing into the early hours. Many of the hotels also put on special events, including poolside barbecues, beach parties and entertainment, including live music, dancing and folklore shows. In Limenas and the other major towns, the seaside is the place to find most of the action, with the beach often serving as a dance floor. In Limenaria, the island’s second largest town, the whole waterfront seems to light up after dark into one long bar, with a seemingly endless string of watering holes, all playing different kinds of music from traditional Greek to heavy metal. If you want to immerse yourself in authentic Greek culture, head for one of the music tavernas or bouzouki bars that are all around Limenas and the other bigger towns. The tunes may not be in your hit parade, but it’s a fun night out with the bonhomie flowing as freely as the drinks. You might even be encouraged to leave your inhibitions at the door and have a go at some communal dancing a la Zorba the Greek. Alternatively, if you’re into the blues, why not check out the Greek version, ‘rembetika’? There are several joints where you can catch skilled practitioners of this raw, urban protest music, which originated in the hashish dens of Piraeus and Thessaloniki at the beginning of the 20th century.
  
  
• Island Cafe, Limenas A great place for after-dinner cocktails and music, this lively beachside bar is at the eastern end of town just past the old harbour. Kick off your shoes and feel the sand between your toes as you dance to the latest sounds.
  
  
• XXL Club, Limenas This popular venue has a real party atmosphere and is about as close as Thassos gets to the kind of pulsating nightlife you’ll find on other Greek islands.
  
  
• Rock Cave Bar, Limenaria Like your rock as heavy as Thassos’s famous marble? If so, this is the place for you. It’s right on the beach and the music is head-banging, but not so loud that you can’t have a chat.
  
  
• Mandragoras Bar, Skala Potamias Right next to the beach, this welcoming bar serves coffee and snacks in the morning and cocktails in the afternoon and evening. There’s a cool terrace with straw parasols.

Shopping

Generally speaking, supermarkets and souvenir stores rule the roost in the beach resorts. But if you do fancy a spot of retail therapy, make a beeline for the capital, Limenas. Along the pedestrianised main drag you’ll find plenty of shops where you can part with your euros. However, if you’re after an authentic Greek retail experience, head for the west coast town of Prinos on a Monday morning. It’s market day and you can join the melee of bargain hunters picking over stalls piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes, shoes, household items and more. When it comes to souvenirs, the usual ceramics, leather goods, linen and jewellery are the favourites, but if you search around you may find some more unusual items, for example marble carvings. Alternatively, ever a good buy is Greek honey, and you’ll find plenty of locally-made liquid gold in the supermarkets and souvenir shops.

Dates for the Diary

Thassos has several religious festivals throughout the year, which usually involve traditional dancing and music. The highlight is the celebration of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, which takes place on the 15th of August in the hill village of Panayia. There’s also a programme of concerts and Greek theatrical shows in July and August, presented in the ancient amphitheatre and the stadium.

Remember

Thassos is generally a safe and welcoming island and there are no necessary precautions over and above the usual holiday health and security considerations. It’s OK to drink the water, but the high mineral content can upset those who are not used to it, so bottled water may be a good idea. As on all Greek islands, the plumbing may leave something to be desired and, if advised, you should put paper tissue and sanitary towels in the receptacle provided, not down the toilet. Despite its cool breezes, Thassos has a high UV index. So, if you’re exposing your skin to the sun, it’s a good idea to use a high factor sun cream. What’s more, the humidity makes it a good breeding ground for mosquitoes, so you may want to take some insect repellent and/or bite cream. Shops are generally open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9am to 3pm and on Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 8pm, perhaps with a break between 2pm and 6pm. However, tourist shops often stay open all day and evening from 9 am to 10pm, 7 days a week.