Among those relatively unspoiled and unknown places in the Aegean Sea, the most extraordinary of all is certainly the fresh, well-wooded little holiday resort named Spetses.

Spetses is an island which has only one main settlement, its capital, formed by various districts which reflect the expansion of the town and how its centre has changed over the years. The heart of the town is Dapia, which is also the new harbour; all around it are the other districts, expending over Baltiza, the older harbour of the island. Spetses and those districts have beautiful traditional mansions, superb neoclassical buildings and narrow alleys. This tiny patch of green is riddled with dozens of sparkling little white churches.

Plateia Roloyiou or the Clock Square is on the eastern side of Dapia, where all the restaurants and snack bars are located. On the other side of Dapia is another square, quite small but recognizable from the bust of Bouboulina that stands in the center of it. Dapia is where the Spetses and the Bouboulina Museums are located. The beautiful Anargyros mansion is also worth seeing.

Kastelli lies on the slopes of Profitis Ilias and is the oldest district of Spetses Town. It is full of box-shaped traditional two-storey Spetsiote houses with clay tile roofs, large coloured windows and jasmine and citrus gardens surrounded by pebble mosaic alleys and courtyard. Here you can visit
the church of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity), the Chapel of Evangelismos, the remains of Venetian fortifications and the Church of Agios Vassilis.

Kounoupitsa offers cubic houses, pastel coloured cottages and dovecotes. Worth visiting is the Spetses town hall and its fine cobblestone garden filled with fuchsia bougainvillea.

The Old Harbour of Baltiza is one famous for shipbuilding. During the winter it is very picturesque, surrounded by little fishing boats. In the summer, it becomes a cosmopolitan place full of yachts and sailboats. A lighthouse stands on a little peninsula. Analipsi is a neighbourhood of the Old Harbour and is mostly inhabited by fishermen and owns its name to the yellow and white Virgin of the Armada Chapel, which overlooks the port, offering amazing views, especially at sunset.

Traditional sites decorate Spetses too. Visit the mansions of the great captains and admirals from the last century, the picturesque churches, the Museum of Spetses, situated in the mansion of Hadziyiannis Mexis one of the wealthiest leading activist of that era. The main mansion of the heroine Laskarina Bouboulina, which is now a private museum and the historical monastery of St. Nicolas, should be two items on your list of places to visit.

Spetses’ coiled coastline offers a wonderful selection of coves, bays and beaches to explore. The beaches are numerous, some even combining the facilities and the amusement of the city. If you seek the calmness of secluded bays may choose to visit Vrellou, Ligoneri, Mpithistamna, and Kouzouno. The choice is yours; the untouched, deserted feel so you can be alone to paint, snorkel, tan or write a book, or the lively atmosphere with lots of buzz and organized water sports, picnics and boat rides.

Of course there are many hotels, guesthouses, rooms, private houses, villas and apartments for lodging. A plethora of restaurants, tavernas, bars, snacks, cafes, nightclubs and places for music, dancing and partying are available as well.

Glimmering in a blaze of pure white light like an emerald carelessly thrown away from heaven into the crystal waters, the luscious island of Spetses is quietly waiting to seduce the imagination. So come and experience the magic it has to offer and create a lifetime of sweet memories.