Are you interested in a taste of the Cyclades without having to get on a boat, or, even still, do you feel seasick at the mere sight of a vessel and are determined to make it to an island-like setting?
If so, mainland Greece’s coastline features unique destinations, primarily villages and picturesque little ports that amazingly resemble island settings. These spots are accessible to all.
Superb beaches, landscapes and traditional architecture, as well as sail boats often queued up to approach these destinations, make Parga, Syvota in the Thesprotia region, Galaxidi in the Fokida region, Limeni and Kyparissi in Lakonia, as well as Agios Nikolaos in Messinia special places that have nothing to envy if compared to islands.
Limeni, Lakonia
Limeni, one of the most impressive spots along the Lakonia coastline, is a small bay with transparent, turquoise waters that seem irresistible from up high, as seen when heading downhill around the bends along the road from Areopoli. Stone houses, all superb, stand by the sea, just rocks separating them from the water at some points. Bougainvillea plants and greenery adorn their stone balconies. All these house have marvellous sea views.
Small tavernas are wet by the water as waves break on the rocks. Octopuses are hung to dry on lines outside these eateries. Beaches, in the customary sense, do not exist at Limeni. Visitors can dip into the water straight from the rocks. Some of these swimming areas are equipped with stairs for visitors preferring gentler entry into the water.
Parga, Epirus
Parga’s little port offers an instant island-like impression. The location’s Ionian Island-style houses of many colours, built around a slope, encircle the port with small boats decorating the water. To the northern side, the castle contributes to the overall atmosphere.
Charming tavernas and cafes are lined along the coast, while cobbled alleys with small shops and well-kept houses take the minds of visitors far away from a mainland setting. This island-like feel is just as strong when at Parga’s beaches close to town, such as Piso Kryoneri, featuring transparent waters and rocks in the sea, or Valtos, blessed with incredible waters and golden sand, a total contrast to the beach’s name, meaning “swamp”.
Kyparissi, Lakonia
The coastal village Kyparissi in the Lakonia region offers a superb architectural fusion of the Mani and Cyclades styles. Two-storey stone houses mix with whitewashed mansions and their blue-coloured window frames, the backdrop of greenery creating a Sporades islands-like impression.
This Lakonia spot, which has remained largely unknown, has gained wider exposure in more recent times, and justifiably so. A magical location reached easily by car, it promises quiet, relaxed holidays amid an island-like setting. The village beach, also serving as the harbour, is just steps away. If wanting greater variety, also visit Megali Ammos as well as Agia Kyriaki, both gorgeous beaches close to the village.
Galaxidi, Fokida
The imposing kapetanospita, stately homes linked to ship owners and captains; lovely neoclassical buildings with delightfully coloured shutters; and a small port with all sorts of small boats, offer Galaxidi a touch of the magical atmosphere characterising the Argo-Saronic islands Hydra and Spetses.
Offering a very satisfying shoreline, this town in the Fokida region combines a definite island style, a coastal atmosphere and summertime carefree ways, without requiring visitors to go to any port to catch a boat to the destination.
If travelling from Athens, all you need to do is start up your car and take a drive just over 200 km long. Upon arrival, head to Galaxidi’s Mama square and the charming tavernas by the coastline for an ouzo with ice and meze – seafood meze, needless to say.
Syvota, Thesprotia
It is the extremely lacy shoreline, not the architecture, that makes mainland Syvota resemble an island. In addition, Syvota faces small islands as if situated somewhere in the Cyclades. The spot attracts many yachts and offers exquisite turquoise waters, difficult to find on the mainland’s coastline. Trees reach all the way to the sand, making Syvota’s beaches unbeatable.
As a result, Syvota offers island-like flavour. Bella Vraka beach, on the islet Mourtemeno, which can be walked to, has also become an attraction.
Agios Nikolaos, Messinia
The Messinia region’s Agios Nikolaos, just a few kilometres from Stoupa, is a small fishing village like those charming spots found on less fashionable, non-cosmopolitan Aegean islands. Stone, two-storey houses, small in size and given additional charm by the passage of time, as well as small boats and delightful little tavernas around the small port are the features of this tiny village.
Visitors and locals typically sit at seaside tables enjoying ouzo and meze at a leisurely pace. Younger crowds like to gather a little further away, at Gnospi, for diving from the rocks into the cool Messinian Gulf waters.
Read also:
Kalogria, Achaia: an endless exotic beach next to a rare forest
Gilt-head bream with celery in a white lemony sauce – a delicious, traditional recipe of Preveza
Road trip in northern Evia, the Greek destination that is about to make a strong comeback
