Stays — Tasos

Thassos is Greece’s northernmost island, known as the “green island” — pine and olive forests run right down to the sea, and mountain springs keep it fresh and green through the summer. For travellers driving down from the Balkans it is especially convenient: the ferry from Keramoti takes only about forty minutes, which makes Thassos “the island you can reach by car”.

Getting there

Take the motorway to Thessaloniki, then the Egnatia Odos motorway east to the Keramoti exit (about 2.5 hours’ drive from Thessaloniki). Ferries from Keramoti to Limenas run roughly hourly in summer, the crossing takes 35–45 minutes, and a car with passengers costs roughly €25–35 one way. The alternative is the Kavala–Skala Prinos line (about 75 minutes at sea). In peak season expect a queue at boarding — arrive early.

Main towns

• Limenas (Thassos Town) — the main port and largest town: the old harbour, the ancient agora and theatre, a waterfront promenade and the island’s widest choice of restaurants.
• Potos — the liveliest resort in the south, with an in-town beach and bars; the quieter Pefkari beach is close by.
• Limenaria — the island’s second town, with a small-town feel and the “Palataki” mansion above the harbour.
• Skala Potamia and Chrysi Ammoudia (Golden Beach) — the villages along the island’s biggest sandy beach, below the hillside villages of Panagia and Potamia on the slopes of Mount Ypsario.

Beaches

• Golden Beach (Chrysi Ammoudia) — a long golden-sand beach with a gradual entry, the best on the island for families.
• Marble Beach (Saliara) — a beach of white marble pebbles and turquoise water; reached by a dirt road through a former quarry.
• Giola — a natural rock pool carved into the cliffs in the south; a cliff-jumping attraction, not one for small children.
• Paradise Beach and Aliki — sand and turquoise in the southeast, among the island’s most photographed spots.

Who Thassos suits

Traveller profile	Why Thassos
Families	Golden Beach and shallow sandy beaches, calm resorts
Island-atmosphere lovers	a real island without long, expensive ferry crossings
Explorers	the round-island road (~95 km), mountain villages, waterfalls
Nightlife seekers	modest — Potos and Limenas are the liveliest

Practical tips

• The island is best experienced by car — a round-island drive with swims at two or three beaches is the classic day out.
• Local honey, olive oil and tsipouro are the standard souvenirs from the island’s markets.
• Check the current ferry timetable before you travel; departures are less frequent outside the season.

You’ll find the route to Keramoti in the road-trip guide to Greece, and advice on timing in the season guide.