6 Wonderful Factors to Check out Kavala in Northern Greece
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Disclosure: This article (most likely) includes affiliate one-way links. If you simply click on just one, I may perhaps make a tiny commission. Of class, this will come at no additional charge to you and will help preserve this site managing.Searching at travelling to northern Greece and really don’t know the place to go? You are most likely browsing Thessaloniki, Greece’s next city, but number of travellers feel to pay a visit to Kavala, a lesser city just a several several hours absent. Kavala is effectively worthy of checking out if you want to experience much more of northern Greece, primarily based on my practical experience.
Regardless of whether you are in search of shorelines to relax at, a adorable aged town to explore, or just want to soak up Greek lifestyle, Kavala has you covered. The city was wherever I commenced my journey through northern Greece and I had no difficulty holding myself occupied with all the things to do in Kavala. Let me supply some motives why visiting Kavala should be element of your Greece journey designs.
How to get to Kavala and get all over
Kavala is found on the Thracian Sea in the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace area. The metropolis is a gateway to the island of Thassos, someplace I thought of viewing but could not uncover final-moment availability.
Leasing a car will be the best way to attain Kavala, irrespective of the place you are coming from. That way, you can freely explore the region without significantly limitation. The only drawback to this method is that you’d probable have to have to park outside the house of the aged town if you decide on to keep there.
With no a vehicle, you are going to be relying on intercity buses. Common buses journey from Thessaloniki to Kavala, with the trip getting about 2.5 hrs. Bus timetables in Greece are all completed by way of the specific bus stations, so glimpse below for the Thessaloniki-Kavala timetables.
You can also take an global bus throughout the border from Sofia to Kavala, as I did. Just one bus provider operates daily direct to Kavala, otherwise, you’d need to transfer through Thessaloniki.
Where by to remain in Kavala
Though it isn’t a person of the most well-known places in Greece, Kavala has a single of the largest lodging options anywhere in the place. That degree of choices is wonderful for holidaymakers, but selecting where to stay in Kavala is harder as a result.
The correct spot to stay in Kavala will count on what you want to do there. I’m assuming you want to stay someplace central and available if not, you are going to likely have someplace currently in head. Target your accommodation research on the peninsula where by the outdated town is and the areas to the west and northwest.
I had a wonderful time at the homely Old City Classic Home guesthouse, run by a sweet and useful family members. You get to practical experience the previous town absolutely staying right here and sightseeing is super straightforward. Most areas to keep are guesthouses/spouse and children-operate boutique resorts like this or residences.
Other extremely-rated areas to stay in Kavala, to conserve you some time, are:
Why Kavala is well worth traveling to
Now that you see that browsing Kavala isn’t all that hard, let’s search at why you should really go at all. Jointly, these factors showcase the different things to do in Kavala and how the city appeals to several types of travellers. I’d be honestly amazed if you didn’t discover some thing to do below that pursuits you, even if you only pop in for a single day.
Old city streets
Kavala would be a quite different place with out its aged town. Masking a tiny and steep peninsula, Kavala Previous City is where so much of the city’s character will come out. More mature properties line the slender lanes and stairways that go over this dense neighbourhood, earning it a joy to wander about as a visitor.
A great deal of the appeal of Kavala Old Town is just checking out, but there are a number of sights there also to see. On its northern side, you will discover a wonderful significant aqueduct that appears to be so strong and clean that you’d swear the city just created it. But no, this preserved aqueduct is from the 16th century.
Head further into the aged town and you will find the Halil Bey Mosque, whose crimson and blue exterior is difficult to pass up. Move over sunken ruins and you can see the simple but classy inside inside this Ottoman mosque.
Just down the street is a nice Greek Orthodox church, the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin, right by the stunted Lighthouse of Kavala, which has noticed superior times. The most effective component about exploring this place nevertheless are the various viewpoints that display off the community shoreline.
Check out Kavala Castle
Just one previous attraction in the aged town is Kavala Castle, the most apparent landmark in the city. You can’t pass up it if you are standing down in the city centre, as its crenellated partitions pop about the prime of the Previous City residences.
Stroll your way to the extremely top of the hill and you’ll access the understated entrance to the castle. Even while you only get restricted information by shelling out to go to inside the castle (€4.5 in 2023), it is even now truly worth undertaking.
Not only is it fun to stroll along the castle’s precarious and OHS non-compliant partitions, but the sights from this 15th-century hilltop fortress are unbeatable. You can see as far as the visibility that working day will permit you to and commence to respect how quickly the close by hills drop into the water.
A scenic waterfront
Kavala is a seaside town and its waterfront is one particular of its finest traits. The city’s scenic waterfront was the first thing that struck me when browsing Kavala. Following arriving, my route to my accommodation followed the waterfront and it designed this kind of a fantastic very first effect.
Throughout my time in the town, I uncovered myself returning to the waterfront over and above. A person cause I saved coming back was to seize some photographs of Kavala Castle as noticed from the harbour. Cloudy weather did not do it justice the initial time, but I think the outcomes underneath stand for them selves.
You are going to discover restaurants and cafes together substantially of the waterfront, both equally in the previous town and present day centre. In summer months, the principal promenade was packed with outside seating with marina sights and the sunset off to the appropriate. You experience like you are on vacation strolling and eating in this article.
Kavala museums and town centre
Although it’s the most effective position to begin your go to, Kavala Previous Town isn’t the only position site visitors should check out. In the town centre, you’ll discover many wonderful parks and squares, significantly the Dimotikos Kipos Park, which hosts a war memorial.
But to thoroughly dive into the city’s record and tradition, I assume the finest area to go is the Kavala Archaeological Museum. This excellent, but oddly tranquil, museum is comprehensive of artifacts and info that tell the tale of Kavala from the times that it was recognized as Neapolis.
I could get all deep and nerdy about Kavala’s history and connections with Thasos and Paros, but you can glimpse that up or stop by yourselves. I must say, this isn’t the only museum in Kavala.
A handful of blocks away lies the Tobacco Museum of Municipality of Kavala, which focuses on the city’s historic trade in tobacco. There is also the Mehmet Ali’s Residence Museum in the Aged Town, but I was not apparent on no matter if that was value checking out.
Kavala beach locations and swimming
If you are right after a spot that has each culture and beach locations, then Kavala has you protected. Now, you will not discover a lot in the way of beach locations all over the old city, apart from for a modest just one powering the port.
No, the finest seashores around Kavala are on possibly facet of the city centre. Head east and you find Perigiali Beach front, occasionally also explained as Kavala Beach front, with its great long strip of golden sand. Go just west of the Kavala Dock and you have Rapsani Beach front, viewed as the best beach front in Kavala, or at least the most well known.
Local buses run along the road that connects the two with the metropolis centre, so you do not require a motor vehicle for a seashore stop by. Rapsani Seaside is even in going for walks length of the city centre, one thing I analyzed for myself.
If you do want to swim while in the previous town location, you will find several accessibility details to the h2o on its japanese side. I went down just one working day to a location for an afternoon dip, locating just a couple locals there. They were being really pleased to hear I was from Australia and visiting Kavala rather than Greece’s famous islands.
The Archaeological Site of Philippi
You will not come across too lots of day journeys from Kavala, but there is one particular that is confident to impress. Just exterior the town to the northwest lies what is remaining of the historical city of Philippi. It’s an uncomplicated 50 percent-day vacation from Kavala, with normal buses from the city’s bus station.
If you know your ancient Roman background, Philippi might audio familiar. The Battle of Philippi is wherever Brutus and Cassius fought Mark Antony right after the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Right before all that while, it was an crucial Macedonian town. You can immediately see that by the sheer dimension of the archaeological internet site. Strolling by the complex feels like you’re exploring a city, just 1 that’s been decreased to rubble and spoil. This “small Rome”, as it was described, is now a UNESCO Environment Heritage Web page.
Substantially of a check out right here is strolling through the internet site, visiting the city’s amphitheatre, admiring mosaics, and observing the standing remains of basilicas. There is also a modest museum on the significantly facet of the advanced from the main gate.
Do you believe you’d want to take a look at Kavala on a trip to Greece? Would you think about seeing much more of Greece’s mainland instead than heading straight to its islands? Be sure to share your feelings in the responses below.
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