Kavala, located in the Eastern Thrace region of Greece, was a port city that belonged to the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Kavala, a valuable region in terms of tourism, has become a holiday city that is also preferred by Turks over time. The city hosts tens of thousands of tourists every year due to its historical beauties and seaside holiday opportunities. In this article, I will tell you about how to spend a day in Kavala.
It is possible to reach Kavala by car by crossing two different borders in Turkey. After the border, the unique view of the city embraces you in approximately 2.5 hours. At the same time, aqueducts from the Ottoman period surround the city from one side to the other. You enter the city with a visual feast.
For breakfast, I highly recommend Bougatsa, a Greek pastry that you can find everywhere. You will want to eat this unique flavor, which resembles the Turkish pastry, every day. After having a nice breakfast, you may want to throw yourself into the sea from the scorching heat of the sun. I recommend you to swim in the Nea Iraklitsa area, which is half an hour away from the city center by car. This area, which is a public beach, consists of an incredibly beautiful bay. While the shades of blue in the sea provide you with a visual feast, you also forget the concept of time by spending hours on its pristine beach.
This time we decided to spend our holiday directly in this bay and stayed in a small boutique hotel. Normally I would not recommend a hotel name, but the owners of the hotel were so sweet and hospitable that if you happen to pass by this place I highly recommend it. Steleni Seaside Apartments is the name of the hotel we stayed in.
After spending most of the day at the beach, when you return to the city, the hunger caused by the tiredness of the sea will set in. If you have come to a fishing city like Kavala, the food you should choose for dinner will of course be seafood. There is a small fishing port called Thassou, 10 minutes away from the city by car. Here you can find various fishmongers called Tavernas, side by side. We had made a choice for Taverna Meltemi. We had a feast of flavors with the small fish jumping in the sea right in front of us, Greek melodies playing in the background and our small ouzo. I recommend you to experience this too.
After these delicious hours, you can turn your route back to Kavala center. You can spend an hour or two in various cocktail bars or coffee shops in the center and complete the night.
I recommend you to see the old city of Kavala as a historical place. You can taste the delicious Kavala cookies and do some shopping on this street where the Ottoman influence is still evident. Also, the history of Kavala Castle, located in the Panagia (old city) area, dates back to the 5th century BC. You should take the time to visit the castle, which is open to visitors. The house of Kavalalı Mehmet Pasha is also located in this area. The house, which is currently used as a museum, is open to visitors.
Bonus Tip: If you are planning to spend more than 1 night in Kavala, you should visit the island of Tassos with the ferries that depart from the port every day at certain hours. I would like you to spend a few days on this island, which is seriously preferred by the Turks in terms of tourism.
The island is incredibly affordable and hosts beautiful venues and restaurants. You will not realize how time flies on its very stylish private beaches. You will also spend a few dreamy days on this island, where nightlife is also very famous.
The season starts in the spring months in this region and continues until the end of autumn. I wish you a good journey and a good holiday for your Kavala holiday, which you can also prefer in the autumn months.
