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Spetses is the island that tourists overlook on their way to Hydra, and Athenians prefer to keep it that way.
The two islands are 30 to 45 minutes apart by catamaran and radically different in character. Hydra is famous, international and firmly on the circuit. Spetses is less known, more residential and quieter in the evening, and in many ways more satisfying for a longer stay: pine forest from ridge to shore, sea captains' mansions around the Old Harbour, no visitor cars, and coves you reach by scooter or water taxi rather than by tour bus.
This guide covers what to do once you're here: the town and its museums, the Old Harbour and lighthouse, the beaches, boat trips, walks and the Armata festival, with how long each takes and what it costs. For ferries, getting around and where to stay, start with our Spetses travel guide.
For the wider region, see our guides to Things to Do in Hydra, Things to Do in Nafplio, and Things to Do in Athens. For where to stay, see Best Hotels in Spetses.
Spetses Town, the Dapia Harbour and the Old Town Lanes
Type: Town exploration, architecture, waterfront, history
Time needed: 2–3 hours
Cost: Free to explore; carriage rides priced per trip, agree the fare first
Best time: Early morning and late afternoon; the evening promenade is essential
The Dapia is the main harbour of Spetses — a long waterfront of neoclassical mansions, fish restaurants, and café tables that faces the strait separating the island from the Peloponnese coast. The buildings lining the seafront were built in the early 19th century by the island's shipowning families — men who grew wealthy on trade and blockade-running before redirecting their wealth and their fleets into the cause of Greek independence.
The architecture is confident, prosperous, and well-maintained: a different register from the whitewashed Cycladic vernacular that dominates most Greek island imagery.
Without private cars, the waterfront functions as a promenade in the full Mediterranean sense. Horse-drawn carriages clip slowly past on the cobblestones. Cyclists thread between the pedestrians. In the evening, the entire island seems to converge on this stretch of waterfront for the volta — the unhurried social walk that Greek towns have practised for centuries. The effect is both civilised and genuinely relaxed.
The interior of the town, behind the first row of seafront buildings, has the narrow lanes, courtyard gardens and church squares of a working Greek island town. Climb behind the port to Kastelli, the oldest quarter, for the quietest lanes and views back over the strait. The bakeries and kiosks sell the island's signature sweet, amygdalota, almond pastries shaped like little pears and dusted with sugar.
Good to know: Bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and quads are available for hire from shops near the main port. The horse-drawn carriages work as town taxis between Kounoupitsa, Dapia and the Old Harbour; agree the fare before you set off. For the beaches on the far side, take the summer bus or a water taxi from the Dapia, where fares are set per boat.
Best for: Everyone arriving on Spetses; the waterfront walk and evening promenade are the easiest introduction to the island's character.
The Bouboulina Museum
Type: History museum, cultural heritage
Time needed: About 40 minutes (guided tours only)
Cost: €6 adults, reduced for students and children
Best time: Morning; open from late March to late October
The Bouboulina Museum is housed in the family mansion where Laskarina Bouboulina lived and died. She was born in 1771 in a Constantinople prison, where her father was held for his part in the failed Orlov revolt, and grew up on Spetses. Her descendants still run the house and lead the tours themselves, a level of personal connection to the subject that is rare in any museum and gives the visit an unusually intimate quality.
Bouboulina's story is extraordinary and deserves more international recognition than it receives. She was a widowed shipowner who financed the construction of her own fleet — including the flagship Agamemnon, the largest ship in the Greek rebel navy — and participated directly in the naval blockade of Nafplio during the War of Independence.
She was given the honorary rank of admiral in the Russian navy, the first woman to hold it, and she was shot dead in 1825 in a family dispute, at the age of 54, in this very house.
The museum covers her biography through personal objects, weapons, ship models, portraits, and documents. The house itself — with its painted wooden ceilings, original furniture, and the room where she was killed — is the equal of any period mansion open to the public in Greece.
Good to know: Tours run roughly every half hour in the morning and early evening, and in July and August they fill up, so arrive early. The museum is a short walk from the Dapia, behind the Poseidonion.
Best for: History lovers; anyone interested in the Greek War of Independence; travel with older children.
The Spetses Museum
Type: History museum
Time needed: 45 minutes
Cost: €4 full, €2 reduced
Best time: Morning; closed Tuesdays
The island museum fills the 1790s mansion of Hatzigiannis Mexis, a shipowner and the island's first governor, a few minutes' walk uphill from the Dapia. Inside are ship figureheads, revolutionary-era weapons and flags, folk costume, and the casket holding Bouboulina's bones. Do it on the same morning as the Bouboulina Museum: together they tell the story of how a small island of shipowners bankrolled a revolution.
The Poseidonion, the Anargyrios School and The Magus
Sotirios Anargyros, a Spetses-born tobacco magnate, reshaped the island a century ago. He opened the Poseidonion Grand Hotel on the Dapia waterfront in 1914, planted the pine forests that now cover the interior, and founded the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School, the grand building west of town past Kaiki beach. The novelist John Fowles taught English at the school from 1951 to 1953 and turned Spetses into Phraxos, the island of The Magus. You can't tour the school, but a drink on the Poseidonion's terrace at sunset is open to everyone; if you'd like to stay there, it leads our list of the best hotels in Spetses.
The Old Harbour (Palio Limani)
Type: Architecture, history, walking, atmosphere
Time needed: 1–2 hours including the walk from the main port
Cost: Free
Best time: Morning for the light; evening for the atmosphere
The Old Harbour is the original port of Spetses, a horseshoe bay about 1.5 km east of the Dapia along the seafront. Most day-trippers don't make the walk. This is one of travel's reliable errors.
Palio Limani is where the island's fleet was built and maintained — where Bouboulina's Agamemnon was constructed, and where the ships that blockaded Nafplio were fitted out. The boatyards still operate, still building and repairing wooden boats in techniques that haven't changed fundamentally in two centuries.
The monastery church of Agios Nikolaos stands above the harbour with a detached bell tower and a pebble-mosaic courtyard. Local tradition holds that the revolutionary flag was raised here on 3 April 1821, making Spetses the first island to join the War of Independence.
The mansions around the harbour belong to some of the island's oldest shipping families. The quality of the architecture — 18th-century stone buildings, painted plaster interiors visible through open doorways, gardens with bougainvillea falling over the walls — is the finest on the island. There are two or three small tavernas at the harbour edge that are among the best on Spetses for fresh fish.
Good to know: The walk from the Dapia to the Old Harbour along the coastal path takes 20–25 minutes and passes the town's main neoclassical mansions. Return by the inland path through the town's back lanes for a different view. The area around the Old Harbour is also the best departure point for water taxis to the island's eastern beaches.
Best for: Architecture enthusiasts, history lovers, photographers, anyone who wants to see the island without a crowd.
Walk to the Lighthouse and Panagia Armata
Type: Walk, views, history
Time needed: About 45 minutes each way from the Dapia
Cost: Free
Best time: Late afternoon into sunset
Carry on past the Old Harbour boatyards to the point at Baltiza, where a lighthouse built in 1831, one of the oldest in Greece, stands beside the little white chapel of Panagia Armata. The chapel was built to give thanks for the 1822 naval victory that the Armata festival re-enacts. The path is mostly flat; bring water, and time it so you walk back along the harbour as the restaurants light up.
Beaches by Water Taxi: Agioi Anargyroi, Bekiris Cave and Zogeria
Type: Swimming, beaches, water taxi, pine forest coast
Time needed: Half to full day per beach
Cost: Beaches free; water taxis are priced per boat from a posted list, the summer bus is the cheap option
Best time: June, September and early October for the best combination of warmth and calm
Spetses's best beaches are on the far side of the island, sheltered coves backed by pine forest. The ring road reaches all of them, so you can go by scooter, quad or the summer bus, but arriving by water taxi from the Dapia is the classic way and saves a hot ride. Either way, the reward is clean water, fewer people and natural shade.
Agioi Anargyroi, on the south-west coast about 12 km from town, is a long, sheltered arc of pebble and sand with a taverna, sunbeds and water sports. The water is exceptionally clear and deepens quickly. Readers of John Fowles's The Magus should look over at neighbouring Agia Paraskevi, the cove usually linked with the novel's villa.
Bekiris Cave sits at the edge of Agioi Anargyroi bay, a short path through the pines from the beach or a boat ride round the point. The entrance is low, so you swim in; inside the light on the water turns blue, and island legend says the women and children of Spetses hid here during an Ottoman raid. Zogeria is a different experience: a small pebbled cove on the north-west tip at the end of a dirt track through the pines, with a simple taverna and water of extraordinary clarity.
Good to know: Water taxis leave from the Dapia throughout the day in summer, with fares set per boat from a posted price list, so share one if you can. Arrange your pick-up time before you're dropped off. Bring water and snacks for Zogeria. A scooter loop of the island on the 26 km coastal road is a good way to survey the beaches before choosing.
Book the Spetses Island Boat Exploration on GetYourGuide
Best for: Beach lovers, couples, swimmers; anyone wanting seclusion without the infrastructure of a fully developed beach resort.
Swim Near Town: Agia Marina, Kaiki, Agia Paraskevi, Vrellos and Xylokeriza
Agia Marina, about 2 km east of the Dapia, is the island's most organised beach, with sand, sunbeds, beach bars and the summer bus back to town; it's the easy choice with children. Kaiki, a 20-minute walk west of town below the Anargyrios School, is the closest good swim and has a beach club.
Further round the island, Agia Paraskevi is a quiet pine-fringed cove next to Agioi Anargyroi, Xylokeriza on the south coast about 8 km from town is wilder and less visited, and Vrellos, at the foot of a pine-filled valley, is where the summer party crowd heads. All are reachable by scooter or the summer bus.
Take a Boat Trip Around the Island
The coast is at its best from the water, and a private boat lets you stop at coves and caves the road never reaches. The Spetses Island Boat Exploration on an electric kaiki is a five-hour private trip for up to six people, priced per group, so it works best split between friends or a family.
Hike the Pine Forest to Profitis Ilias
Spetses has around a dozen signposted trails through the pine forest Anargyros planted. The classic climbs about 5 km from Vrellos to Profitis Ilias, at 291 m the island's highest point, with views across to the Peloponnese. In summer start early and carry water, as there's nowhere to refill on the way.
Loop the Island by Scooter or E-Bike
Visitors can't drive cars on Spetses, but scooters, quads and e-bikes are rented around the Dapia, and the coastal ring road of roughly 25 km makes a perfect half-day loop. Go anticlockwise from town via Agia Marina, stop for a swim at Xylokeriza or Agioi Anargyroi, and come back past Zogeria and Kaiki. On a scooter the loop takes under an hour without stops; on an e-bike allow a long morning, as the south side is hilly. Motorbikes are banned from parts of the seafront road at set hours, so check the signs.
Time Your Visit for the Armata
Every September Spetses re-enacts the naval battle of 8 September 1822, when the island's fleet drove off the Ottoman navy. The Armata festival runs for about two weeks from late August with concerts and events, and ends on a Saturday in mid-September (12 September in 2026) with a replica Ottoman flagship set alight in the harbour and fireworks over the water. Rooms sell out months ahead. The island's other big weekends are the Spetsathlon triathlon in mid-May and the Spetses Mini Marathon at the start of October.
The Armata is one of the September highlights in our month-by-month guide to festivals in Greece.
Spetses at Night
Evenings start with the volta along the Dapia, move to dinner at the Old Harbour and end with cocktails at the harbour bars. It's sociable rather than clubby: if you want a late party in high summer, Vrellos is where it happens.
Day Trip to Hydra
Hydra is 30 to 45 minutes north on the Piraeus catamarans, close enough for a day of stepped lanes, donkeys and swimming off the rocks before an evening boat back. Our guide to things to do in Hydra covers the highlights.
Getting to Spetses & Using It as a Saronic Base
Type: Transport, island hopping, Saronic Gulf logistics
Time needed: About 2 to 2.5 hours from Piraeus by catamaran; 30 to 45 minutes from Hydra; about 1.5 hours from Poros
Cost: Piraeus–Spetses roughly €38–55 one way
Spetses is the furthest of the main Saronic islands from Athens. Every boat from Piraeus is a high-speed catamaran, run by Hellenic Seaways, Alpha Lines and Magic Sea Ferries; the fastest direct sailings take about 1 hour 40 minutes and those stopping at Aegina, Poros and Hydra 2.5 hours or more. There is no conventional car ferry, and visitor cars aren't allowed on the island anyway.
The island also works as a base for the wider Saronic. Hydra is 30 to 45 minutes away and Poros about 1.5 hours on the same catamarans. For visitors combining the islands with mainland Greece, the short crossing to Kosta or Porto Heli on the Peloponnese coast gives easy access to Nafplio, Mycenae and Epidaurus.
For visitors based in Athens who want to add Spetses to a broader Saronic day or overnight trip:
Book the Athens Ferry to Spetses Island on GetYourGuide
Good to know: The GYG Saronic cruise from Athens (Hydra, Poros, Aegina) is a one-day overview that doesn't include Spetses — the island is at the edge of the Saronic and is better visited as an independent trip or overnight stay. For a day visit, the Athens–Spetses fast ferry (2 hours each way) leaves enough time in the middle of the day for the town, the Old Harbour, and a beach.
Best for: Athens-based travellers planning an island extension; anyone building a Saronic island-hopping itinerary; combines naturally with Hydra, Nafplio, and the Peloponnese.
Practical Information
Getting to Spetses: Fast catamaran from Piraeus, about 2 to 2.5 hours, roughly €38–55 one way, several daily departures. No conventional ferry. Short water taxi or small ferry from Kosta or Porto Heli on the Peloponnese coast (5 to 15 minutes). Catamaran connections to Hydra (30 to 45 min) and Poros (about 1.5 hours).
- Pre-book your transfer from Athens airport to the port with Welcome Pickups — fixed price, no stress.
- For cheap flights to Athens before your Spetses ferry, compare deals on Kiwi.com — searches across all carriers.
- Had a disrupted flight getting here? You could be owed up to €600 — check with AirHelp.
Getting around: No private cars for visitors. Options: horse-drawn carriage (town taxi; agree the fare first), bicycle or e-bike, scooter or quad (hire near the port), water taxi (priced per boat), the summer bus, and on foot. The main town is walkable. The 26 km coastal road suits a scooter or e-bike.
When to go: May–June and September–October are optimal — warm enough for swimming, not yet at peak season pricing or crowds. July and August are busy and more expensive; the island copes better than most because access is ferry-only and volume is naturally capped. Out of season (November–March), Spetses has a functioning local life of coffee shops, restaurants, and seafront walks with almost no tourism.
Budget: Spetses sits above the Saronic average. Plan on roughly €120–165 per person a day on a budget, more for boutique hotels and private boats. The island's finest experience, the evening promenade along the Dapia and a long dinner at the Old Harbour, costs nothing beyond the meal.
Staying connected: Non-EU visitors can face high roaming charges on Greek networks, so set up a travel eSIM before you fly; it works the moment your plane lands in Greece.
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Written by
Athens-born engineer · Coordinates a 5-expert Greek team · 50+ years combined field experience
I write every article on this site drawing on real, first-hand expertise — mine and that of four colleagues who live and work across Greece daily: a Peloponnese tour operator, a transfer specialist across Athens, Mykonos & Santorini, a Cretan hotel owner, and a Northern Greece hotel supplier. Nothing here comes from a single visit or desk research.
Informed by 5 Greek experts
Every destination we cover has been visited and vetted by at least one team member — not for a review, but as part of their daily work in Greek tourism.