Spetses Travel Guide

Destination
Spetses, Greece
Sleep
Mimoza
Eat
Mourayo | Library Bar | Taverna Nychthimeron
Shop
Vinoterra | White Boutique | Spetza 
See
Spetses Old Port | Paralia Agios Mamas

We spent two glorious days on Spetses in September. It was enough time to see and do everything on the island – there isn’t much of either, which is sort of the point. Two days is enough, as a tourist. But Spetses is the kind of tranquil place that, by day two, around siesta time, makes you question if it might not be possible to stay forever. The appeal of watercolour sunrises, midday naps and early evening dips in the sea is very real.

But in truth, a visit is probably enough. And while you’re there, there are a lot of lovely places that are worth stopping in, whether you’re looking for a snack, souvenir or snapshot.

Sleep
Mimoza
After some debate, we settled on staying at this small, family run hotel near the Old Port. While not truly luxurious, the accommodations were spacious and comfortable. In particular, our room offers a very large terrace that was perfect for both watching the sunrise and enjoying a drink in the afternoon sun. Breakfast is included, mostly homemade and extremely generous in both portions and selection. If we needed anything to eat or drink after that, it was brought straight to our room on a tray, most often with a side of extra cake, which was a lovely touch. Note: We did have a bit of trouble finding the property when we first arrived. The island doesn’t exactly have street signs, and there are no signs leading to the hotel. Instead, follow the signs for Yayaki Spetses and you’ll find it.

Eat
You will eat well in Greece no matter where you go. That you will, and that you will go home to tell your friends about it, is a point of pride for most Greek people. Favourite restaurants in any part of the country are mostly a matter of happenstance and taste. Most often, we choose to eat near where we are in a given moment. The places I write about are the ones we remember most fondly after the fact.

Mourayo – Παλιό Λιμάνι
We ate our first meal on the island at this taverna on the water and loved it. The atmosphere has a lot to do with the charm. The restaurant is truly on the water; outdoor seating is on a large dock in the bay, so you can watch boats come and go in the dark. Service is attentive and the food is delicious. Although it’s always crowded, there’s never a rush and you can linger over your meal as long as you like. I confess, I found the family of cats who wander the place, hoping for a nibble of dinner, particularly charming, although the owners, who do feed them, didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm.
Library Brasserie – Poseidonion Grand Hotel
You can’t miss this beautiful outdoor bar and restaurant on the front of the Poseidonion Grand Hotel, a fixture of the New Port on Spetses. Its old world elegance is unique, both on Spetses itself and in the Saronic Islands as a group. Locals are fond of calling the hotel the first in Greece, and while that may or may not be true, it was certainly the first of its kind, built in 1914 in the style of the Carlton in Cannes. (If you love historic architecture, it’s a site worth seeing, too.) Enjoying a cocktail at one of the marble tables, relaxing in a cane chair, is a must, and staying for a meal is a lovely idea, too.
Taverna Nychthemeron
For something a bit more traditional, and decidedly less fancy, this taverna in the Old Port is your best bet. The menu is classic Greek, and very inexpensive, but dishes are fresh, delicious and satisfying. The water views from the outdoor seating area are gorgeous, too, especially at sunset.

Shop
Vinoterra – Σταύρου Νιάρχου
It really wouldn’t be a holiday with Ian if we didn’t find a luxury wine store everywhere we went. Our visit to Spetses was no exception. When you consider that all the wine needs to be brought in by boat, the selection on offer at Vinoterra is particularly impressive. If you like drinkable souvenirs, it’s a very safe bet. And if you just want something to sip on during the afternoon siesta time, you can’t go wrong picking it up here, either.
White Boutique – Ντάπια
I confess: I did not expect luxury shopping on an island the size of Spetses. But the island caters to tourists, and clearly knows that tourists like to shop, which means there is no shortage of boutiques where you can do exactly that. White Boutique offers the most on-trend brands of the moment, which is to say it was full of Golden Goose sneakers during our visit. Selection and brands will vary by season, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll leave empty-handed no matter when you stop in.
Spetza – Ντάπια
If you’re looking for something a little bit more local, but equally cool, a visit to Spetza is in order. This shop carries a mix of Greek and international brands, but with a focus on effortless styles that suit the vibe of the island. That means lots of long dresses, lots of fabulous straw hats and a wide selection of jewels. While I didn’t buy anything on Spetses, I came back to Spetza repeatedly, seriously considering a number of different pieces, because it felt like they so perfectly captured the mood and vibe of the island. (Ultimately, I left empty-handed because I didn’t see how that vibe would translate to the upcoming months of Canadian winter. But it was a beautiful dream.)

See
Just to be absolutely clear: the point of a visit to Spetses is not to see and do things. The island is a place to sit back and simply enjoy the beautiful scenery. There are a couple of places we particularly enjoyed doing that, which I’ve described, but you really can’t go wrong anywhere on the island.

Spetses Old Port
Chances are, you’ll arrive on Spetses on a high-speed boat from the mainland. Those boats land at the new port, in view of the Poseidonian Grand Hotel. And it would be easy to just stay there, near shops and restaurants. But you’d be missing out by not taking a walk down to the Old Port. This quieter area, deeper in the bay, is where all boats used to arrive on Spetses – and where many private ones still do. It’s more relaxed than the new port, with its own restaurants, shops and even a bit of a gallery scene. Sunrises and sunsets here, tucked away from the open sea, among blooming bougainvillea bushes and tiny boats dotting the waterfront, can be particularly spectacular.
Paralia Agios Mamas
There is no shortage of beaches to choose from on Spetses. Each one is a little different. Most are rocky, making lounging a challenge. But many also offer loungers, for a fee, to mitigate that problem. We liked Agios Mamas best – the beach has more sand, but there’s also a concrete slab on one side, with stairs right into the water, and budget-friendly loungers for rent. A local cat, with a distinctive black moustache, patrols on behalf of his owner. He dutifully alerts her when new patrons arrive so she can collect fees from patrons, who are mostly elderly locals. That means it’s quiet and relaxed, making it the perfect spot to just sit back and enjoy the sun.