It has a long naval tradition, is famous for its significant contribution to the 1821 War of Independence. It was here that the revolution flag was raised on 3rd April 1821. The island has managed to retain its individual traditional character thanks to its well-preserved grand captain mansions, still bearing eloquent witness to the island’s glorious past. The picturesque old harbour and Dápia, a tourist and commercial centre where the heart of the island’s entertainment beats, are the trademarks of the town of Spetses.
Getting there
Spètses is accessible by boat or Flying Dolphin from the port of Piraeus or from Hydra, Aegina and Póros. Another option is to travel by car (or by bus with Argolida Prefecture Bus Company-KTEL) to Kosta in Peloponnese and to get a boat from there to Spetses (the boat trip lasts only 15 minutes).
Where to Stay
Accommodation on Spetses Island Greece is for all tastes and budgets. It ranges from cheap 'village rooms' to heritage houses and mansions and palatial luxury or boutique hotels. Among them, there are numerous private self-catering houses or villas, apartments and local pensions.
Spetses Beaches
There are plenty of beaches to please everyone: Busier beaches with sunbeds umbrellas, tavernas, beach bars and watersports and quieter, secluded beaches with no facilities, where you may not not see a soul all day...All the beaches are different - some have large pebbles, some have small pebbles, others have fine shingle and a few have sand. Even some have a mixture, with pebbles up one end and sand down the other! Either way, you will probably end up having a favourite that you choose to frequent again and again.
Museums
There are two museums on Spetses - Hatziyiannis-Mexis, known as the Spetses Museum and Bouboulina Museum. Both are located in Spetses town.
Hatziyiannis-Mexis Museum
This Spetses museum was once the home of Hatziyiannis Mexis, who was one of the leading Spetsiot shipowners in the late 18th century. It was built between 1795 and 1798, and high walls were constructed around the mansion. The mansion itself has Moorish and Venetian influences.
Bouboulina Museum
The three hundred year old mansion of Spetses national heroine Laskarina Bouboulina, the only woman admiral in world naval history.At the museum, during a forty-minute tour, you will hear the story of the legendary Bouboulina, from her birth inside the prisons of Constantinople, to her untimely and tragic death. Learn about her actions during the 1821 revolutionary fight for freedom, including her contributions to and sacrifices for her country.You will see collections of weapons, old books, fine porcelain, portraits and engravings of the heroine, her personal belongings, documents and letters from the Revolution, paintings, a scale model of the flagship Agamemnon, maps, embroidery, Byzantine icons, furniture and artifacts from the 17th to the 20th century, plus the magnificent carved Florentine ceiling in the grand salon.
Where to eat…
There are plenty of places to eat out in Spetses, ranging from upmarket restaurants to fast food outlets. Most are situated in and around town and in the old harbour area (Palio Limani) and of course there is a selection of well established beachside restaurants. There are tavernas that have been on the island for decades and there are new restaurants that have opened in the last five years or so. However, being a small island, there is not a vast selection of restaurants serving international cuisine.
The spectacular Armata Festival on Spetses
Every year, the glorious Festival of Armata takes place on Spetses Island on the second weekend of September, celebrating Panaghia Armata (Virgin Mary of the “Armata”) and commemorating the great Naval Battle of Spetses (September 8, 1822).
This major victory of the naval forces of Spetses against the Ottoman fleet during the Greek War of Independence of 1821, was accomplished thanks to the act of bravery of the Spetsiote Captain Kosmas Barbatsis, who achieved with his own fire ship to set the Turkish Flagship on fire and blow it up.
This act of heroism is re-enacted every year since 1931, with dramatizations of this victory culminating in the burning of a Turkish Flagship replica followed by a spectacular choreographed show of fireworks with music.
The revival of this historical event is the top of the climax of a weekly celebration with many festivities including cultural & athletic events, traditional dances, theater performances, concerts, art exhibitions and various events honoring Laskarina Bouboulina, legendary heroine of the Greek Revolution of 1821.
Also, a special mass is held at the chapel Panaghia Armata located at the Old Harbour as well as in Aghios Nikolaos, the Metropolis Church of the island.Thousands of people from across Greece and around the world travel to Spetses Island every year to experience this breathtaking spectacle which leaves everyone spellbound but most of all touched by the Greek spirit of self-sacrifice.
Armata Festival is an epic, Once in a Lifetime Experience, full of emotions and beautiful views which accompany visitors forever. Spetses is one of eight European cities participating in the European Network of Historical Reconstructions (Brussels, Belgium; Dublin and Cork, Ireland; Bailen, Spain; Slavkov, Czech Republic; Tewksbury, UK; and Hydra in Greece).
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