What to see on the lap around Spetses island
- Christopher Kontaratos
- Jan 13
- 5 min read
Over the years, I have always offered a detailed explanation on how to cycle around Spetses and what you will encounter along the way as well as offering personalised suggestions to my clients based on their interests. This post is a written version of my usual suggestions on the map.
I believe that one should start their cycle in a counter-clockwise fashion, starting with a north-westerly direction, due to the fact that the first half of the island will have more expanses of untouched nature and also one can find most of the worth-while beaches on this side. The cycle will have you heading through the town of Spetses, past the Poseidonion Grand Hotel and as you leave the town you will also see the old international boarding school of Sotiris Anargyros.
Once out of the town, you will find yourself cycling through the famous Spetses pines. At the 5km mark you will find a beach called Vrelos. I like to recommend this one because it is easily accessible due to the tarmacked road, but also because it can be quite lively during the summer. It is a relatively small beach with a bar, sunbeds and umbrellas. If you are looking for a place to relax in peace, I may recommend a different spot, however.
At the 7km mark, after the hill, you will find one of the most beautiful bays on the island, Zogeria. This Bay is split into two sections. The first one is populated by many small attractive beaches where one can enjoy the scenery by themselves. The second bay is where you can find the main attraction; there is a wonderful restaurant that serves traditional home-made Greek food. You will also find the only sandy beach on Spetses here. The forests here are also most mature since this area has not suffered a forest fire yet. In order to get down into the bay, there is a dirt road which can be quite dangerous for cycling. In fact, every year there are many accidents on this road. For this reason, I would suggest leaving the bicycles at the top and walking down into the bay. The distance from the top, where the sign is, to the restaurant is approximately 1km so it should take you 15-20 minutes of walking.
Once you are done here, walk back to your bikes and continue the cycling. You will encounter the first big uphill immediately once you begin. The elevation at the top is only 127 metres but it could be challenging for those on non-electric bikes in the summer sun. I always warn my clients to the potential danger that lies just after the apex of this hill. Once you start going down the hill, there is an area where the forest subsides and many people stop paying attention to the road due to the beautiful view. Please be very careful of this area.
The next beach waits for you at the bottom of this hill at 11km. The name is Agia Paraskevi. This one ends up being the favourite of many visitors of Spetses for many reasons. I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a quiet beach to relax. The services here are quite small, almost like a tiki bar, and I personally love their use of only half the beach for their sunbeds since this allows someone the other half for a more natural experience. Furthermore they do not play any music here. I highly recommend this one even if you only visit for a 5 minute break.
The next beach lies at the 13th km of the lap. Ascend and descend from the hill and you will find yourself at Agioi Anargyroi beach. This is exactly the mid-point of the lap. This is the most popular beach on the island. Here you will find a restaurant, beach bar, sunbeds + umbrellas supplied by 2 separate businesses and also water sports.
One of the main reasons I recommend this beach is so that you can visit the beautiful cave of Bekyris. To get here, walk past the water sports, a total of 10 minutes, and follow the path through the forest, down the rocky steps until you find yourself by the sea. From this point on you have 2 options. You may either carefully jump in the sea and swim into the cave (you will not need to submerge your head at any time), or you may enter from the hidden entrance behind you. Some people find this entrance hard to find but remember that it is at the base of the rock wall. You may find this entrance a bit claustrophobic as you will need to sit down to enter. Inside, you will find a walkway which sometimes is under the water by a few inches (you may need to remove your shoes). Along this walkway, you will need to duck down quite a bit, I shrink myself to about half my height, due to the very low ceiling. Once inside, you will find a beautiful sandy/pebbly beach where you may stand up again. In the centre of the cave you will find a rock with a bowl at the top. Here, during the rainy winter season, the rainwater filters down from the mountain and you can even drink from it. During the summer, however, it is often bone dry. If you wish to swim into the cave, please beware that it is a potential haulout for the endangered Monk Seal. Visitors of this cave early in the season (April - May) could be surprised to find a seal in here. Typically they are harmless and will leave by swimming out as they dislike human presence. It is the best policy to not disturb these animals so I recommend always entering the cave from dry land first to ensure that you dont accidentaly corner one.
The second half of the lap of Spetses has you cycling at a certain elevation to the sea. For this reason, you will not have as much easy beach access anymore. One potential beach you may wish to visit is found at the 19th approx. kilometer. The name of this one is Xilokeriza and it is quite beautiful to see from above. Please be warned that the road down, although paved, can be dangerous on bicycles and may prove difficult, even on e-bikes, on your way back up.
Soon after this place, you will notice a small island off the coast of Spetses. This is the beautiful Spetsopoula which is privately owned by the foundation of Stavros Niarchos
From this point on, you will be cycling by many properties and villas which are representative of the status of Spetses as a destination for the wealthy. Eventually you will find yourself entering the town from the east. If you keep following the main road you should end up by my bike shop which would complete your lap.
I shall also be writing an extensive post about every single beach on the island with directions and further information.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me through my website contact form or on the phone number listed. Thank you for reading.
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