Spetses Island

Short sea crossing from Kosta to Spetses
25 minutes by sea from Ermioni to Spetses (limited service)
Spetses is a beautiful island with a scenic capital, Spetses Town, is perfect for relaxing Summer walks to explore charming Venetian mansions. The old town centre surrounding Dapia harbour offers a variety of shops and boutiques, in addition to many cafes, bars and restaurants. The best way to see the town is to walk, or hire one of the traditional one-horse carriages found by the waterfront. Spetses continues the use of traditional horse drawn carriages and bicycles, but has created the nuisance of numerous noisy motorbikes. The old harbour area, called Baltiza, was an important shipbuilding centre during the 18th and 19th century, featuring museums and a lighthouse (pharos) while there's plentiful swimming and sunbathing to be enjoyed at the many beaches along its picturesque coastline.
All the beaches on Spetses are lovely and scenic, providing the perfect places for relaxing family holidays. Four of the best beaches on the island are the centrally located Spetses Town beach, the very popular Aghia Marina beach, Aghia Paraskevi beach on the Western shoreline and the large Aghioi Anargyri beach on the opposite side of the island, that can be reached by water taxi, bus or taxi. To get around the island, you can rent quad-bikes, scooters or bicycles. Motorbikes cost approximately 20 Euros to hire per day, bicycles cost 7 Euros to hire per day, and a bus will cost 5 Euros per person to get to the popular sandy beach at Aghioi Anargyri. Apart from the coastal road and numerous backstreet of Spetses Town, there is just the one winding coastal road around the island.

Spetses was the first Argo-Saronic island to participate in the Greek War of Independence. On 13th March 1821, even before the Mani uprising, Laskarina Bouboulina, a naval commander from Spetses, raised her banner on her flagship Agamemnon and led her fleet of eight warships to blockade Nafplio, that was occupied by Ottoman forces. Hydra and Psara soon joined forces with them, having around 55 merchant vessels which were converted into armed warships. The firing of the Turkish flagship in the great naval battle from 8th to 13th September 1822 prevented the Ottoman fleet from bringing supplies to Nafplio, which then surrendered to the Greek besiegers at the end of November. The retreat of the enemy fleet, superior in numbers, is attributed to the courage of Kosmas Barbatsis, the daring man who attacked the Turkish flagship, an act which essenttially decided the outcome of the battle. A bronze statue of Barbatsis stands within a gun-enplacement overlooking the sculpture park, near the famous lighthouse (pharos) of Spetses.
The remarkable mansion of Hatziyannis Mexis, one of Spetses' most powerful statesmen and the first governor of the island, houses the Spetses Museum (open from 8:30 to 16:30 daily, closed Mondays) This museum houses the archaeological, historical (mementoes of the Revolution) and folklore collections of the island. King Othon, the first king of independent Greece, stayed as a guest in this mansion during the period between 1833 and 1834 when his first capital was Nafplio.


Anargyri Art Festival takes place during August on Spetses, with the focus on performing and visual arts.
2022 marked the 200th Anniversary of the famous battle that occured from 8th-13th September 1822 with special events throughout the week before.

How to get from Ermioni to Spetses:
BY CAR (including a short sea crossing)
- A 30 minute drive to Kosta, along the scenic coastal route or on the main Kranidi by-pass via Porto Heli. There are many parking facilities at Kosta, either on the nearby roads or in official, secure, shaded car-parks, which cost approximately 5.00 Euros per day.
- Please note: Only Spetses residents, with valid permits for their cars, and licenced commercial vehicles are allowed to cross over to Spetses by ferry. Tourist hire-cars are not allowed onto the ferry although motor bikes and bicycles are allowed.
- The distance from Kosta to Spetses (Dapia harbour) is 1.6 nautical miles / 3.0 kms.
- From Kosta there are various boats which depart for Spetses island, some costing as little as 3.00 Euros per person one way. The quickest way to reach Spetses would be to catch a fast water taxi, direct to the Dapia harbour. Cost approximately 25 Euros per journey, irrespective of the number of passengers. Journey time is approximately 6 minutes.
- The other economical way would be the large Katerina Star ferry-boat. Sailing every day throughout the year.
- From Kosta to Spetses: 06:50 - 08:00 - 10:30 - 13:30 - 17:00
- From Spetses to Kosta: 06:00 - 07:20 - 10:00 - 13:00 - 16:30
- Cost approximately 3.00 Euros per person, one way. Pay for ticket on the ferry. Journey time is approximately 25 minutes.
- The Katerina Star ferry-boat takes Spetses residents vehicles only (no private or rented cars allowed on the island) as well as larger licenced commercial vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles and passengers.
- Be aware that the last Katerina Star ferry-boat sailing from Spetses to Kosta is at 16:30
- There is another way to sail across to Spetses, with the Spetses Express I passenger boat.
- From Kosta to Spetses: 09:30 - 11:30 - 12:30 - 14:30 - 16:00 - 18:30 - 19:30 - 20:30 - 21:30
- From Spetses to Kosta: 09:00 - 11:00 - 12:00 - 14:00 - 15:30 - 18:00 - 19:00 - 20:00 - 21:00
- Cost approximately 3 Euros per person, one way. Pay for ticket on the boat. Journey time is approximately 12 minutes.
- There are up to 20 daily crossings during the weekends (Friday to Sunday) when the Spetses Express II joins her sister ship, giving a departure every half an hour at certain times of the day.
BY BUS (including a short sea crossing)
- Catch the bus from Ermioni to Kosta from 09:30, via Kranidi and Porto Heli, Monday to Friday only. The bus stop in Ermioni is opposite Pop's tourist office, next to the kiosk. Cost approximately 3.50 Euros per person. From Kosta you have a choice of which boats to catch for the crossing. Check with the bus driver for the return journey times from Kosta to Kranidi/Ermioni. Last bus from Kranidi to Ermioni is at 13:10.
- Taxi from Kranidi to Ermioni costs approximately 15 Euros.
BY SEA
- Sailings on most days by AERO Highspeed & Flying Cat, from Ermioni to Spetses direct. Times of departure and return are limited. Check hellenicseaways.gr/en sailing times prior to departure, or Pop's Tourist office in Ermioni, Tel: +30 27540 31514. Tickets cost 11.50 Euros per person, one way. Buy ticket(s) from Pop's Tourist office before travel. The sea crossing from Ermioni to Spetses is approximately 25 minutes.
MAY 2023 - Sailing times with Hellenic Seaways:
- From ERMIONI to SPETSES:
- 11:00 - 20:45 (Monday-Thursday) 11:00 - 20:45 (Friday)
- 11:00 - 20:45 (Saturday) 11:00 - 20:45 (Sunday)
- From SPETSES to ERMIONI:
- 06:10 - 11:40 (Monday-Thursday) 06:10 - 11:40 (Friday)
- 06:10 - 11:40 (Saturday) 06:10 - 11:40 (Sunday)
Always check sailing times prior to departure, especially during public holidays, as Hellenic Seaways can change or cancel sailing times without notice.
Location
Spetses
Argo-Saronic Island of Spetses
Greece
37° 16' 2.2764" N, 23° 9' 20.4948" E