From the port of "Dapia" to the "Lighthouse"

The walk along the coast toward the NE end of the town shows many beauties. Starting from "Dapia" which means "reinforced spot" - with many cannons still decorating its walls - we meet first the noisy beach of St. Mammas, terminal of the buses towards other spots of the island, and also the meeting point for coffee, lunch or dinner.

Immediately after and up to St. Nicholas church we find te beach of St. Nicholas and the famous mansions, built in the 19th and 18th centuries. These houses are a sample of the cultural and economical growth of the island at a time.

Well known artists, as Nikos Maraslis who restores the painted ceilings of these residencies, work for the up keep of these houses and other traditional buildings on the island.

The cathedral church of St. Nicholas, the Metropolis, a part of the church building itself, bears in its courtyard the monument of the Heroes, sculpted by Byron Kesses.

St. Nicholas is one of the oldest churches in Spetses of post Byzantine cross style with the extremely finely crafted bell towel where the flag of the Revolution was hoisted in 1821.

Further along we come to the far end of the "Baltiza"(Old Port) passing by the traditional shipyards which are kept up to now transmitting from generation the secrets of the art of caulking the boats. We admire beautiful building - old and new - that keep up the island colour and the architectural tradition.

A most enchanting example is the modern settlement that was built in harmony with the environment called "Pityoussa" with its beautiful square and its popular "ouzene"

"Baltiza" apart from its natural and environmental attractions is also the mooring place for the private yachts as well as commercial ones. Furthermore it is undoubtedly one of the most famous spots for night entertainment.

At the end of the walk is the Lighthouse where one finds the "Panagia Armata" church. The church was built in order to honor the "Virgin Mary" who helped the Greeks to fight against the Turks on her birthday on the 8th of September 1822.

Inside the church we can admire the beautiful painting of the Battle made by I. Koutsis in 1887. Outside the church are two tombstones celebrating the memory of I.G. Koutsis, the captain and the historian Anargyros Hatzianargyros.

At the feet of the lighthouse is the garden of the canon battery - where we find the Hatzigianni Mexis canon batteries restored and the park where are scattered modern sculptures of Natalia Mela - a place of historical memory and relaxation. At the far end we see the bronze effigy of Kosmas Barbatsis, sculpted by Natalia Mela, offered to the town of Spetses and its people by one of the island's lovers, the French Annette Schlumberger.

From the port of "Dapia" to the "Schools"

Taking the seaside direction towards the NW of the island, the visitor will find it most interesting. Starting by the picturesque and noisy coffee shops as well as the "ouzenes"[ouzo bars] of Dapia, we choose for a while the interior road, in order to admire the beautiful architecture of the mansion, at present under restoration, of the benefactor of Spetse, Sotiris Anargyros.

This magnificent building - a jewel for the island with its neoclassical style and the two Egyptian sphinxes dominating the right and the left side of the entrance-, has hosted during its long life. The Town Hall, the Rothschild family and has also been the Cultural Center of the island.

Next to the Anargyros mansion is the "Pefkakia" square with its small forest and the house - museum of Bouboulina, overlooking the place. This lordly mansion with its unique carved ceiling in the big living room, functions as a museum with live guided tours where the visitor can hear about the life and work of Bouboulina and admire her possessions.

We continue our course by the sea road arriving first at the Bouboulina square where all importand fesivities take place, the best known of which is the re-enactment of the battle of Spetses of 1822, better known as "Armata". The imposing statue of Laskarina Bouboulina standing in the middle of the square is the work of the sculptor Natalia Mela.

The historical hotel "Poseidonion" borders the inside part of the square. Sotiris Anargyros had it built at the beginning of this century and since then the hotel has been visited by thousands of well known politicians, businessmen and artists. Its fine architecture and its nicely decorated interior attract till today the admiration of a different architectural view.

Some hundreds of meters ahead we find the old "Daskalaki" cotton mill factory, transformed today into a luxurious tourist compound, keeping and combining at the same time traditional and modern architecture. Further down stands the Town Hall, a traditional building decorated with beautiful pebble designs and a garden.

At the far end of this itinerary we come to Kounoupitsa where we admire the most renowned "Anargyrios-Korgialenios" school, that provided famous scientists, politicians and artists like I. Xenakis, G. Rallis and others, for over fifty years.

These unique installations that have been used for the last ten years are revived by the opening of a special Environmental Center under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, the Directing Committee of the Fountations and the Municipality of Spetses.

From the port of "Dapia" to "Analipsis"

Starting from "Dapia", we first cross the "Clock square", the most renowned square in the center of town, surrounded by all kinds of restaurants and bars. In its NW side stands the Town Clock built at the beginning of the century by George I. Leonidas.

We take the interior road, parallel to the seaside one towards the seaside one towards the Northeast, following the signs "The Spetses Museum" and we arrive at the Hatzigianni Mexis mansion where the museum is housed. Inside this important building, decorated with high arcades and the hero's head sculpted by Byron Kesses, the visitor will see archaeological findings and historical heirlooms of the Greek Revolution.

Continuing our walk we arrive at the triange of St.Eleftherios Church where the road separates in two directions.

To the Southeast [towards the mountain] it takes you to "Kokkinaria" and ends at the Monastery of All Saints and highter up at that of the Panagia the Gorgoepikoos.

The direction to the East comes to "Analipsis" square, where Easter is very traditionally celebrated. From there one road goes to the "Old Port" with its beautiful captain houses, and the other takes you to the Agia Marina beach and the regional road around the island.

From the port of "Dapia" to "Kasteli"

In order to go to "Kasteli" we leave "Dapia" taking the only road that starts where the horse buggies are packed and lead to the south direction of the island over the mountain.

At the height of the "Lazaros" taverna the road separates. To the right it climbs up to "Kasteli"[the island's fort], the region where the first medieval settlement was formed.

Walls surrounded the settling and its acropolis was situated where the church of St.Basil is now. At this very place was build the first town os Spetses as well.

Today the visitor can admire this pictursque neighborhood of Spetses with its church of St.Trinity, decorated with a fantastic wooden temple, the church of the Virgin Mary and that of the Archangels. A natural fortification remaining as such up to our days is the torrent of St.George towards the East and that of Kounoupitsa to the West.