The pine-covered coastline and headland of Spetses seen from the sea, with a lighthouse on the point.
islandWorth a Detour

Spetses

Photo: Greece Field Guide

Source Verified · 2026-10-05

The Verdict

The Saronic island with money in its past: pine forest, quiet coves, and a car-free town built by nineteenth-century shipowners.

Why go

Spetses made its money in shipping in the nineteenth century, threw its weight behind the war of independence, and has been a summer island for Athenians ever since. The town is car-free and handsome; the rest of the island is pine forest with coves along a coast road you walk or cycle, and beaches at Agia Paraskevi and Agia Anargyroi that take a little effort to reach. No ancient sites, no airport, no rush — an island to swim, eat and walk round in a couple of days.

Trip role
Worth a Detour
Time needed
Min 2 nights / Ideal 3 nights
Best for
Couples · Quiet · Villages · Easy Without a Car
Skip if
you want to drive and explore · you are looking for ancient history · you are on a tight budget
Best months
May, June, September, October
Crowd reality
Moderate
Car needed
No Car Needed
Airport access
No airport — hydrofoil from Piraeus, or drive to Kosta and cross by boat
Ferry relevance
Hydrofoils from Piraeus in about two hours, and seasonal boats from the Peloponnese coast

Understand the place

The southernmost of the Argo-Saronic islands, pine-covered and car-free, whose captains made it wealthy in the age of sail.

Towns & villages

Pair it with

Editorially complementary destinations.

Easy to combine with

Logically reachable by transport. Confirm current ferry/flight schedules before booking.

Nearby

Related

Sources

Booking links

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