Kavala

Kavala is the city that has everything except the crowds it deserves. It climbs a steep hillside above the sea like an island town, its old quarter of whitewashed and ochre houses crowned by a Byzantine fortress, and its famous aqueduct — a row of great stone arches from the 16th century — marching through the centre of the city. The ferry from Thasos makes a summer afternoon arrival, and as the boat rounds the headland the whole city rises before the eye: the fortress on the hill, the houses tumbling to the water, the harbour full of yachts and fishing boats. It is one of the great first views of Greece. The old town — Panagia, as it is called — is a maze of lanes and squares with an almost Cycladic feel, and its restored merchant mansions, built by the tobacco magnates who made Kavala rich, are among the grandest in Greece. The Imaret, a great 19th-century Ottoman charitable complex, sits like a fortress above the sea. And everywhere there is the sea: Kavala is a port, a ferry town, a fishing town, and the gate to the islands of Thasos and Samothrace.

Kavala's history is long and layered. In antiquity the site was the town of Neapolis, founded by colonists from Thasos around the 6th century BC; it was here that the apostle Paul is said to have landed on his way to Philippi, where he preached to the first Christian congregation in Europe. The city passed through Byzantine hands, when it was known as Christoupolis, and was captured by the Ottomans in 1387. It was under Ottoman rule, in the 16th century, that the great aqueduct was built (restored in the 16th and 19th centuries) and the city grew into a prosperous port. In the 19th century, Kavala became the centre of the eastern Mediterranean tobacco trade, and the wealthy merchants built the magnificent mansions of the old town. The city was liberated in 1913 and formally united with Greece after the First World War. In the 1920s, Kavala received thousands of Greek refugees from Asia Minor, who shaped its modern character. Today it is a busy ferry port, a university city, and one of the more unusual provincial capitals of Greece, with a lively food scene, a fine archaeological museum, and a genuine, unhurried charm.

Kavala's beaches are scattered around the city and along the coast to the east and west. The city's own beach, near the old town, is small and pebbly, but the coast around Kavala is superb. To the east, the long sandy beaches of the Kavala plain — at Nea Peramos and towards Keramoti — offer golden sand and shallow, warm water. To the west, toward the wild coast of the Paggaio mountains, the beaches are quieter and more dramatic. The islands of Thasos and Samothrace, a short ferry away, offer some of the best beaches in the northern Aegean, and Kavala is the perfect base from which to reach them.

Kavala is a serious food city, and its kitchens are a meeting of island and Macedonian traditions. The fish is excellent — the port supplies the tavernas with the day's catch, and the grilled octopus and the fried anchovies of the harbour are superb. The old town is full of tavernas serving the food of northern Greece: souvla, moussaka, the local pies, and the famous Kavala sweets, especially the pasteli and the halva. The city is also the gateway to the vineyards of eastern Macedonia, and the local reds are well worth seeking out. The harbour's cafés serve the strong Greek coffee with a spoon sweet, and the evenings along the promenade are long and golden.

Spring (April to June) and early autumn (September to October) are the finest seasons in Kavala — mild, golden, and quiet, with the old town at its best in the low light. Summer (July to August) is warm and busy, with the harbour full of life and the ferries running to the islands; the evenings, with the sea breeze and the lights of the old town, are a joy. Winter is quiet and the city turns inward, but the light on the mountains and the sea is beautiful.

Kavala is served by an international airport, Makedonia — Fraport, half an hour inland at Chrysoupoli. The city's harbour is also the point of departure for the ferry to Thasos.

Spend a morning in the old town — climb the lanes to the fortress for the view, then wander down through the squares to the Imaret. The archaeological museum is small but excellent; the 'Kavala kouros', a monumental marble youth of the 6th century BC, is one of the great sculptures of Greece. Take a day trip to Philippi — the ancient city where Paul preached, one of the most important archaeological sites of northern Greece. And take the ferry to Thasos for a day or two; it is one of the most underrated islands in Greece. The old town is best in the late afternoon, when the light turns the houses golden.