Thasos

Thasos is the island the north calls its own, and it is a revelation. The ferry from Kavala is a short crossing that feels like entering a different world, and it lands at the port of the capital, also called Thasos — a beautiful little town of white houses and plane trees around a horseshoe harbour. The ring road circles the island, through pine forests and olive groves, past the ancient ruins of the island's marble quarries and the temple of the port, and on to the beaches that line the coast — Paradise, Golden Beach, and the coves of the south. The ancient theatre of Limenas and the marble streets of the old city repay time, and the water here seems lit from within. Thasos is green, fragrant, and full of light, and its towns — Limenas, Limenaria, Panagia — are among the prettiest in Greece. It is the perfect northern island: easy to reach, gentle in climate, and full of beauty.

Thasos has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and it was one of the richest islands of the ancient world. Its marble was prized throughout antiquity — the quarries of the island supplied the temples of Greece and the buildings of the Roman world — and its gold mines made the island wealthy. The ancient city of Thasos, on the site of the modern town of Limenas, was one of the great cities of the Aegean, with its agora, its theatre, and its walls. The island was a member of the Delian League and later a possession of the Romans and Byzantium. In the Middle Ages it was ruled by the Genoese, and under the Ottomans it was a remote island of marble workers and farmers. In the modern era, Thasos was famous for its marble again — the stone of the island was used in the 20th century for buildings and monuments across Greece — and since the 1960s it has been one of the most beloved holiday islands of northern Greece. Its green, gentle, beautiful character has made it the favourite of generations of Greek and international visitors.

The name is recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium in the sixth century AD. His Ethnica is not a book of stories but a dictionary of Greek place-names, and for this one it says: "It is named from Thasos". (Ethnica, s.v. Θάσος).

That is the whole of what an ancient source has to say about how the place got its name. It is a shorter answer than the guidebooks give, and it is the only one with a source behind it.

Thasos has some of the best beaches of the north Aegean. Paradise and Golden Beach, on the south coast, are long stretches of golden sand with clear, shallow water, among the most beautiful in Greece. The coves of the south and east — including the beautiful bays near Limenaria and the beaches of the west coast — are quiet and beautiful, reached by the ring road. The beach of Makryammos, near the capital, is a lovely sandy bay. The water is clear and warm, and the island's green coast gives the beaches a setting no other island can match. Bring a mask and a towel, and you will find a new beach around every headland.

Thasos food is the cooking of a fertile island of farmers and fishermen. The island produces superb honey, olive oil, and wine, and its mountains are covered in the herbs — thyme, oregano, sage — that give the island's produce its fragrance. The tavernas of Limenas, Limenaria, and the villages serve the daily catch — grilled fish, octopus, and the small fish of the north — with the classic Greek table and a generous warmth. The island is also famous for its honey and its 'loukoumades' (honey fritters). For a proper Thasos meal, find a taverna by the harbour, order the fish of the day and a plate of the island's greens, and finish with honey and a glass of the local wine as the boats come home.

May, June, and September are the ideal months on Thasos: warm, green, and beautiful, with the beaches perfect and the island at its best. July and August are the main season, when the island fills with Greek and Bulgarian visitors and the beaches and towns are lively. Spring is lovely, when the island is at its greenest and the wildflowers cover the hills. Autumn lingers warm, and the island's forests are at their most fragrant. Whenever you come, give Thasos at least a few days — the ring road, the beaches, and the towns all deserve more time.

The main way in is by ferry: about an hour from Kavala, with further sailings from Keramoti and from Thessaloniki in summer. Thasos itself has no airport, so air travellers land at Kavala and take a ferry onward.

A car is the best way to explore the ring road and the beaches. Do not miss the ancient theatre and the old city of Limenas, the marble quarries, and the beaches of the south. Drive the whole ring road at least once, swim at Paradise and Golden Beach, and eat by the harbour in Limenas. Thasos is the perfect northern island — give it time and it will give you everything.