Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
owner and tennis coach Sofia Hajisavva organises sports, boat and pony rides for kids,
who can also run on the lawns and antagonise ducks, fish and turtles. While mosquitoes
vex, the rooms and buildings have screens.
If arriving via river-road bus, ask for Tyhero's Gymnasio stop; 200m opposite it stands
Thrassa. It has a cafe, but Tyhero's centre has the tavernas.
O Thomas
(
25540 41259;
Tyhero; mains €5-8)
, an old favourite, also delivers to Thrassa.
Dadia Forest Reserve Δάσος της Δαδιάς
Further north, off the central main road (30km from Feres), a left-hand turn-off leads
7km west to
Dadia Forest Reserve
, situated on one of Europe's two main bird migration
routes. It's home to 36 of the 38 European raptors (birds of prey) species, some rare. Da-
dia has a protected inner zone (73 sq km) and buffer zone (352 sq km). Local slaughter-
houses donate some 1000kg of meat a week to keep the birds satiated. Almost as enter-
taining as watching the birds frolic on their carrion through long-lens telescopes is ob-
serving the more zealous birdwatchers argue about which bird it is they're actually see-
ing.
It's best in May, before migration begins, or in July, when baby vultures hop curiously
10am-4pm Dec-Jan, 9am-7pm Mar-May & Sep-Nov, 8.30am-8.30pm Jun-Aug)
has detailed bilin-
gual wall displays, an educational film and minibus service to the Alamo-like bird hide
(€3). Alternatively, hike one hour up the trail - it's marked orange heading up and yellow
coming down. The hide contains binoculars, telescopes and a tripod for photography
buffs. For still more details, find the itinerant World Wildlife Foundation scientist, whose
office adjoins the Ecotourist Centre.
s/d/tr/qd €30/43/50/55)
has simple but clean en-suite private rooms. There's an adjoin-
ing cafe. Otherwise, try
Traditional Family Taverna
(
25540 32481; mains €4-6)
, near
the church in Dadia village (1km).
Soufli Σουφλί
Soufli, 38km north of Alexandroupoli, has been producing silk since Alexander the
Great's time; today, the silkworms are still munching on its mulberry trees. However, the
industry suffered after 1923 when farmers lost groves to the new Turkish state. More re-
cently, mulberry groves have been chopped to create more arable land. While small-scale
