Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
it's a fair climb up with no easy parking nearby.
€60
Plaza
Navmahías 37
T
26340 22226,
W
plaza-hotel.gr.
In the Psáni area, this large hotel was renovated (especially
the bathrooms) in 2007, and rooms have a/c and wi-fi.
There's a pool and
be
ach amenities provided, as well.
Breakfast included.
€50
EATING AND DRINKING
Most of Náfpaktos's tavernas line the beaches and are all
fairly comparable in quality. Otherwise, the medieval
harbour and the Stenopázaro lane just inland are lined by
frappádhika
and bars, which constitute the town's nightlife.
Ì
Papoulis
This very atmospheric spot on the
pedestrian zone near the Fetiye mosque (missing its
minaret) actually comprises two adjacent premises - an
ouzerí and a taverna, with large-portioned, well-executed
food and good service at both, local wine and seating both
indoors and out, including a balcony out back overlooking
the gulf. About €15/person.
Daily lunch & dinner.
Áyios Konstandínos and around
ÁYIOS KONSTANDÍNOS
is the closest port to Athens for the Sporades islands, with daily
catamaran or car-ferry departures to Skiáthos, Skópelos and Alónissos. It lies on the
coastal
Athens-Lamía motorway
which offers spectacular views of the surrounding
mountains and access to the famous site of
Thermopylae
and its hot springs. En route
there are various links with the island of
Évvia
(see p.693): first at Halkídha (where
there's a causeway), then by ferry at
Arkítsa
. here's no reason to
stay
in
Áyios
Konstandínos
.
3
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
ÁYIOS KONSTANDÍNOS
By bus
The bus station is located about 200m south of the
ferry landing, next to a supermarket.
Destinations
Athens (hourly; 2hr 30min); Lamía (hourly;
2hr 30min); Pátra (1 daily; 3hr 30min).
By ferry
For current information consult central agencies
Bilalis (
T
22350 31614,
W
bta.gr), for Saos Ferries and
some Hellenic Seaways departures, or Alkyon (
T
22350
32444,
W
alkyontravel.com), handling other Hellenic
Seaways sailings, GA boats plus a link to Áyios Yeóryios
(Évvia). Ferries also run from nearby Arkítsa to Loutrá
Edhipsoú and Évvia.
Destinations
Alónissos (3 daily late June to early
September; 3hr-3hr 55min); Évvia (from Arkítsa at least
hourly July-Sept 15, every 2hr mid-April to late June and
early Sept to end Oct, last sailing at 11pm/10pm; 45min);
Skiáthos (4 daily late June to early Sept; 1hr 35min-2hr
45min); Skópelos, both ports (3 daily late June to early
Sept; 2hr 10min-2hr 25min), all of the above on either
Hellenic Seaways or Nel Lines.
Thermopylae
Some 30km northwest of Áyios Konstandínos, just of the main motorway, you
come to the
Pass of Thermopylae
(Thermopýles), where a majestic
monument
commemorates Spartan King
Leonidas
and his entourage, who made their stand
against Xerxes' thirty-thousand-strong Persian army in August 480 BC. The Spartans'
bravery is described by Herodotus (and more recently, comic-book style, by Zack
Snyder's film
300
): Leonidas held the pass, the only approach an army could take to
enter Attica from Thessaly, for two days with a mixed force of 7000 Spartans,
Phokians, Thebans and helots. By night, however, Xerxes - tipped off by the traitor
Ephialtes - sent an advance party along a little-used mountain trail and skirted the
pass to attack the Greeks from behind. Leonidas ordered a retreat of the main army,
but remained in place with a rearguard of about 2300, including 300 Spartans (thus
the film's title), to delay the Persians' progress. All but two of them fought to their
deaths on the third day.
Loutrá Thermopylíon
Loutrá Thermopylíon
, across the road from the gloriously heroic statue of Leonidas and
midway through the pass, are thermal springs exploited since antiquity. Here you can
bathe undisturbed in open-air hot cascades, while off to the side 500m away lies the
grave mound of the fallen rearguard.
