Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
Booking ahead is wise in high summer even though there are a number of choices, ranging from no-frills hotels to a string
of luxurious resort-cum-conference hotels, well west of town. There is also a large municipal campsite on the main road at
the western edge of town (
T
25510 28735).
Erika
K Dhimitríou 110, just east of the port entrance
T
25510 34115,
W
hotel-erika.gr.
Smart seafront hotel,
recently upgraded,
with
comfortable rooms and a decent
breakfast included.
€60
Okeanis
K Paleológou 20-22, six blocks northwest of
the port
T
25510 28830.
Renovated hotel, stylishly
furnished in dark w
ood
and fabrics, with comfortable,
average-sized rooms.
€55
Ì
Thraki Palace
Paleológou 20, 5km west of town
T
25510 89100,
W
thrakipalace.gr.
This sleek, modern
five-star establishment has a sea-view swimming pool, a
swish restaurant, piano bar, fitness centre and spacious,
contemporary rooms, though
the
surroundings lack any
character. Breakfast included.
€120
Vergina
K Dhimitríou 74, opposite train station
T
25510 27583,
F
25510 27580.
Simple, plainly
decorated rooms, some with s
ea-v
iew balconies. Among
the best-value options in town.
€35
EATING AND DRINKING
The standard of restaurants
in town is pretty good, especially in the streets just behind the seafront and near the train
station. The trendiest bars and cafés are, unsurprisingly, strung along the seafront.
Ì
Kyra Dimitra
Kounouriotou 2
T
25510 34434.
A
wide range of vegetable dishes accompanies fried fish for
around €7-8 in this welcoming local favourite near the
train station.
Daily noon-1am.
Naftikos Omilos
Next to the ferry terminal
T
25510
28577.
This café-patisserie draws people from all over the
area for a coffee or cake with a great view of the lapping
waves and seafront promenade.
Daily 9am-late.
Nea Klimataria
Platía Polytekhníou 18
T
25510
26288.
Taverna offering an appealing variety of dishes
from soups and starters like
saganáki
to oven-baked and
grilled meat and fish. It's one block behind the seafront
west of the port
. Daily 11am-midnight.
O Glaros
K Dhimitríou 126, opposite port entrance
T
25510 32899.
The one surviving seafront
kafenío
-cum-
ouzerí is a great spot to wait for a ferry with a glass of ouzo
and a few cheap mezédhes, mostly under €5.
Daily
10am-midnight.
4
The Évros Delta
he
Évros Delta
is
one of Europe's most important wetland areas for birds - and one of
Greece's most sensitive military areas. Among more than 250 different bird species are
sea eagles, pygmy cormorants and the lesser white-fronted goose. The delta is
crisscrossed with tracks along the dykes used by farmers taking advantage of the
plentiful water supply for growing sweet corn and cotton. The south is the most
inspiring part, well away from the army installations to the north; as you go further
into the wetlands, the landscape becomes utterly desolate, with decrepit clusters of
fishing huts among the sandbars and inlets. At the mouth of the delta sprawls a huge
saltwater lake called
Límni Dhrakónda
. Obviously what you see depends on the time of
year, but even if birdlife is a bit thin on the ground, the atmosphere of the place is
worth experiencing.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
ÉVROS DELTA
By car
Leave Alexandhroúpoli on the main road towards
Turkey and Bulgaria; some 10km after the airport, you'll
reach the turn-off to Loutra Traianopolis, the site of an
ancient Roman spa and its modern continuation Loutrós.
The delta is best approached by turning right off the main
road, opposite the side road to the hotels; the lane is paved
only as far as the level crossing but remains good thereafter.
ACCOMMODATION
Athina
Loutrós village
T
25510 61208.
This relatively
basic medium-sized hotel offers pleasant rooms and
makes a
dece
nt base for exploring the delta. Breakfast
included.
€40
