Welcome to the island of Thassos, Greece's best kept secret!

Local honey, wine with a delicate scent of apple, sparkling beaches, friendly faces and romantic vistas welcome visitors to the intimate allure of this North Aegean Sea island. Just a short ferry ride from the port of Kavala on the mainland of Greece, the "Emerald of the Aegean," is rich in beauty and charm as well as its bounty including the whitest marble in the world along its picturesque mountains.

EarthCam and affiliates, go-thassos.gr and Hotel Blue Bay are delighted to bring you incredible, unobstructed picture postcard views of the bay of Golden Beach (Skala Panagia & Skala Potamia). Thassos, remote from the organized mass tourism of Athens, is the perfect place to relax, experience traditional Greek Island culture and leave the rigors of the world behind in favor of the warm sun and sea of Greece. Golden Beach has about 2 miles of shoreline with shallow, crystal clear water perfect for watersports and an ideal setting for numerous cafes and traditional tavernas along the coast.

Thassos still retains its distinct traditional culture which islands of the south have lost due to their dominant tourist infrastructure.

In Thassos you can still share in the pleasure of leisurely strolls offering spectacular views, quiet drives around the scenic island, visits to ancient ruins, and the adventure of the local cuisine enhanced with the light-bodied wine of the island. Hotels, villas, resorts, apartments and private holiday rentals are easily available for a visit that promises a rendezvous with romance and history.

Famous names in antiquity including Marc Antony, Octavian, Marcus Brutus, Cassius and St. Paul the Apostle, touch the past of this Aegean Island. St. Paul sailed just off the Thassos coast on his second missionary journey. Also nearby in Philippi, about 35 minutes drive when arriving on the mainland, you may visit the biblical site where St. Paul was imprisoned and the battlefield where the armies of Antony and Octavian faced Brutus and Cassius during the Roman civil war.

Thassos offers a treasure of ancient history dating back thousands of years. The first signs of prehistoric colonists shows evidence of their prescence between 8000-6000 BC in the seaside marble quarry of Alyki in southeast Thassos.

The Phoenicians first colonized the island for its gold. It is said to be named after Thasos, son of Phoenix, the leader of the Phoenicians. The first Greek Colony arrived in the early part of 700 BC gained power and extended it to the mainland.

The land because of its mineral riches and location was often embroiled in battles. It fell to the Macedonians was set free by the Romans in 197 BC and became part of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was captured by the Turks in 1462 and in the early 19th Century was awarded as a gift to an Egyptian Sultan. It wasn't until 1912 that Greece re-claimed the territory. Although it came under Bulgarian rule during World War II it continued as part of Greece. The island was involved in the Greek Civil War which ended on the mainland in 1949 and about a year later on Thassos because of guerillas entrenched in the mountains. Today the peaceful mountains dominate the island offering spectacular panoramas.

For more information, please visit our affiliate at go-thassos.gr.