Greek islands: Exploring Spetses

One of the most famous Argo-Saronic Greek islands is Spetses. And her story centers on a Greek heroine from the War of Independence in 1821.

Possibly the most famous daughters of this island is Laskarina Bubulina, who threatened the Turks from the ship Agamenon, and who they say seduced men, pistol in hand. Also, it is said that Bubulina was shot dead by the father of a girl with whom her son had fled.

Specifically, Bubulina was murdered in Spetses in 1825 because of revenge by the family of the wife of her son Yeorgios Yiannouzas, the Koutsis. The girl's father, Christodoulos Koutsis, and his men were armed to fetch Bubulina from Spetses. She went out on the balcony of her house to face them. After a brief dialogue with Christodoulos, one of the assailants shot her in the chest, followed by a few others. The killer was not identified.

Exploring the island

Not all vehicles are banned on Spetses. You can rent motorcycles and horse carriages, and there are buses to the beaches.

Cycling and mopeds are the best way to get around this island, which is surrounded by a concrete-based track in some sections. To the east of the capital, stands the Anargyreios and the Korgialeneios College, now closed. In the early 1950s, the British novelist John Fowles, taught on the island and later set up in Spetses “The Magician”, a definitive writing that stretches over twenty years.

The stone beaches of Spetses –Ligoneri, Vrellas and Agia Paraskeví- have the best of the Argo-Saronic islands. The Agioi Anargy-roi is the only beach of sand.

See also the article "Cruising the Greek islands: discovering Spetses"!