Kavala, Greece – Beaches and Restaurants

September is definitely the perfect time for a late beach holiday in Kavala, Greece. The coastal town is only 300 km away from Sofia, Bulgaria. Which makes it a great choice for a longer weekend beach break for many Bulgarians. The crystal clear water of the Aegean Sea is still warm. The flow of tourists has decreased. And the temperature is still suitable for the beach. I won’t even mention Greek cuisine and hospitality – they are present all year round.

We had the opportunity to visit Kavala and the surrounding area in the last week of August for a late beach holiday. Although the end of the season is near, the weather was perfect for the beach. Therefore, I am rushing to share our impressions and recommendations if you are thinking of visiting this coastal town in Northern Greece.

Since there is a lot of information, I decided to divide my Kavala guide into three parts – hotels and what to look out for, beaches and restaurants, sightseeing.

BEACHES

There are generally no nice beaches in Kavala. But only half an hour away you will find crystal clear water and fine sand. The perfect conditions for a full sea day. Here are our top suggestions:

Beaches in Kavala

The central city beach in Kavala – Rapsani Beach – is convenient if you don’t want to use a car and are staying in a central hotel. We went to the central city beach exclusively for the first two days. Umbrellas are absolutely free, but they are few in number, so it is better to go early in the morning to be sure to find a place. The water at the end of August was clear, but the bottom is slightly rocky at the beginning. There are no beach bars on the beach, but there is a supermarket nearby where you can buy something to drink.

3 km from Kavala you will find two more beaches – Perigiali in the eastern end and Kalamitsa in the western end. We didn’t get to them, but you can find detailed information about them here.

Ammolofoi Beach

Definitely, Ammolofoi beach (translated as “sand dunes”) is the most beautiful beach in the area. It is only 3 km from Nea Peramos and consists of three large bays with dunes and crystal clear water. It has been awarded the blue flag many times, and there are no hotels or other buildings around – the beach is surrounded by orchards and vineyards. The seabed is not equally shallow everywhere, but it gets deep gradually and is suitable for children.

The first bay is absolutely uninhabited – you will not find any beach bars there, only a long free zone where you can bring your own umbrellas and sunbeds.

Most of the beach bars are concentrated on the second bay. Here you will find Wave Beach Bar, Koo Beach Bar, Paradise Beach Bar, Peponi Beach Bar and most of the beachgoers. We spent a day at Koo Beach Bar – they played nice house music, but the crowd was definitely more of a negative for us.

On the third bay you will find a pleasant mix of bars and long free zones. We liked it here the most and spent two whole days at Liquid Beach Bar, which is also the biggest in this bay. It was much calmer than the second bay and we were able to really rest.

No matter which beach bar you choose, the conditions are almost the same everywhere. For consumption you get free covered parking, free sunbeds and an umbrella, clean toilets, changing rooms and showers. The prices are also mostly the same – a frappe (+ free water with it) is 5 euros, beers (330 ml) vary around 5-6 euros, soft drinks are 4-5 euros, a regular sandwich is 4 euros, and a club sandwich for two is 8-9 euros.

RESTAURANTS IN KAVALA

Greek cuisine is definitely known for its high quality and variety. Traditional Greek specialties, rich fish menu, souvlaki and gyros. In the taverns of Kavala, you will find something for everyone, and you can always count on great quality, and in many cases, low prices. Here are our suggestions and what exactly to try from the menu of each restaurant:

Sousouro

The souvlaki, fried zucchini and Greek salad definitely got a standing ovation here. We enjoyed this tavern so much that we returned not just once, but three times! The setting is casual as it is located on a side street off the long promenade. Many of the locals also dined here, which is always a good sign when choosing restaurants for our holiday. The prices were also very good, and since the portions were large, you could actually share several things instead of ordering a separate portion for each person. The complimentary ice cream and shot of mastika was a nice surprise at the end.

Apiko

It is definitely the best choice if you prefer seafood. The menu is huge and offers all kinds of fish and seafood at pretty good prices. It is located on the main promenade and you will find mostly tourists here (Bulgarian speech was definitely prevalent).

To Araliki

If you are planning a walk around the old town of Kavala, definitely end it with a delicious dinner at To Araliki. Here you can enjoy great traditional Greek specialties, such as bougiourdi (baked feta cheese with tomatoes and peppers) or stuffed vine leaves. And the atmosphere of the old town definitely gives a pleasant mood to the dinner.

Bullevard, Gyros & Burger Bar

The tastiest gyros we’ve found are by far at this gyros bar. It’s quite close to the bus station, so it’s definitely noisy but the taste is worth it. And if the noisy atmosphere is a big issue for you, you can take your lunch to the hotel and eat it on the terrace. Everything is served in a convenient box and accompanied by wooden cutlery.

What drink to try out in Kavala?

To be honest, I was quite inexperienced when it came to typical Greek alcoholic beverages. I decided to change that and tried ouzo and tsipouro for the first time. Ouzo is a big Greek tradition – we tried To diko mas and Extra, which are produced in the Kavala region. Tsipouro is the Greek brandy and it was too strong for my taste. Each restaurant also offers draft wine by the glass, in most cases produced in the area.

I hope this short guide will make your stay in Kavala much more pleasant and delicious. If you are headed to this seaside town, read the other articles in the Kavala series.