Kavala harbour, built in an amphitheatre around a Byzantine fortress, is a tourist attraction. History has left its mark and its beaches and surrounding villages have made it an attractive destination in the north of Greece.

Kavala, less well known than Athens, Salonica or the Cyclades, is nonetheless one of the busiest coastal resorts in Greece. The ancient city of Neapolis and Byzantine Christopoulos, in the far north of the country on the route to Thrace and Turkey, with their rich heritage, bear the imprint of the vagaries of a turbulent history. Kavala, a key stopping-off place on the route to Constantinople, conquered by the Turks, invaded on many occasions, knew how to protect herself. The magnificent Byzantine fortress at the top of the town testifies to this as do the remains of the city walls.

However, more than all this, Kavala is a magnificent site with its white houses with their roof tiles stretching harmoniously from the sea up the hillside. The old town is a jewel. From the picturesque harbour with its brightly-coloured fishing boats, you can wend your way past the old houses of the Panagia district. On your way, you’ll discover the house of Mehmet Ali, Vice-King of Egypt in the 18th century, Imaret, a Turkish edifice with eighteen cupolas facing the sea and the Kamares, a superb aqueduct built by Suleiman the Magnificent.

Near Kavala, those in search of the pleasures of the seaside and fish restaurants head for the beaches of Kalamitsa, Palio and Raspani. Others take off to the island of Thasos or go inland to discover the tobacco-producing villages, Agios Silas and its monastery and the ruins of the ancient Macedonian city of Filipi.