Stavros

Stavros is located in Strimonikos Bay and is about 70km from Thessaloniki. It takes only 40 minutes of driving from Thessaloniki airport to Stavros.

Stavros is surrounded by hills and abundant forests. It’s located at the base of the mountain and is due to the rose of the wind known as an air spa that provides a pleasant stay with a combination of sea vapour and clean air. The city is nice. There are plenty of parks, restaurants, flowers, toys, shops, restaurants and coffee bars, there’s also an amusement park and sports fields, but the general impression is that they don’t invest too much in maintaining holiday contents in this city.

In the meantime, with the fact that Stavros is not an expensive resort, we consider it to be a quite decent choice for a holiday destination.

The beach in Stavros is part of the bay and a 10km long beach. It’s divided into two parts by a small port and a dock. The left side of the beach, facing the sea, represents the city beach. This area is wide, with sand on the coast, stones in the first couple meters in the water, then a sand and a shoal for a few tens of meters. There are several cafes with own deck chairs and umbrellas on the beach whose usage is not charged but is obtained with a purchased drink or a cup of coffee. It has plenty of free space to set up personal towels and equipment.

As we mentioned, this part of the beach stretches for miles towards Asprovalta, so it’s best to look for the part that suits you best before settling, depending on whether you prefer sandy or rocky bottom.

Part of the beach, looking to the sea, located left of the dock, is wide and sandy at the beginning and then it narrows towards the part of the beach known as Platani, for the plane wood in the hinterland.

This part of the city is, according to us, the most beautiful part of Stavros, because it is abundant with natural shade, it’s nicely arranged and obviously maintained. The beach is somewhere narrower, somewhere broader, with tiny sand on the shore, and mostly sandy in the water, but somewhere with stones and sea hedgehogs, so be careful. Shoal is here also long, so the sandy parts are ideal for children. There’s also enough room for everyone with own equipment and there are also cafes with deck chairs that are available for all-day use, along with drinks or coffee. Everyone who loves natural shade can also enjoy here without parasols.

The beach in Stavros is mostly arranged, there are showers, changing rooms, lifeguards and access to disabled people.

If you like to walkabout, you can take a stroll along the beach to the Olympiada and find beautiful, small and clean bays where you can be alone, but also some nice parts with fine cafes.

Often there’s a breeze, especially in the afternoon and from the second half of August onward. This wind does not cause waves like Asprovalta and Vrasna, but it can blur the sea by raising sand from the bottom. The wind can be exceptionally pleasant during the summer heat.

The city has plenty of content for all generations, amusement park and toys for children, a large number of shops, mostly cheap wardrobe, souvenir shops, grocery stores, restaurants, taverns, fast food kiosks and nicely decorated cafes. Stavros is not famous for nightlife and there are no clubs and discos.

This place is alive throughout the year because it’s not built for touristic purpose and it has a long tradition. Ano Stavros or Upper Stavros starts after a few minutes walk uphill from the beach. It’s a nice place with a traditional atmosphere. You can reach it by foot if you don’t mind walking uphill for about half an hour to the highest point. Along the way, you can visit several churches, walk through narrow streets and by the traditional taverns. In the end, you’ll arrive at the restaurant Agnanti, on a hill, with a beautiful view of the entire Strimonikos Bay, Stavros, Vrasna, Asprovalta and a 10km long beach. In this restaurant, you can dine or have a drink in the shade of a plane tree, and they also have a parking space. If you wish, you can continue a bit further up to the chapel dedicated to the prophet Elijah and the cross that’s well illuminated during the night.

Stavros is recommended to less demanding tourists, who don’t care if the place is top-arranged, picturesque and fairy-like as a postcard. Stavros is a city that lives, resembles any town that is not on the coast, no facade walls, courtyards and perfectly maintained public spaces. Its beauty is in a long beach, natural shade, relaxed atmosphere, a good and healthy climate that is pleasant to everyone, favourable prices and various amenities for children and adults.

Stavros is a good starting point for visiting this part of Greece, by yourselves or with local agencies. It’s only 70km away from Thessaloniki, and this beautiful city can be easily visited. At about 40km there’s a water park Waterland, and Stagira (Aristotle’s birthplace with Temat Park) and Kakovo monastery are also nearby. Nea Vrasna and Asprovalta are at a 3-4 minute drive, and famous Amphipolis, as well as Volvia lake, are also nearby. Beautiful beaches in the vicinity of the Olympiada are also easily accessible. Even Ierissos on Athos peninsula is not far away, and it takes you an hour and a half by car to get to Nikiti. Asprovalta offers a bit more of touristic amenities and a versatile nightlife than Stavros, as well as the famous monastery of St. Lydia.

Local agencies offer excursions to Meteori, Thassos and Kavala, Kafkanas island and the boat tour around the Holy Mountain.

There are several supermarkets with affordable prices in Stavros, and Lidl is on the way to Asprovalta.

All in all, Stavros offers everything needed for a pleasant holiday and from the visitors themselves depends on how they will accept and experience everything offered. If you want more affordable prices and cheaper holiday in general, Stavros can be a good choice.

Click here to check accommodation offer in Stavros.

Read about vacationing in Stavros from the perspective of one of its residents, Elena Kernali here.