We've had a relaxing quiet few days in Agia Pelagia. It gets very hot during the day in the sun, but there is often a stiff breeze to make it more comfortable. Also the sun does not seem to burn as readily as the New Zealand sun does - more ozone overhead perhaps? The sun does shine every day, and the beach fills with holiday makers every morning. When it was particularly busy on Saturday our host George told me many of the bathers would be Greeks, coming to the beach for the weekend, so it is not just foreign tourists. However you hear all sorts of languages spoken, including what seems to me to be Russian. The restaurants' menus usually include pages in Greek, English, Russian, French, etc.
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| Andy's Plaza, one of the cheapest places in town - but perfectly comfortable |
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| Next door - just one example of the many empty unfinished buildings we see everywhere. |
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| The beach is a bit quieter in early morning. Not much sand between those loungers and the sea! |
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| I followed this little path around the headland. The water looks clean and clear. |
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| Only those staying at the big resort next door can get to this beach! |
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| The tiny shrine at the end of the beach. |
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| A peek inside the shrine. |
At the end of the beach just above the sea is a tiny shrine set into the rock, with a little blue door. In this area traces have been found of the ancient town of Apollonia dating from about 2000 BC, indicating the Agia Pelagia location has been inhabited for 4,000 years.
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| The view over my morning coffee cup! (from a cafe at the beach) |
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| The beach has showers, a little changing box, and men who keep track of who has paid for their beach chairs. |
There are three medium-sized supermarkets along the beach; about 20 restaurants and cafes; and half a dozen shops selling touristy things, beach towels and clothes. The rest of the village seems to be largely comprised of tourist apartments. At the east end of the beach is a large hotel with a great view over the sea and the beach, but like many buildings in Greece it is deserted and silent. It was the same in Athens with a number of buildings close to our hotel abandoned and crumbling, apparently having been like that since the global financial crisis.
