Kassos vacations
Kassos is one of those typically Greek islands, the ones we picture when we imagine the real, traditional, untouched Greece.
The pace is slow and if you like relaxing, this is one of your best choices.
With only two taxis on the island, you can get lots of undisturbed sleep, with the exception perhaps of a donkey or rooster.
You can find yourself close to nature and to clear blue waters.
Because of its isolation, the island has always been poor.
The men try to manage on fishing or working on ships and many hope that the tourism will increase.
The people are very friendly, but the only ones that speak English are usually those who have been forced to work abroad.
Kassos is first mentioned in Homer Iliad where the Greeks go off to fight in Troy.
The island has also been called Amphe, Achne and Astravi.
The name Kassos comes according to the legend from the island first inhabitant, who was a Cretan prince.
This indicates that the Minoans were amongst the first to settle on the island.
Kassos lies south west of Karpathos, between this island and Crete.
Its shape is elliptic and resembles that of Rhodes.
The main island has a surface of 49 square kilometers, is 17 km long and 6 km wide.
It is very mountainous, its highest mount being Mt. Prionas, which is 550 m high.
There is fresh water on the island.
The first inhabitants were Achaeans.
Later the island was colonized by Dorians.
Kassos was part of Byzantine empire and suffered a lot by Arab pirates and Latin crusaders, until it was invaded by turks.
In the 18th century, the island developed into a significant naval power.
The islanders participated in the Greek Revolution of 1821, led by Captain Bourekas.
In June 1824 Ibrahem pasha of Egypt sent Hussein bey with 4000 Albanians, who burned down the island and enslaved all women and children.
Men over 8 years old were massacred. In 1912 the island was conquered by Italians and in 1948 finally was liberated and became part of Greece.
Fri is the capital of the island and is very picturesque with its stone houses. There is a church worth visiting here called Ag Spyridonas.
Emborios is another pretty village with a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
In Ellinokamara there are caves where archaeologists have found traces of Neolithic settlements. Sellai is a stalactite cave you can visit.
In Poli, the old capital, there are some remains of the Venetian Kastro and a beautiful church, Ag Triada.