Situated in northern Greece, Kavala is the principal seaport of Eastern Macedonia and the capital city of the Kavala regional unit. Time-tasted, it has evolved as an important economic fulcrum of Northern Greece, the centre of commerce, tourism, fishing, and oil-related activities. Formerly, it was a vibrant trade centre for tobacco though it hasn't lost its importance nevertheless. Before modern times, historically, it was known by two names: Neapolis in ancient time('new city', like many Greek colonies) and Christopolis in the mediaeval period('city of Christ'). It was once the seat of the metropolitan bishop of Filippoi (ancient Philippi), Neapolis, and the headquarters of a Greek army division. Known for Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, it hosts many stone mansions and churches, and museums.

The city stands quite prominently on a narrow highland slowly stretching into the gulf that lies opposite Thassos. Moving eastward, the land is fertile and drained with marshland. This condition makes the land quite favourable for growing rice and melon. Apart from cultivation, beekeeping is yet another important farming activity pursued there along with local vineyard cultivation. Kavala is known for its mesmerising beauty and therefore large numbers of tourists swarm into the city every year. Geographically, the Greece topography has played an important role in its protection from external aggression as well as development in terms of trade and commerce. Surrounded by mountains, it was difficult for its enemies to invade the country easily though Greece has always been a war zone during its entire period from ancient times until the mediaeval age. The easy access to the sea is yet another advantage for the prosperity of the nation because it has carried out its trade and commercial activities through the sea route since time immemorial.

Beauty cannot be measured nor ranked; however, on a note of comparison, Kavala is regarded as the third most beautiful city in Greece. Due to its location and accessibility to nearby seaports of eastern Macedonia and the Bay of Kavala, it is desired by almost all Europeans as well as people from different parts of the world. With a long coastline, it features some of the best sunsets. Hence it is rightly designated a major tourist destination for its traditional Greek food and its long, sandy beaches, old mansions, churches, and museums as well as a popular spot for college students and other young people who find a variety of spots for entertainment like bars, clubs, and restaurants. The city is 680 kilometres (423 miles) away from Athens and 150 kilometres (93 miles) from Thessaloniki. On top of that, easy access to the airport has spurred the tourism industry to grow tremendously. Hence it is rightly designated a major tourist destination. Kavala International Airport is just 30 kilometres (18 miles) away from Kavala city and provides daily flight service from Athens to other international airports. It has a well-connected bus service with bus station KTEL Kavala located at the centre of the city; buses radiate from here to other parts of the country.

When to visit Kavala

Located in the Mediterranean geographical region, Kavala experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climatic condition surrounded by both a semi-arid climate and a humid subtropical climate. Snowfalls are observed to occur sporadically, however, it happens quite scantily or less every year. There is a prevalence of high humidity in the region almost all the time. As for the temperature, the highest average temperature in the months of December and January happens to be around 10° Celsius(50° Fahrenheit) during the daytime while the lowest temperature for the same period is observed to be 5° Celsius(41 Fahrenheit) at night. In the months of March and April, the average high temperature can reach 16° Celsius(61° Fahrenheit) in the daytime while it could be 9.5° Celsius(49° Fahrenheit) at night. As per the observation of the mercury scale, the temperature has not been crossing 31° Celsius(87.8° Fahrenheit) for any given month either July nor August. The maximum temperature limit of 31° Celsius(87.8° Fahrenheit) might let us think that there is no extreme climatic condition. However, the climate scenario is not how it appears. There indeed actually exists a harsh climatic condition on account of the high humidity condition that always prevails in the region. Hence, excluding the months from May to October, the rest months can be an ideal period to visit the place, especially March to April and December to February. So, if someone wants to make a plan for a trip to Kavala, the best time could be the period from March to April and December to February. These months will surely fulfil the desires that a traveller yearns for. 

Good to know about Kavala

Since ancient times, Greece is known for its contribution to having produced learned persons. Hence, it is known as a learning place for many scholars. Not only this, it progressed in many other spheres of activities like trade and commerce, cultures, sports, and education likewise. As a recall to history, the current Olympics got started in Athens a long time ago. 

As discussed above, Greece has always been a centre of learning. There are a number of educational institutes. Those institutes have expertise in management, science, and technology, accounting and information, fisheries, space science, and all.  As for the culture, Kavala hosts a wide variety of cultures. Those cultural activities are performed mostly in Summers. One of the most celebrated festivals is the Festival of Philippi. Another festival that is celebrated is Kavala AirSea Show which is related to sporting activities.

The most convenient way to travel throughout Kavala is by bus. All the parts of the city are well connected by bus routes and there are frequent buses plying between Kavala and Thessaloniki, Philippi and Alexandroupoli and several local destinations, Athens and other cities. On average the bus fare would range roughly between $15.00 to $20.00 between Kavala to other cities. Taxi service has of course gained trust and reliance from the people as it provides genuine and organised service. EUROTAXI Kavala has been providing service in the city since 1986. The average fare for a taxi is priced around $41.00 for a ride from Kavala International Airport to any hotel or to the city centre. As for the cost of living, the average cost of living in Kavala is $950 and it is considered in the top 38% of the least expensive cities in the world. There are many beautiful and well-furnished restaurants in Kavala. Some of them are Palladio - 24 hours a day, Tsalapeteinos - for eating or drinking this place, Kentrikon - coffee on the way, Yummy - sweet, etc. Giving tips in restaurants is regarded as a gesture of appreciation. There is no such hard and fast rule to giving tips in Kavala restaurant but giving a little percentage of the total bill would suffice to be thankful and grateful for the service received. Generally, 15% to 20% of what someone pays as a total is just ethical. Apart from all the above-mentioned points, we should also be aware beforehand of how we should behave when we visit that place and also having some knowledge about their cultures will help us to assimilate with the local people.

What to see in Kavala

Greece as a whole is full of sightseeing, and so is Kavala. One can see cultural events, historical monuments, beaches, knowledge centres, and many other sites. As for cultural events, Kavala celebrates a number of cultural events like the Festival of Philippi, Kavala AirSea Show, Cosmopolis, Yiannis Papaioannou's Festival, Wood Water Wild Festival, etc. Out of these, Cosmopolis is an international festival held in the Old Town of Kavala and it is a spectacular celebration that Kavala offers. Kavala cuisines are among the most loved cuisines. The Kavala restaurants offer prevailing elements that include local livestock breeding and agricultural sectors and fresh fish and seafood, especially sardines, and shrimp salad. Now, if we talk about sites, there are innumerable of them. Important ones are as follows:

Kavala Aqueduct: It is one of the most important architectures of Kavala and it stands intact in the centre of the town. It is of Roman origin.

wonderful Paleo Tsifliki Beach: it is located around 6 kilometres southwest of Kavala and it is the most exciting place to visit for a beach lover. It provides all the amenities that a beach lover would want.

Kavala Castle: It stands just next to the sea on the top of a hill of 64 metres in height. 

Archaeological Museum: This site is very important from the academic and research point of view. It falls in the Macedonia region and is believed to have antique sculptures, earthenware, tools, and decoration from different eras.

The city of Thessaloniki: With Kavala as a starting point, it is so easy to move around to another city. Thessaloniki is such a city that can be easily traversed from Kavala. It is the second-largest city in Greece and it has so much to offer for a traveller.

Greece as a whole is a marvellous destination for a trip. It has a number of important sites to visit. Not only historical but many cultural, educational, and commercial places do attract people from around the world. A 7 to 8 night day plan would be sufficient to complete the sightseeing of all the important regions of Kavala.