Kavala
In 1769, in an Ottoman house just steps from the harbour, a child was born destined to become Pasha of Egypt and founder of a dyna...
Updated 10 July 2026
Kavala
This season · July · Summer
What to do in Kavala now
The story
The story of Kavala
From Neapolis to Kavala: three thousand years of port history
The site on which Kavala stands was inhabited from antiquity under the name Neapolis, a colony of the Thasians and later the port of nearby Philippi, an obligatory stop along the Roman Via Egnatia linking Rome to Byzantium. In the Middle Ages the Byzantine city, known as Christoupolis, was repeatedly contested between Byzantium, the Franks and the Venetians, until in the fourteenth century it fell under Ottoman rule, where it remained for about five centuries. It was in the Ottoman era that Kavala took on the appearance it largely still retains: renewed fortifications, the aqueduct for the water supply, mosques and merchants' residences. The city returned to Greece only in 1913, after the Balkan Wars, a relatively recent annexation that explains the wealth of Ottoman traces that have survived intact to this day.
The Kamares Aqueduct, symbol of the city
The stone arches of the Kamares Aqueduct still cross the centre of Kavala today, ideally linking the old town hill to the rest of the built-up area. Built in the first half of the sixteenth century to guarantee the water supply to the fortified peninsula, it replaced an older Roman aqueduct and soon became the symbolic image of the city, appearing on postcards and civic coats of arms. Walking beneath its arches, especially in the evening when they are lit up, remains one of the most striking ways to grasp the scale and solidity of Ottoman engineering applied to a provincial city of the empire.
Panagia, the old town on the headland
The Panagia district occupies the entire rocky peninsula where ancient Neapolis once stood, and is today the historic heart of Kavala: narrow, steep alleys, Ottoman houses with the typical overhanging wooden balconies called sachnisia, small mosques and the lighthouse that closes off the tip of the headland. Strolling here, among hanging laundry and cats dozing on doorsteps, conjures the image of a Mediterranean port town left outside of time, while from the highest points there is a view stretching from the modern port to the silhouette of Thasos on the horizon.
The Byzantine-Ottoman fortress
At the top of the Panagia peninsula stands the Kavala fortress, built on Byzantine foundations and enlarged by the Ottomans in the fifteenth century to protect the port and the old town. The walls, walkways and towers can still largely be walked, and in summer the inner courtyard hosts performances and concerts as part of the Philippi-Thasos Festival, bringing theatre and live music to one of the most scenic settings in northern Greece. From the walls the eye takes in the sea, the port and the rooftops of the old town all at once.
The house of Mehmet Ali and the imaret
Not far from the fortress stands the birthplace of Mehmet Ali Pasha, the man who in 1805 became governor of Egypt and founded the dynasty that would reign until the 1952 revolution. The building, Ottoman in style with an inner courtyard, is today a small museum open to the public. Even more imposing is the imaret that Mehmet Ali himself had built to feed the city's poor students: a complex of aligned domes along the headland, today partly converted into a charming hotel, which remains one of the best-preserved civil Ottoman buildings in all of Greece.
The harbour and the seafront
Kavala's harbour has always been the city's economic engine: ferries to Thasos depart from here and, at certain times of year, connections to other northern Aegean islands, while the commercial port also handles traffic linked to the area's offshore gas fields. The modern seafront, running at the foot of the old town, is today dotted with cafés, fish taverns and shops, and is the place where locals (kavalioti) and tourists mingle on the evening stroll, especially in the summer months when the sunset light colours the Panagia headland.
Philippi, a stone's throw from the city
About fifteen kilometres from Kavala lies the archaeological site of Philippi, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the not-to-be-missed destinations of the whole region: here Philip II of Macedon founded the city, here Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, and here Paul of Tarsus delivered his first sermon on European soil. The proximity makes Philippi an almost obligatory stop for anyone staying in Kavala, often combined with a visit to the small local archaeological museum, which houses the finds from the excavations, including inscriptions and sculptures of great historical value.
Toward Thasos: the gateway to the marble island
Kavala is the classic starting point for reaching Thasos, the green island of the northern Aegean famous for its white marble and turquoise beaches: ferries connect the city's harbour with Limenas, the island's main town, in about an hour and a half of sailing, while the faster crossing (about 35 minutes) departs from the port of Keramoti, roughly forty minutes' drive from Kavala. Many visitors choose to split their stay between the historic city and days at the seaside on the island, taking advantage of the proximity for a day trip even without spending a night on Thasos.
Flavours and markets of Kavala
Kavala's cuisine reflects its history as a seafaring city and a crossroads: fresh fish, especially sardines and grilled octopus, accompany dishes from Balkan and Ottoman tradition such as dolmadakia and honey sweets. The markets of the centre still have stalls of spices, dried fruit and local cheeses, while the cafés of the old town offer the chance to taste Greek coffee prepared in the traditional way, in small copper cups, a daily ritual that in Kavala has remained almost unchanged.
When to go and how to experience the city
Spring and early autumn are the best times to visit Kavala at a leisurely pace, avoiding the most intense heat and crowds of the central weeks of August, when the city becomes a base for those heading to Thasos. The Philippi-Thasos Festival, between June and August, brings theatrical performances and concerts to both the archaeological site and the city fortress, offering an extra reason to discover the city by night, when the illuminated monuments create an atmosphere quite different from daytime.
- Walking beneath the arches of the Kamares Aqueduct
- Exploring the alleys of Panagia's old town
- Climbing to the Byzantine-Ottoman fortress for the view over the harbour
- Visiting the birthplace of Mehmet Ali and the imaret
- Taking the ferry to Thasos from Kavala or Keramoti
- Dining on fish along the seafront
FAQ
Quanto tempo serve per visitare Kavala?
Come si arriva a Kavala dall'Italia?
Dove si parcheggia in centro?
Conviene dormire a Kavala o direttamente a Taso?
È una meta adatta a una gita di un giorno da Taso?
Getting there
- Aeroporto di Kavala Alexander the Great (KVA), a Chrysoupoli, circa 29 km dal centro città
- Stazione ferroviaria sulla linea OSE Salonicco-Alexandroupoli (fermata più vicina nei pressi della città)
- L'Egnatia Odos (autostrada A2) collega Kavala a Salonicco in circa un'ora e mezza e prosegue verso est fino ad Alexandroupoli e il confine turco.
- Per Taso conviene informarsi in anticipo se conviene partire dal porto di Kavala o da quello più rapido di Keramoti, a seconda della destinazione sull'isola.
Perfect for
Acquedotto Kamares, fortezza e casa di Mehmet Ali raccontano cinque secoli di dominio ottomano.
A pochi chilometri si trova Filippi, patrimonio UNESCO legato a Roma e a san Paolo.
Kavala è il porto d'imbarco naturale per l'isola di Taso e le sue spiagge di marmo.
Il quartiere di Panagia regala scorci autentici lontani dai circuiti più turistici.
To see
What to see in Kavala
Routes · Trovido Route
