Explore Nestos River Gokavala

About Nestos
If you landed on this article through search or any other means, it means you are a nature lover and not just interested in the basic tourist offerings in the area (beaches, taverns, spas, etc.). Nestos is one of the most beautiful and important rivers in the region, and it is a great place for outdoor activities like hiking, rafting, and bird watching. This article intendeds to provide all necessary information to the visitor in terms of guiding you through the most important places of the area, so you miss nothing. Having the privilege to visit Nestos regularly, we will try to keep this guide updated all year around with all the information you will ever need. . Enjoy your visit here!

The scenery you encounter when you approach Nestos changes significantly from the mountainous terrain you can find in most countryside regions of Greece. As you walk deeper to the coastline of the river, water vibrations ,thick ancient woods and wild animal sounds creates an exceptional feeling of connection with nature.

Nestos creates a natural barrier between Macedonia and Thrace and travels northern until it reaches Rila (Bulgaria) where its heads are. The top Northern Greek part of Nestos starts at “Potamoi”, and travels North East through “Sidironero” and the Lake “Thisavrou” until the “Thisavros” Dam , and later on to “Paranesti” and finally “Stavroupoli”. Most of this part of Nestos is considered a World Heritage by Unesco and is protected by the Greek Goverment. As you may guess this part is the most wild and beautiful, with thick beech woods and asymmetric lakes and river curvatures. It definitely worth visiting there even though Camping is illegal

Kavala to Potamoi

“Potamoi” are almost 95 km from Kavala and you have to drive there with car. It will take you 1,5h to get there. You will drive there through Drama and after that you will follow the road to “Propotsanoi” and “Volakas”, you will enjoy the country road and the scenery as you drive and you will see the nature getting wilder as you approach to “MIkroklisoura” and finally Potamoi.

Potamoi

Pack yourself with good shoes , grab some snacks and water, and enjoy the views and the surrounding of the area. Don’t let yourself getting distanced away from the trails or you may get lost. You should check weather before visiting also as the area is frequently covered with fog, but this generally applies very early in the winter mornings. Unfortunately there isn’t a road to continue to “Paranesti” but you can continue your journey to “Skaloti” and Nestos Papados Bridge. It will take you 1-1,5 hour of driving through thick forest and a lot of turns to there but the ride is considered enjoyable for nature lovers and the final view will award you with dazzling memories of the area.

Skaloti Waterfall

It would be a Big No to miss skaloti waterfall if you reached here. It’s a 20-minute walk into the forest through old bridges and wild nature, and Boom! You can enjoy this nature build oasis in the middle of the forest and even swim in it. The whole atmosphere is cosmic, like the scenes you see in movies.