Thasos is the northern most island of the Aegean and lies approximately 5.8 nautical miles from the coast of eastern Macedonia. Situated close to the mouth of the River Nestos and the city of Kavala, it is about 160km from Thessaloniki (Latitude 40 40' and longitude 24 40').
The island is almost circular in outline and covers a surface area of 378.84 square kilometres, with a coastline of 95.4km. At its widest point it measures 22km from west to east, and the maximum distance from north to south is 26km.
The island has a varied and complex terrain, traversed by mountain ranges in all directions, reaching its highest point at the peak known as Ypsario (or Psario), which rises 1,206m above sea level.
The main mountain range, with five peaks above 1,000m in height, extends from the north-west to south-east and divides the island into two unequal parts.
The north-eastern side of the island is characterized by steep inclines, the land scored by deep ravines and steep \r\nslopes, with a rocky shore of tiny bays where the land has been eroded by the waves; mountain and sea come together \r\nto form landscapes of rare beauty. By contrast, the south-western part of the island is less rugged and windswept, descending more gently to the sea. Although mountainous and rocky, the terrain of the island is richly verdant, with thick forest areas of wild pines, firs, planes, oaks, laurel, wild chestnut and myrtle. Forests cover about 8/10 of the surface of the island, while the coastal areas are planted with olive and walnut trees, vines, figs, almond and mulberry trees. The eastern and southern beaches are rugged and rocky, while the northern and western shoreline offers sandy beaches popular with holidaymakers.
