Due to the Giola lagoon on Thassos being extensively publicised on social media, we have been asked numerous times over the years where the small lagoon is situated on the island and how to get there.

First, we have to say that although Giola is an attractive natural creation, it is a 10-minute walk from the end of a tarmac drive that descends steeply down to the coast, following a number of hand-painted signs. This can be especially demanding in the height of summer.

Also, it is worth taking into account that, as the lagoon is not permanently connected to the sea, and in the summer, when the weather is usually calm, the water in the lagoon is not refreshed. Would you swim in a stagnant swimming pool where hundreds of unwashed people have swum, or worse….need we say more! Each year, there are reports of people contracting infections after swimming in Giola!

Also, each year, what can only be described as “mentally challenged” tourists run the risk of serious injury and even death by diving from the cliffs into the shallow lagoon, which in previous years has resulted in countless accidents, including serious head and spinal injuries that have required emergency hospitalisation on the mainland and eventually repatriation.

The latest this year took place last Friday when a 40-year-old Romanian man dived into the lagoon and collided headfirst with the rocky bottom. After receiving initial treatment on the island, he has been transferred to the mainland hospital in Kavala due to the severity of his injuries.

Please keep in mind that in the event of an accident, Giola’s inaccessibility would severely delay emergency services, so is it really worth ruining your holiday or worse?

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