Greece

Lip_Stick · 14 June 2019 at 1:38PM

Hi all. I'm considering going to Greece next year, as it's somewhere I've never been and it looks idyllic. I'm hoping I can get a little advice about the area I should be looking to stay at, as I realise that the islands can differ from one another. It would be myself and my son going, and he will be 13 on the holiday.

Things I'd like from the holiday:-
Visit at the end of May/beginning of June for 10 days approx so nice weather at that time
Nice sandy beach nearby
Good for transport links for excursions by bus/ferry to other islands
Calm sea for swimming and snorkelling
Historical Places to visit for day trips locally
Activities to do, such as boat hire to keep a small 13 year old interested, without killing him lol
Nice town for evening entertainment/meals

I was looking at Rhodes in the Lalyssos area, but then I read on the tour operators site that the beach can get windy with big waves, which wouldn't be much fun for my son and snorkelling.

Wondering if anyone more knowledgable of the area can give me any ideas, thanks for looking.:)

IvanOpinion · 15 June 2019 at 6:40AM

Rhodes is lovely with some nice trips to the likes of Simi and around the old town.

We usually stay out of town (Kalithea Horizon Royal) but there are no sandy beaches there, just shingle beaches. Lovely hotel with decent food and entertainment. The Kalithea spa is nearby (about 20-30 minute walk).

JGB1955 · 15 June 2019 at 7:17AM

You may want to check the sea temperature before considering swimming and snorkeling. We went to Zakynthos over the May half-term (i.e. last week of May) and the water was far too cold to swim in. The Aegean side of the country may be warmer though.

benjus · 15 June 2019 at 9:46AM

Personally I'd recommend Crete - it's the largest Greek island so plenty to do, and there's something for all tastes, from big mass-market resorts, to 5 star luxury, to little remote tavernas with rooms to stay right next to the sea. There are many historical sites (Knossos being the biggest) and the archaeological museum at Iraklion is very impressive. Beaches range from almost deserted with no facilities, through quiet with a taverna or two to provide lunch, to busy and action packed with beach bars and suchlike.

We prefer the quiet vibe, so we stayed in 3 different places with plenty of quiet beaches around - the south coast almost due south from Rethimno (very quiet in June, incredible transparent sea), the east coast near Sitia (fewer foreign tourists, more Greeks around), and the west coast near Kissamos. It's one of the furthest south islands so probably gets warm a little sooner than other places, but the sea still felt a little cold in mid June - certainly not too cold to swim though. Crete is a very beautiful place and I strongly recommend it.

Lip_Stick · 15 June 2019 at 10:55AM

IvanOpinion wrote: »

Rhodes is lovely with some nice trips to the likes of Simi and around the old town.

We usually stay out of town (Kalithea Horizon Royal) but there are no sandy beaches there, just shingle beaches. Lovely hotel with decent food and entertainment. The Kalithea spa is nearby (about 20-30 minute walk).

Rhodes does look nice and is on my list. I'm thinking somewhere on the east side might be better.

JGB1955 wrote: »

You may want to check the sea temperature before considering swimming and snorkeling. We went to Zakynthos over the May half-term (i.e. last week of May) and the water was far too cold to swim in. The Aegean side of the country may be warmer though.

I will do that thank you. I've read the southern islands warm up earlier so will concentrate on that area I think, either that or change my dates to end of July, but don't want to be too hot either.

benjus wrote: »

Personally I'd recommend Crete - it's the largest Greek island so plenty to do, and there's something for all tastes, from big mass-market resorts, to 5 star luxury, to little remote tavernas with rooms to stay right next to the sea. There are many historical sites (Knossos being the biggest) and the archaeological museum at Iraklion is very impressive. Beaches range from almost deserted with no facilities, through quiet with a taverna or two to provide lunch, to busy and action packed with beach bars and suchlike.

We prefer the quiet vibe, so we stayed in 3 different places with plenty of quiet beaches around - the south coast almost due south from Rethimno (very quiet in June, incredible transparent sea), the east coast near Sitia (fewer foreign tourists, more Greeks around), and the west coast near Kissamos. It's one of the furthest south islands so probably gets warm a little sooner than other places, but the sea still felt a little cold in mid June - certainly not too cold to swim though. Crete is a very beautiful place and I strongly recommend it.

Oh, that sounds ideal! For some reason I've not come across Crete much when I've been looking at sites, it's been more Corfu and Rhodes. I like the idea of being able to get away from it all I fancy but with the option of livelier evenings. Great, thank you!

tberry6686 · 15 June 2019 at 11:24AM

I just returned from Lalysos a couple of days ago.
We found it fine for us but we like to be able to do our own thing on holiday without to much hassle. The beach is pretty much shingle with a few small sandy patches. Cheap to eat out but nightlife is restricted to bars. As far as getting around goes then unless you are comfortable with long bus journeys hiring a car is the best option.

As far as Crete is concerned, it's lovely with the friendliest people I have met on holiday ever (we have been back there 4 times in the last three years). Have a look at the village of Koutilifari. Relatively quiet (gets a little livelier at night but not too much) with more places to eat than you could hope to get through. It's just a 10 minute walk downhill to the town of Hersinisos with it's beaches and lively nightlife (although walking back is a bit harder due to the hill. taxi's are cheap though). Getting to Heraklion from there is easy with regular local busses.

IvanOpinion · 15 June 2019 at 12:58PM

You could also consider Lindos, further south on the island of Rhodes - a lovely village on the mountainside with loads of roof top restaurants. It has a couple of nice beaches - but it is steep down to the beach

nwc389 · 15 June 2019 at 1:56PM

I’ll just throw another island into the mix , take a look at Kos .
Same group of islands as Rhodes so a reasonable chance of good weather late May early June . Some lovely sandy beaches and nice resorts , we have stayed in both Kefalos and Tigaki and loved them both . Tigaki is closer to Kos town which has plenty of historical interest .
From Kos you can take boat trips to other islands but your son might enjoy Nyseros as part of the day there takes you to a volcano crater and it is a really fascinating experience.
If it’s Rhodes that you go for I would recommend staying in or close to Rhodes town as there is so much to see and do there as well as boats to other islands .

Lip_Stick · 15 June 2019 at 3:54PM

Thanks everyone, that's given me a fair bit to be looking at.

tberry - I will look at that village, it sounds like it would have enough going on to enjoy a stay there without being too wild.

Ivan, I was looking at Lindos last night as that seemed a good area. I'm not too fussed about there being a hill. I will need the exercise after eating and lazing lol. I saw quite a good deal yesterday on a little hotel there.

Neck, kos sounds interesting especially with the boat trips. I like the idea of Tigaki and it being close to the town centre. I've got some brochures so going to have a good look at them now.

Thanks again all!

Greece

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