Greece in August

stargazer 68

Bowing to the vast amounts of knowledge on here!
My OH and I are planning our summer hols and are thinking about Greece - neither of us has ever been. But where is the best place to go?

We were in Sicily last year and loved the little towns, beach by day and out for lunch and then dinner in a different town each night. Basically just chilling with a beer perched on wonky chairs on cobblestones - fab. So thats the kind of ambiance we are looking for. Any suggestions?

lennyloulou

hubbie and I thinking of the same idea... I will follow this thread.. cheers! Hope someone posts info

RubyK

Greece is fab. Unfortunately, there are not as many options for flying direct to islands, as there was in the boom years. But if you don't mind a non-direct route to the islands, you could fly Dublin to Athens with Aerlingus, and then get a ferry to whatever island group you fancy. Have a look at www.greeka.com for lots of info on the different island groups and easiest way to get there.

If you only want direct flights, you can choose from Zakynthos, Corfu and Crete.

Personally, we are not into party places, clubs etc, so we look for a smaller relaxed resort with a nice beach, walks, and good restaurants. But there are resorts on most islands that suit every taste .

Zakynthos is a lovely island. It's been 8 years since we were in Tsilivi, so it may have changed a bit since then, but we loved it www.justzante.co.uk We've also been to Kalamaki, which has a gorgeous beach, but we weren't too keen on the resort itself. We really liked Alykanas/Alykes, which was quieter than Tslilvi, but really nice, with lovely beach and restaurants, and a nice atmosphere.

I can't comment on Crete, as I've never been, but have heard good reports, especially on the western part of the island, away from Hersonnasis.

This year, we are returning to Corfu, with direct flights from Dublin through Aerlingus (so a good bit cheaper than tour operator prices). There are lots of resort options in Corfu, but we prefer the west coast, as it has the nicest beaches. Agios Gordios http://agios-gordios.net is a lovely resort, if you are looking for a nice beach, with some very good restaurants and a few bars. It's very laid back, and small, but if you are feeling energetic, and it's not too hot, you can take a walk to 3 nearby traditional villages (via very steep hillside). Ag Gordios is only 15KM from Corfu Town, which is well worth visiting for an afternoon/evening. It's a beautiful town with lots to see. Some nice shops too!

You can take a ferry to Paxos for a day. It leaves around 8.30am from the New Port in Corfu Town, takes about 70 mins, and returns approx 17.00 hrs.

This year we are going to stay in Paleokastritsa for 4 nights http://www.paleokastritsa-bliss.com/ then getting a ferry to Paxos for 4 nights, and then back to Corfu, and spending 6 nights in Agios Gordios.

There's lots of helpful info on the resort of Corfu on this website http://www.agni.gr/

Hope you find your perfect place

Unshelved

Greece in August is generally very, very crowded and extremely hot. Having said that I did hear that last year, tourism was quite a bit down because of the bad publicity and people worrying about protests.

I've been to Greece a lot, and every time I've been there our trip has been disrupted by some kind of transport strike - usually the ferries. So if you're thinking of island hopping, allow time for this. They usually shut down for a 24-hour period and you don't want to be stuck on an island while your plane leaves Athens.

As a first trip, and if you can get direct flights, I'd recommend Western and Southern Crete - especially Chania, Loutro and Paleochora. If you like walking try the Samaria Gorge (although it may be too hot for this in August). If you base yourselves in Crete, you could do a side trip to Santorini - which is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. However, it is expensive and booking ahead is a must - especially in August.

There are some great tips for Corfu here. Corfu Town is well worth a look too and I liked the western town of Arillas. Paxos and Antipaxos are beautiful too!

Rhodes is definitely worth trying. It's tricky to get to - either fly to Athens and then take another flight (about an hour) or go through the UK. Try Rhodes town for the sights and then Lindos for beaches.

If you're just looking for an island to chill on think of Paros - it's only 90 minutes by ferry from Athens. It's full of gorgeous beaches and little white towns - try Naoussa. We did an Athens-Santorini-Paros-Athens trip a couple of years ago and loved it. Although Athens might be an absolute furnace in August, it's well worth spending a couple of days there to see the sights.

The only advice I'd give is get planning now because places fill up quite quickly in August. Be prepared for the heat (40 degrees plus on some days at that time of the year) and allow time for the ever threatening strikes.

ThunbergsAreGo

Did this two years ago

Went Athens, Naxos, Ios (bit of a regret), Santorini. Ferries between each

Flew back through London, great great holiday and very stress free

Santorini is gorgeous, and Naxos was so relaxing

Also loved Athens, so much history in such a condensed area, feel it somewhat overlooked

Any questions ask away

Aglomerado

RubyK wrote: »

This year, we are returning to Corfu, with direct flights from Dublin through Aerlingus (so a good bit cheaper than tour operator prices). There are lots of resort options in Corfu, but we prefer the west coast, as it has the nicest beaches. Agios Gordios http://agios-gordios.net is a lovely resort, if you are looking for a nice beach, with some very good restaurants and a few bars. It's very laid back, and small, but if you are feeling energetic, and it's not too hot, you can take a walk to 3 nearby traditional villages (via very steep hillside). Ag Gordios is only 15KM from Corfu Town, which is well worth visiting for an afternoon/evening. It's a beautiful town with lots to see. Some nice shops too!

+1. If you do go to Corfu, make sure to pay a visit to Robin's Nest bar in Agios Gordios, great bar, lots of laid back people from all over. Pelekas is terrific too, great for walking (to the Kaiser's Throne), and some lovely tavernas to enjoy. I love Corfu town on a Sunday afternoon, just strolling around and stopping for beers! The old Fort is amazing. The town is a UNESCO site.

You can also hop on a Hydrofoil from Corfu town across to Saranda in Albania, it's like another world over there, completely different landscape to Corfu and really cheap. The UNESCO Roman ruins of Butrint are worth a visit, it's really beautiful around there. People over there are very friendly.

I've been there twice now and will go again sometime in the near future.

I have some friends who own a lovely apartment in Pelekas which is available for rent most of the year - if anyone's interested, PM me for details!