Hotels FAQ

Question:

Hello everybody !!! I need all kind of information about this two islands, beaches, good places to go, nigth life, etc. Thanks a lot. Peter.

Response:

Peter, Lucky for you, I’m not finished yet with my 100 page + report from a recent trip from Greece, but allow me to summarize my experiences as they pertain to your questions: MYKONOS: Mykonos is a welcome relief after Athens, but it certainly is not the prettiest of the Greek islands.  It’s rather dry and barren, and the endless rows of whitewashed houses with blue doors & shutters gets old very quickly. Mykonos is not unattractive by any means, but in terms of natural beauty, it’s not up there with Santorini or Crete. We only spent two days there, staying at the Kivotos Club Hotel. <http://www.mykonos-accommodation.com/kivotos.htm>  We were told by locals it’s the best hotel on the island.  We found it be wonderful in every regard. No complaints, and very luxurious.  I think the off-peak-season rates were something like US$275 for a deluxe double with ocean-view terrace.  The hotel is located in Ornos Bay, which is much quieter (and prettier) than Mykonos Town.  It’s a $5 taxi from Ornos Bay to Mykonos Town, so it was quite convenient.  Plus, we found a fantastic disco in Ornos Bay called Marco Polo, which we could walk to from the hotel. The best beach we found was Elia Beach.  Great taverna right there on the beach, clean sand, clear water, wonderful views.  Heaven.  Only problem was getting a taxi to go back to the hotel.  At certain times, all the taxis on the island are in use.  We had the taverna call one for us, but to avail.  We just had to wait on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere (for an hour and a half) for a roving taxi to pass by.  Try to reserve a taxi for your return trip whenever you visit any of the beaches.  Or rent a car, which is expensive and difficult, given the lousy road signs. Our best non-Taverna dining experience in Greece was at Chez Cat’rine in Mykonos Town.  Ask at your hotel for the location, and have them make a reservation for you (mandatory!).  The setting, service and food were outstanding.  Try the leg of lamb with mint & oregano for two (it’s what just about everyone orders).  Chez Cat’rine is a bit difficult to find, but it’s right in the center of Mykonos Town. Nightlife in Mykonos is the best in Greece.  There’s something for everyone, and it lasts all night.  Just ask around or at your hotel. SANTORINI: Overall, I liked Santorini better than Mykonos, but that’s a personal preference.  Santorini is physically stunning.  (It’s basically the remains of the rim of an ancient volcano.)  If you fly to Santorini, by all means, get a window seat.  (If coming from the north, sit on the left — A — side of the plane.) The main towns are Thira and Oia.  Both are equally lovely (with Oia slightly ahead on the charm factor) but there is frequent bus service between the two towns, so it doesn’t make much difference where you stay.  There are beach towns, but these are more difficult to reach.  FYI, since Santorini is a volcanic island, the beaches are not great.  You’ll get no complaints, but they’re not the idyllic beaches you’ll find in Mykonos or Crete or other smaller islands.  The attractions of Santorini center around is physical beauty. The beaches in Santorini are black sand beaches.  One guidebook described the sunbathers on them looking like "pink sausages on a Teflon skillet." There are plenty of hotels in Santorini, but we rented an apartment in Thira, which quite a few people do as this affords you more space and privacy.  We stayed at the Enigma Apartments <http://www.enigmahotel.com/index.html>.  I think the rate came to something like US$120/night for a large apartment with kitchen and private terrace with a view of the caldera (caldron) in the harbor.  The people at Enigma are very, very nice! Watching sunset from a bar (or your terrace) is a major event in Santorini. E-mail me directly for specific tips & suggestions in this regard. Akrotiri is a major site in Santorini.  It’s the ruins of a village destroyed by a volcano nearly 1,300 years before Pompeii.  Very easy to reach by bus from either Thira or Oia. We ate mostly at tavernas in Santorini.  (Just about every taverna in Greece has the exact same menu.)  In particular, we enjoyed Taverna Thomas in Oia. It’s off the tourist path, and frequented mostly by locals.  Consequently, it was cheaper and better than most of the tavernas in the main part of town that catered exclusively to tourists. My only complaint about Santorini was that it’s so small, it’s hard to escape the tourist hordes.  (And I was there in the off season in May!)  All the tourist-trappings got to me after awhile, and I felt (rightly so) that I was not seeing the REAL Greece. We loved Crete.  But since you didn’t ask about it, I’ll spare you the wonderful details.  But if you can add Crete to your itinerary, I recommend it highly.  E-mail me directly for my suggestions in Crete. Richard – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hello everybody !!! > I need all kind of information about this two islands, beaches, good places > to go, nigth life, etc. > Thanks a lot. > Peter.

Response:

Hello everybody !!! I need all kind of information about this two islands, beaches, good places to go, nigth life, etc. Thanks a lot. Peter.

Response:

Peter, Lucky for you, I’m not finished yet with my 100 page + report from a recent trip from Greece, but allow me to summarize my experiences as they pertain to your questions: MYKONOS: Mykonos is a welcome relief after Athens, but it certainly is not the prettiest of the Greek islands.  It’s rather dry and barren, and the endless rows of whitewashed houses with blue doors & shutters gets old very quickly. Mykonos is not unattractive by any means, but in terms of natural beauty, it’s not up there with Santorini or Crete. We only spent two days there, staying at the Kivotos Club Hotel. <http://www.mykonos-accommodation.com/kivotos.htm>  We were told by locals it’s the best hotel on the island.  We found it be wonderful in every regard. No complaints, and very luxurious.  I think the off-peak-season rates were something like US$275 for a deluxe double with ocean-view terrace.  The hotel is located in Ornos Bay, which is much quieter (and prettier) than Mykonos Town.  It’s a $5 taxi from Ornos Bay to Mykonos Town, so it was quite convenient.  Plus, we found a fantastic disco in Ornos Bay called Marco Polo, which we could walk to from the hotel. The best beach we found was Elia Beach.  Great taverna right there on the beach, clean sand, clear water, wonderful views.  Heaven.  Only problem was getting a taxi to go back to the hotel.  At certain times, all the taxis on the island are in use.  We had the taverna call one for us, but to avail.  We just had to wait on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere (for an hour and a half) for a roving taxi to pass by.  Try to reserve a taxi for your return trip whenever you visit any of the beaches.  Or rent a car, which is expensive and difficult, given the lousy road signs. Our best non-Taverna dining experience in Greece was at Chez Cat’rine in Mykonos Town.  Ask at your hotel for the location, and have them make a reservation for you (mandatory!).  The setting, service and food were outstanding.  Try the leg of lamb with mint & oregano for two (it’s what just about everyone orders).  Chez Cat’rine is a bit difficult to find, but it’s right in the center of Mykonos Town. Nightlife in Mykonos is the best in Greece.  There’s something for everyone, and it lasts all night.  Just ask around or at your hotel. SANTORINI: Overall, I liked Santorini better than Mykonos, but that’s a personal preference.  Santorini is physically stunning.  (It’s basically the remains of the rim of an ancient volcano.)  If you fly to Santorini, by all means, get a window seat.  (If coming from the north, sit on the left — A — side of the plane.) The main towns are Thira and Oia.  Both are equally lovely (with Oia slightly ahead on the charm factor) but there is frequent bus service between the two towns, so it doesn’t make much difference where you stay.  There are beach towns, but these are more difficult to reach.  FYI, since Santorini is a volcanic island, the beaches are not great.  You’ll get no complaints, but they’re not the idyllic beaches you’ll find in Mykonos or Crete or other smaller islands.  The attractions of Santorini center around is physical beauty. The beaches in Santorini are black sand beaches.  One guidebook described the sunbathers on them looking like "pink sausages on a Teflon skillet." There are plenty of hotels in Santorini, but we rented an apartment in Thira, which quite a few people do as this affords you more space and privacy.  We stayed at the Enigma Apartments <http://www.enigmahotel.com/index.html>.  I think the rate came to something like US$120/night for a large apartment with kitchen and private terrace with a view of the caldera (caldron) in the harbor.  The people at Enigma are very, very nice! Watching sunset from a bar (or your terrace) is a major event in Santorini. E-mail me directly for specific tips & suggestions in this regard. Akrotiri is a major site in Santorini.  It’s the ruins of a village destroyed by a volcano nearly 1,300 years before Pompeii.  Very easy to reach by bus from either Thira or Oia. We ate mostly at tavernas in Santorini.  (Just about every taverna in Greece has the exact same menu.)  In particular, we enjoyed Taverna Thomas in Oia. It’s off the tourist path, and frequented mostly by locals.  Consequently, it was cheaper and better than most of the tavernas in the main part of town that catered exclusively to tourists. My only complaint about Santorini was that it’s so small, it’s hard to escape the tourist hordes.  (And I was there in the off season in May!)  All the tourist-trappings got to me after awhile, and I felt (rightly so) that I was not seeing the REAL Greece. We loved Crete.  But since you didn’t ask about it, I’ll spare you the wonderful details.  But if you can add Crete to your itinerary, I recommend it highly.  E-mail me directly for my suggestions in Crete. Richard – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hello everybody !!! > I need all kind of information about this two islands, beaches, good places > to go, nigth life, etc. > Thanks a lot. > Peter.

Response: