Category: Greece

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Greece

Messinia, Greece

If you’re looking for a school holiday destination that’s not overrun with British holidaymakers then this is your spot. Hire a villa here.

Why go?

Without the high volume of tourism, your holiday money goes further in this area. Eating out is noticeably cheaper than the Greek islands, and sunbeds generally come free if you buy a drink.

Activities

Methoni’s Ottoman fortress is perched at the top of a rocky promontory, reached, just like a fairytale castle, by crossing a stone bridge. There are lots of lovely seashore tavernas in the village serving fresh seafood. Koroni’s Venetian fortress stands over a pebble beach where boats dock to bring in fresh fish for lunch. There’s also a small sand beach at the far end of the bay where the sea washing on both sides and rocks to scramble on provide the play area, while you enjoy views of the fort from your sunbed under palm fronds. 

If ruins appeal, there’s Ancient Olympia to visit; also the Palace home of the 13th century BCE king, Nestor, and Ancient Messini, where you can still see the grooves worn by chariot wheels in the 4th century BCE.

 

Don’t miss: A family trip to horseshoe-shaped Voidokoilia beach on the west side, one of the most glorious and undeveloped beaches you will ever see. Its turquoise water is shallow for a long way out so good for tots and messing around on inflatables. It can get windy – so hog a spot by the rocks. 

The lowdown

Where to stay: Good bases for a self-catering holiday are the small, quiet villages of Chrani and Petalidi, joined by a shingle bay halfway down the Eastern side of the finger.

Both have good quality tavernas, bars and mini markets, villas with private pools with expansive views across the gulf toward the Mani, and those rarities in Greece, power showers and mattress toppers.

Nearby, is the pristine beach of Episkopi, where trees are your parasols; empty barring a few locals at weekends. There’s a stream running into the beach, which provides hours of fun for little damming and netting enthusiasts.

Another good but busier base is Finikounda at the fingertip. This has a pleasant sandy beach, backed by tavernas and cobbled lanes of shops. Standing guard either side of Finikounda are the stunning fortress towns of Methoni and Koroni, where kids can model their sandcastles on the real thing, Castle Methoni, looming over the beach. 

How to get there: From 6 July, direct flights from London to Kalamata will be available from £165.86 with easyJet.

Travel time: 3 hours and 45 minutes direct to Kalamate International from where you can reach the resorts in under an hour. 

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Greece

Mousses Villas, Lefkas

Private family villas nestled in the olive groves of the Greek island. A nirvana for parents.

Why go?

Run by the wonderfully maternal Eleni and her family, this complex of 10 small houses is beautifully situated in what was once the family’s olive grove. Each two-bedroom house has air-con and a private terrace. For something bigger, opt for Castor or Pollox; two brilliantly equipped neighbouring villas, which sleep six, each with its own garden and pool. Whichever you choose, all have direct access to Mousses’ large communal and toddler pools, bar and restaurant.

There’s an air-conditioned kids club (ages six months to 10 years) with UK-trained nannies. Strict child-to-staff ratios ensure safe supervision, babies and toddlers have their own crèche room and older kids enjoy everything from art classes to water-fights.

The lowdown

Price: Simply Travel offers seven-night holidays for a family of four; from £1,156 at Apollo, Mousses, or £1,738 at Villa Pollox. Price includes car hire and flights from London Gatwick to Preveza. 

Travel time: A flight from London to Preveza takes 3 hours and 15 minutes.  

 

Pictures by Abigail Flanagan.

Activites

The nearest beach, Gira, has a family-friendly shoreline where toddlers can paddle, and a taverna serving great calamari. Also nearby is the island’s capital, the colourful harbour town of Lefkada where caves, waterfalls and natural watertaps are waiting to be explored.

Lefkada is largely pedestrianised at night, but it’s ideal for young families and has numerous pavement cafés serving traditional Greek food such as souvlaki (skewered meats), gyros (meat-stuffed pitta) and crepes, as well as superb icecream parlours for that holiday essential, the way-past-bedtime sugar rush.  

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Greece

Periyali Villas, Greece

Child-friendly beaches and a kids club means mum and dad can steal some me-time

Why go?

These are a low-key collection of 11 pretty villas, each with their own private garden and safely fenced-off pool, glorious gardens to explore, and top-notch club for kids from six-months to 10 years. There’s also a communal pool, kids’ pool and poolside bar to congregate around.

There’s no denying Periyali’s cliff top location and spectacular sea views are something special, or that the villas, with their pared-down nautical loveliness, are a cut above too. The villas have air-con, stereo, TV and DVD player (there’s an onsite DVD library); plus parenting essentials, from safety gates to bottle sterilizers. And apart from the kids’ clubs, for parents there’s also a visiting masseur.

Facilities: Supermarkets and the bustling nightlife of Zante town are a 30-minute drive away, but local mini-markets stock most essentials and there are decent tavernas nearby, several within walking distance.

Best of all, beach access is a doddle – the famous Gerakas is a short stroll away and has a long, sweeping bay of golden sand and gently shelving waters making it perfect for little ones to paddle and to take their first steps across the sand.

Don’t miss: Boat trips taking in the Bay of Laganas, which is the nesting ground of Caretta loggerhead turtles who return annually to lay eggs.

The lowdown

Price: Simpson Travel offers seven-night holidays for a family of four; from £2,016. Price includes car hire and flights from London Gatwick to Zakynthos.

Travel time: A flight from London to Zakynthos takes 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Useful links: Caretta loggerhead turtles

What to pack

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Greece

Sani Resort, Greece

Dolphin spotting for the whole family and dedicated kids clubs so you can enjoy the resort’s spa facilities and evening cocktails. You can also enjoy the private beach with its calm, crystal-clear water, or the beautiful pool with its dedicated children’s area.

Why go?

Why go? Sani Resort is a beautiful 1000-acre, family-owned ecological reserve on Halkidiki’s Kassandra Peninsula, overlooking Mount Olympus in Greece and offering exceptional service.

This is the kind of place where you know you’ll be looked after as soon as you arrive, charming staff ready to assist your every whim – but this is no stuffy adults-only hotel.

Who is it good for? There are four hotels on this five-star resort, all offering different experiences and surrounded by lush gardens, pine forest and olive groves – and, crucially, it’s perfect for children of any age. 

Activities

Outside, the private beach with its calm, crystal-clear water, or the beautiful pool with its dedicated children’s area, make for perfect splashing and sunbathing spots, while the hotel will also organise dolphin-spotting in the azure Aegean Sea, there are watersports for older children, walking trails, a sports centre, sailing trips, scuba diving and tennis courts. The Sani Resort is now offering baby swimming lessons as well. 

When you’re ready to head to the chic Club Spa, offering everything from Thai massage to Oriental reflexology (the Anne Semonin facial is a hit), check the kids into the brilliant kids clubs. 

Food: The resort operates an innovative ‘Dine Around’ policy, allowing half- and full-board customers to eat at 10 of the on-site restaurants, meaning you’ll never be faced with the same food day after day.

Food quality is exceptional – they run an annual gourmet festival here – and you’ll find international choices from local fare to Japanese fusion. 

Psaroyannos Ouzerie is particularly special, it’s a traditional taverna with all white furniture and trailing vines, which will serve up lip-smacking mezze (including some of the best calamari ever tasted) on its sea-view terrace. If you want a romantic evening for two, just call one of the hotel’s babysitters and head to Dunes bar for a seaside cocktail. 

Dine on an à la carte menu created by Michelin-starred chefs at the Water Restaurant, or head to the Sani Marina for sushi and sashimi at Sea You Up. Then you can dance the night away while sipping cocktails in the chilled but glamorous Sea You Bar next to the yacht-filled marina. 

Accommodation

Accommodation: Book a suite in the Sani Beach Club. It’s all geared towards families, from its interconnecting Deluxe Family rooms to its bungalow suites with their private gardens and pools. All cloud-like white linen and soft blues echo what you’ll find outside, and little touches like in-room espresso machines and Jacuzzi-baths will make the adults as happy as the kids.

Kids Clubs: There are three – a crèche for the under-threes, a mini club for 4-11 year olds, and a teenagers club – all operated by multilingual childcare specialists Worldwide Kids Company. The kids will be kept occupied, and probably exhausted, by a programme of mini Olympics, water polo, mini discos, and archery, beach volleyball and hip hop classes for teens.

The lowdown

Travel time: Flights from London to Thessaloniki take 3 hours and 10 minutes, it is then a 30-minute drive to the hotel. 

How to get there: From April to October, British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Thessaloniki Airport; from £118 return. easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Thessaloniki Airport all year; from £56.14 return.  

Best time to go: From April to September. 

The hotel: Prices from €539 per person for seven nights’ half board.

Top tip: At Sani Beach Club and Sani Beach Hotel your first two children stay for free, while at Porto Sani Village your first child stays free and your second gets 50% off, and at Sani Asterias Suites your first child pays 35%, second child under 12 pays 50%. (All for children under 12 only.)

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Greece

Things to do in Greece on Family Holidays

In Greece and its islands, children are expected to be seen and heard – and actively taking part at every social event. It’s perfect for families.

Why go?

As the moon rose higher in the night sky the band increased in both tempo and volume. I was dancing, badly, around the centre of a village square with my toddler, but despite the late hour there were no disapproving glances from other partygoers, and nobody called Social Services.

We were at a festival on the Greek island of Symi. Local kids and teenagers were bopping away and singing loudly, with other youngsters asleep on laps among the happy crowd. It was a wonderful experience that proved to me that whether you want an island-hopping adventure with teenagers or just a gentle family break, Greece is surely one of the best countries on the planet to take your children on holiday.

Part of the reason is that children are welcome at almost everything. It’s the Med, of course, so toddlers and youngsters are still up after dark, and parents are always out late with them having a drink or a delicious meal.

But it’s not just the balmy evenings that makes Greece so welcoming to stressed parents sick of countries where the noise of children playing often draws muttering and complaints. The Greeks adore having children at the centre of parties and celebrations. They’re good with youngsters because they genuinely like them and get enormous pleasure from having them around.

Our family holiday

On our way to Symi last year we took a ferry from Rhodes, and even then the tired and over-worked crew perked up visibly every time our 18-month-old Jake wandered into their view and wanted to play. It was like having extended childcare everywhere we went.  

We had a week on Symi, savouring turquoise waters and one of the most evocative harbours in the world. When Jake’s older we’ll take him on cheap local ferries for a potter around the Cyclades or the Dodecanese, exploring more of Greece’s 1,400 islands and endless beaches. The mainland offers everything from river rafting to trekking across pine-covered mountains that look like the remote Canadian wilderness.

When to go

Brits tend to think of Greece as a summer destination, but it’s best before and after the main tourist season and the infernal heat of July and August. Easter is a stunning time to visit, when the country is ablaze with spring colour though, personally, I prefer to go during September or October, when the sea is at its warmest but the air temperature doesn’t melt metal. 

Many of us travel halfway around the planet on our adventures. But Greece offers the climate of the Tropics – even as late as autumn half-term – just a few hours from the UK. Why go further?

 

The broadcaster and author Simon Reeve is the presenter of BBC series Indian Ocean, Tropic of Cancer and Australia. His new series is Pilgrimage, about the greatest journeys of our ancestors.