Laganas is a large lively resort on the south coast of the Greek island of Zante (Zakynthos). It is the largest resort on the island and is particularly popular with the 18-30 year olds who flock here for the great nightlife and beautiful sandy beaches.

Laganas

The resort has hundreds of nightclubs and bars, hotels and apartments, shops and plenty of restaurants serving all kinds of cusine, including Chinese, Indian and Italian food.

Laganas Bay is a narrow beach, about 3 miles long and is part of the Greek National Marine Park. Watersports are not allowed here as loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta-Caretta) use the bay for nesting. The turtles visit the protected beach to lay their eggs in June, July and August.

Opposite the beach there is the islet of Agios Sostis which is covered in pine trees and reached by a wooden bridge from Laganas. There are also two

loggerhead turtle

 other islets, Pelouso and Marathonissi.

About a 7 mile drive from Laganas is the deserted village of Agalas where you can visit the Cave of Damianos which has very impressive stalagmites and stalagtites.

Climate

Laganas has a typically Mediterranean climate. Average temperatures in the summer reach 30C with 12-13 hours of sunshine a day. The summers are very dry with hardly any rainfall with temperatures often reaching 31C in July and August.

If you are looking for beautiful beaches and plenty of nightlife why not book one of the many package holidays to Zante that are on offer.

With hundreds of cheap holidays available to this wonderful Greek island, you will be spoilt for choice.

Mykonos is a Greek island, about 41 square miles in area and is made mainly from granite. Part of the Cyclades islands group, Mykonos is the best known and most popular of the Greek islands.

Mykonos

The beautiful, cosmopolitan Mykonos Town (known locally as Chora) is the islands capital and is full of traditional buildings and lots of lively nightlife. Perched on a hillside are the windmills of Chora and there is also the quaint quarter Little Venice, both of which are landmarks of the town. When visiting the restored traditional windmills you can take in the wonderful panoramic view of the village and port. The Little Venice quarter of the town is full of brightly coloured houses, cafes and plenty of nightlife.
The working lighthouse of Armenistis stands 62ft high and offers magnificent views across the Aegean.
The assymetrical, white chapel of Panagia Paraportiani in Chora is the most photographed church on the island and worthy of a visit.
A short boat ride from Chora is the tiny island of Delos where you can see the ruins of an ancient sanctuary and a theatre. In ancient Greek times Delos was a sacred island where, according to mythology, the god Apollo was born.

Mykonos beach

The island is a favourite tourist destination, known mainly for its fantastic sandy beaches and its great lively nightlife.

The most popular beaches are those on the south coast of the island including Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia, Platis Gialos, Psarou, Agios Ioannis, Agrari, Paranga, Kalo Livadi and Ftelia. These beaches are regarded as some of the best in Greece with beautiful pristine sands and crystal clear blue waters.

The nightlife here is famous throughout the world and attracts huge numbers of revellers to its clubs, bars and beach bars. Partying at these clubs and bars lasts all night long. Mykonos is also regarded as one of the best gay and lesbian vacation destinations in Europe.

The climate here is typically mediterranean with dry, hot summers and mild winters, with very little rainfall. The best time to holiday here is between April and August when the weather is at its best.

Summer holidays spent on this wonderful island can be as lively or as relaxing as you wish.

Why not check out the internet for some great last minute holidays to Mykonos.

For those of you considering a Greek holiday, why not consider the beautiful island of Santorini.

The best way to see Santorini is by hiring a car. Among the attractions here are the colourful volcanic beaches, an array of watersports, archaeological sites, churches, beautiful old windmills, cobbled streets lined with shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and much much more.

If you are looking for a destination to spend peaceful or romantic holidays then look no further than Santorini. I have just come across this interesting and informative destination guide to Santorini which i am sure will make your decision to visit this wonderful island a whole lot easier.

Trevor Butler set up his first ‘travel’ related business in 2004 and has written many other destination articles with tips and information. I have found these articles both interesting and helpful, hope you do too.

Corfu is situated just off the coast of Greece and is the second largest Ionian Island. The island has fantastic beaches which are mainly located in the north and west of the island. However there is much more to Corfu than just beaches. The island is steeped in history, with many historical and archealogical sites to be visited.

Corfu Town itself, on the east of the island of Corfu, is a good spot to spend your last minute holidays as it has lovely beaches and beach activities, good nightlife, restaurants and taverns.

I have just come across this interesting and informative destination guide to Corfu which will give you an insight into this perfect holiday island.

Aqualand, located near to Corfu Town, has many slides and activities and is one of the best aquaparks in Europe. A day out here is a day to remember.

Trevor Butler set up his first ‘travel’ related business in 2004 and has written many other destination articles with tips and information. I have found these articles both interesting and helpful, hope you do too.

If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing break then look no further than the beautiful resort of Kefalos on the Greek island of Kos.

Located in the south west of the island, about 45kms from Kos Town, Kefalos is a purpose built resort with an idyllic laid back atmosphere.

The sand and shingle beach, and warm clear waters here make it ideal for lazing in the sun or having a go at one of the many watersports on offer. The monastery of Agios Nikolas is close enough to Kefalos that you can easily swim to it. However the nearby Paradise Beach is much kinder to the feet than the shingle beach at Kefalos!

On a stroll around Kefalos you can see a traditional house which has been turned into a folk museum showing the agricultural life in the village of times gone past, a traditional windmill and the ruins of an old castle.
At the port of Kamari, about 1km from Kefalos, there is a marina and the early 5th century christian basilicas of Agios Stefanos with their preserved mosaics and sculptures.
To see more of the island it is best to hire a car and take a leisurely drive.

There are lots of good restaurants to endulge in, especially the seafront taverns, and don’t forget to try the local deserts made from the famous local honey, you won’t be disappointed. There isn’t an awful lot of nightlife here but there is always something to do or see, with plenty of bars, some of which have live entertainment.

CLIMATE

The island of Kos enjoys hot, dry summers and mild winters with hardly any rainfall during the summer and only showers between October and March. Temperatures in July and August average around 28C during the day and 22C at night.

 We booked our direct holidays to Kefalos online and were completely satisfied with every aspect of our holiday.

With Greece being one of the most popular holiday destinations you will find there are lots of cheap package holidays available at the moment.

For more information on Greece and the Greek Islands  and to view my latest articles please visit my Greece Blog.

This review has been supplied to us by our reader Emily Carpenter

“We booked the Alkion for our last minute holidays last October (2009) and were pleased with our booking as we got it really cheap and wondered what we were letting ourselves in for. We stayed half board which was good. Breakfast had a good variety and you pay for a full english if you want but we didn’t need it. Our evening meal consisted of 3 courses and a good choice for each course. At lunchtime we ate at one of the many restaurants in Sidari. Our room was clean and well equipped and we heard very little noise at night, don’t know if this was because there were very few ‘youngsters’ staying there.
Pool was nice and clean with a bar right next to it.
There are plenty of tours to go on, we found it was cheaper to book them in the town than book them through our rep.
All in all we had a good time and it was more than worth the money we paid, we have already booked to go again later this year!”

 
Hotel Alkion

The 94 room Hotel Alkion is ideal for families with children from toddler age, and couples of all ages who enjoy a family atmosphere in a lively resort.

The hotel has a pool with sun terrace, sun loungers and a pool bar.

Location

500m from the lively resort centre with its shops, bars and restaurants.
200m walk down to Sidari Beach
Bus-stop nearby with regular buses to Corfu Town, Kassiopi, Roda and San Stefanos.

Sport

Pool table and watersports from Sidari Beach in the high season.

Entertainment

Greek dancing evenings, quiz and bingo nights, karaoke, lounge/bar with satellite TV, games area.

easyJet have announced that they will be flying to Zante (Zakynthos) from London Gatwick. The deal was finalised after the island of Zante raised 150,00 euros towards the cost of promoting the new route.

Flights will start from 21st May 2010 and will continue until the end of September.

All flights from London Gatwick will be early morning departures on Monday’s, Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s, enabling travellers a full day in Zante on their arrival!

Zante

Bargain holidays to Zante are always available throughout the internet…take a look and visit this very popular Greek island. Zante has everything, including golden sandy beaches, lively beach resorts, quaint fishing villages, nightlife, shops, restaurants and bars.

Whilst on your holidays to the island of Crete, why not take a hike along the Samaria Gorge, you won’t be disappointed!

Samaria Gorge

Also known as the Farangas or Great Gorge, the Samaria Gorge is located in West Creete, in the White Mountains and was declared a national park in 1962.
The Gorge starts at Xyloskalo and runs down for 16 kilometres to the seaside village of Agia Roumeli on the south coast of Crete. The walk the Samaria National Park is actually only 13 kilometres but you have to walk a further 3 kilometres to Agia Roumeli.

The most famous part of the gorge is the ‘Iron Gates’ where the gorge narrows to a width of just four metres, rising to a height of 500 metres.

Iron Gates

When the gorge was declared a national park, the inhabitants of Samaria Village were relocated. However old tradition houses still stand here. A short distance from the village is the church of Osia Maria (Holy Mary), from which the name Samaria was taken.

The plants and animals in the park are protected by International law, flowers must not be picked!

Cretian Wild Goat

Whilst hiking the gorge you will see magnificent plant species (about 450), pine trees and the huge cypress trees. You will also see the Cretian wild goats, known as ‘kri-kri’ by tourists and ‘agrimia’ by locals.

The best time to visit the gorge is during the spring when the weather is cooler, th worse time is during the summer in a heat wave!
The gorge is usually open from May to October but is closed on rainy days as the rain can cause rock falls.

Crete is a very popular destination, with many cheap holidays to the island advertised throughout the internet.

Crete

Crete is the most southern and the largest of the Greek Islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean.
The island has over 600 miles of coastline, complete with coves, bays and beautiful sandy beaches.

BEACHES

Crete has many beautiful beaches, some of the best in the world, too many to mention, but here are just a few

Elafonissi and Falasarna at Chania.

Chania

Georgioupolis, which is located on the north coast between Chania and Rethymno.
Vai in the northeast of the island.
Matala beach, located south of Heraklion.
Red beach is a naturist beach and is located in the south of the island.
 
THINGS TO DO

Sightseeing

Crete is steeped in history and has many museums, the most important being the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion. There are also many historical sites to visit, including the Minoan Palaces of Knossos and Phaestos, Malia, Gortyn and Zakros.

Walking and Riding

During the spring months Crete is perfect for walking, hiking and rambling. The island has a vast network of both country and coastal trails and ancient paths. The most popular walk on Crete is the Samaria Gorge which is both challenging and rewarding.

A great way to explore the beautiful island of Crete is to go on horseback. This way you can discover the ancient donkey trails, deserted beaches, quaint unspoilt villages, olive groves and vineyards.

Crete mountains

Mountains

The rugged mountains on Crete offer rock climbing, caving, mountain biking and even jeep tours.

Diving

There are plenty of places around the island for scuba diving and snorkelling, with several diving schools which provide courses for both beginners and experienced divers, and excursions.

Watersports

Because of the summer sunshine, constant wind and great beaches, Crete is ideal for jet skiing, water skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, kayaking, pedalos and banana boat rides.

CLIMATE

Crete has a Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and mild winters.
In April temperatures reach 18C, with over 8 hours of sunshine a day, making the weather perfect for outdoor pursuits.
During May temperatures reach 20C, 22-24C in June, and peak at 27C in August with 13 hours of sunshine a day, making this the best time for beach holidays.
During September and October the temperature stays above 20C, with about 10 hours of sunshine a day.

January and February are the wettest months, with temperatures dropping to 12C and 4 hours of sunshine a day.

Review supplied by our reader Ann Saunders

“We spent a week at the Santo Miramare last May for our 25th Wedding Anniversary.We booked a suite with a sea view but could only just get a glimpse of the sea…the suite was pretty basic but it was clean.The hotel was just a few yards from the beach so we had the choice of the beach or the swimming pool which was really nice and relaxing as it was quite quiet and had plenty of sun longers and parasols.The food wasn’t great, a bit boring but there are plenty of tavernas close by so we ate in a few and had some good meals.There wasn’t much to do in the evenings which didn’t bother us but if you wanted clubs and nightlife you would have to go to Perissa which is about a 30 minute walk.
Overall we enjoyed our holiday and would go back again especially now that we have learnt how to find bargain holidays to Santorini on the internet.”

Santo Miramare

The Santo Miramare is located on the southeast side of Santorini in a peaceful beachfront setting on Perivolos beach , only 1.5 kms from Perissa, 50m across the promenade to Perivolos shingle beach, 200m to the local bars and restaurants.

Accommodation
All rooms have air conditioning/heating, satellite tv, direct dial phone, hairdryer, minibar, safety deposit box and a balcony or terrace. 

Features
Two free-form swimming pools, children’s pool, sun terrace with free sunloungers and parasols, outdoor jacuzzi, buffet restaurant, pool bar, tv lounge, luggage room, meeting room, conference room, internet facilities, 24 hour reception.

Activities
Fitness centre, sauna, cycling, watersports on the beach.