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Agia Marina Hotels and Apartments A - Z Agia Marina Beach - Agia Marina Operator and Date: Independently through Ellada.net - Apr 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : R & A - Exeter (45, 49) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: We had booked four nights at this hotel but all the "normal" guests including us were moved after two nights because we were being disturbed throughout the night by a large group of rowdy Greek students. Apparently April is a bad time to stay in a large hotel on Crete for this reason. (We were moved to the Creta Palm Resort, a much more upmarket hotel but on the wrong side of the road so lacking a sea view.) The worst thing about the resort is that it is strung along a busy road with intermittent pavements. The best thing is that hotels on the right side of the road like the Agia Marina Beach are right on the beach, although this hotel does have rooms on the other side of the road, accessed by a subway. The location did seem to be convenient for a bus service into Hania although we didn't use it because we had a car. It was fairly convenient for getting out of town and onto the "motorway". There is free parking but it was a bit limited by the time the students' buses had taken up most of it. We had a sea view room which was small and basic but clean, with a balcony overlooking the grounds, beach and sea. The restaurant also overlooked the sea although staff actively encouraged guests to disobey the "no smoking" signs on the tables by the window! The buffet meals were adequate but not memorable. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alexandra Beach Hotel - Agia Marina Operator and Date: Ving (Norway) - June/July 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Me (43), Wife (36), Kids (Girl10, Boy 2) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This hotel is new (opened in 2004, I believe), and caters almost exclusively for the Scandinavian market, although some rooms can be booked directly through the hotel. I'm an ex-pat Brit living in Norway, and would highly recommend this place to anyone in a similar situation - or anyone at all, for that matter! Incidentally, all the hotel's facilities are open to the public. Hotel - can't fault it at all. A GOOD 4 star standard. About 150 rooms, all with balcony, well-appointed kitchens and spacious rooms, cleaned (spotlessly) six times weekly. 3 pools, depth vaying from 0.8 to 1.9 metres, plus a 50 cm deep baby pool. Again, all spotlessly clean. 3 bars, one by reception, one by the pools and one beachside, all reasonably priced (beer ?2). 2 restaurants, one a la carte. We went for half board, and the evening meals varied from good (Greek buffet, BBQ "beach party") to outstanding (Fish night - freshly caught, choose yiur fish and the chefs will grill or fry as you wish). Lunch was also very good, but a trifle expensive compared to others in the area. Also a spa, kiddies playground and a well-stocked mini-market which was surprisingly cheap. The standout feature though, is the staff. I've travelled extensively to many Greek resorts, and this is by FAR the most well-run, professional outfit I've seen. Nearly everyone speaks good English, and EVERYONE - manager, reception, bar/restaurant staff, chambermaids - were friendly, helpful and professional to their fingertips. Always the small things that make a difference, and there were so many - the prompt attention and call to the doctor when my son decided he could fly, landing face first from 2m, the birthday cake I received, the presents of wine when we left, the on-the-house bits and bats direct from the manager. The hotel is beachfront, and probably the safest beach for kids in the area, but there is a strong undertow. Resort - Agia Marina is not for the young clubber, and feels a little frontier-like-jerry-built, but I found it charming. As others have said, Chania - great town - and Platanias are within easy reach, and taxis, buses, and even the silly little trains are reasonably priced. I visited many bars - my poor missus was the ultimate World Cup Widow - and my fave was a new little bar at the Agia Marina/Platanias border, All Bar One, run by a charming Welsh/English couple, Mark and Tracey. Only English bar in Agia Marina, and they make you feel at home. My favourite restaurant was Posidon, about 5 minutes west of the hotel - superb food, but ENORMOUS portions - take a big appetite! Alexandra Beach is more geared to families, but older couples would enjoy it too. Anyway, gets my ultimate accolade - I'll be back next year! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelica (Angelika) Apartments - Agia Marina Operator and Date: Olympic -june 2007 Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Denise and Tom Jones Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Have just returned from great holiday,apartments clean,central to resort and comfortable.Owners helpful and friendly,one of best holidays we have had and would definitely go back! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelica Apartments - Agia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic-September 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Ray & Barabra Brown 66 & 65 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Our stay at the Angelica Apartments was very good and I am sure that a 2* rating will soon be upgraded. Although the pool is small you can use the pool over the road if you buy a drink or a meal there. The Romantza restaurant also has a very good pool which may be used if you eat or drink there. Tha apartments are ideally situated, being only 5 minutes walk to the beach,the only drawback being the road is too narrow for the transfer bus to get up. The Romantza restaurant next door but one has excellent food and service. All in all an excallent holiday --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelica Apartments - Agia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - May 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : RR & DP (both 29) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The apartment was very clean and all the equipment spotless and seemed brand new. The pool is small but you can use the pool at the Canea Mare hotel over the road. There was a bit of noise from the hotel's bar, but it always stopped before bedtime. Agia Marina is very dominated by holidaymakers from Scandinavia, so don't be surprised to hear Finnish karaoke, see Swedish dishes on the menu and newspapers from Norway! The restaurants in Ag Marina are far better quality and value than in nearby Platanias. In fact the only bad meal we had was at a so-called Mexican there. Don't do it! Take the bus to Chania (ticket 1.30EUR) - beautiful old town and harbour and the market is great for stocking up on the must-have souvenirs of Crete - herbs, honey and olive oil. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelica Apartments - Agia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : bea+eric henshaw 56+57 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: been to lots of greek islands but was a bit dubious about crete because its the largest.we went to agia marina what a beautiful place.fantastic beach,you could eat in a different restraunt every day and still not go to the same one twice,and they were all as good as each other.not loads of bars to choose from but enough to keep us happy especially the kiss bar where they had sky sports so all footie fans were happy,(greek men obssessed with footie)food everywhere was v. good.pltanias a short walk away was nice but a bit too commercialised for us and more expensive but worth a visit. we hired a jeep for four days and loved it ,there are some gorgeuos places to see but not enough time to do everything in two wee ks a must is elofonisis beach you will need a car but it is spectacular.we went into the old village in agia marina which was proper greek and absolutley wonderful when you go to the old village carry on walking you may think thers nothing else but in two minutes you come to the old village proper and its fabolous so friendly(as the greeks are)buuut i didnt expect this in crete. all in all we loved it and we will go back. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Demetra Studios - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra - Date Not Specified Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : steve cullen -durham (39, 39,15,11) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: I found the demetra studios to be top class staff were very friendly position of the studios was top class.The rooms were cleaned every day and to a good standard. I was in block c which was a bit of a hike up the road but was not to bad because the bar was half way up the road which made a perfect rest station. The resort of platanias is a steady 20 min stroll down the road which is ideal for more shops for the ladies and loads of tavernas and cocktail bars i foud a cracking taverna which was bar OEPINO the food and service was second to none anyway i have gone long enough basically the island of crete is perfect and these studios are suberb --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: first choice july 2007 Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : andy lloyd 48,46,16,5 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: These apartments are ideal for a quiet and informal holiday.They are set back off the main strip of aghia marina by about 250 yards which is ideal if you want a peaceful time.They are 8 years old but seem like new , they are very well maintained and looked after by a family group.They are well furnished and cleaned 6 times a week by a very efficient cleaner who even objects to you taking your own rubish to a wheely bin! Roberto and manuella run the pool bar can look after all your wishes , the food is freshly prepared and very reasonably priced.You have traditional tavernas serving superb Greek food 20 yards away from these apts or if you prefer more modern food ,i.e takeaways etc only 200 yards away. Transfer from airport is about 35 mins which is ideal and if you get chance go into Chania which is like most Greek cities , dirty , too many cars but like nothing else in the u.k. watch out for the dodgy geezer in the old harbour area in Chania , he approahes everybody non Greek, simply because his drinks are over the top ;price-wise 19 euros for 4 soft drinks is a bit of a con. These are excellent apartments offered by first choice. We, as with everybody else only booked these last minute, which seemed a bit of a mystery because the are brilliant.If you go in high season dont hesitate to get the aircon at 7 euros a day is well worth the money. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: First Choice sept 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Paul Sylvie Sue Dave Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The Dias appartments are a excellent 3 star accomodation, very clean and well maintained,in a good position just a few yards up a side street on a very slight incline that is hardly noticed, it has a small pool and a pool bar, not realy very good for self catering but the tavernas all round are excellent, we ate in quite a few and all served good Creten food with service to match, to name a few, the Eletri thats just across the road from the entrance to the Dias, next door the Skala, turn left out of the Dias up the slight hill to the Horiatikos just about 30 yards on the corner, round the the corner to Roka and across from the Roka Afrodite all highly recomended,on the beach try the Posidon, the best bars we found was turn left at the petrol station at the bottom of the street and keep walking untill you see a hotel on your right with two artificial yellow lit up palm trees next door is the All Bar One run by a British couple, and next door the Kahlua run by a young Greek man, a drauft pint of ice cold Alfa beer 2euro 20, There is a good beach at Agia Marina, go to the bottom of the street cross the main road go down the side of the supermarket and onto the beach the beach here is sand and shingle but if you turn and walk to your right the beach turns to sand and it is about a mile long,Agia Marina is quite commercialised but the Greek people there are not they are so friendly and are so pleased if you can say just a few words in greek, go and enjoy, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: FIRST CHOICE,June 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Lynn & Billy, St Helens 51 & 54 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We had apartment No 24 what a great choice, 2 balconies 1 with pool and sea view, great when having a G & T on an evening before going out, sun in morning up to late afternoon. Apt spacious, so are the studio's, cleaned daily except Sunday and sheets changed twice a week. Air con at 6 euros per day and safe in your room 15 euro for 2 weeks. Pool lovely although the sunbeds are very close together but that was never a problem because there was never more than 5 couples there at a time. Pool bar open all the time and serves snacks and drinks, the only thing is they don't allow you to take your own food and drink around the pool. Beach tends to get busy but there are plenty sunbeds at 5 euro for 2 beds and a brollie. Have seen better beaches sand is not the best with stones and shingle but is well kept and there are also life guards on duty. Plenty of water sports as well. Weather was glorious, getting hotter everyday and not a cloud to be seen. Went into Chania on the bus this is a must, 2.60 euro for 2 of us, what a bargain, but be warned when you get there don't go on the yellow submarine or the little red train, what a rip off, but I believe the glass bottom boat trips are good. The brits are in the minority in this resort, it was mainly Swedish, Danish and Dutch people but that was not a problem they are all friendly people. It is a busier resort than I thought it would be, but we enjoyed it nevertheless. Great taverna's and bars we did not have one bad meal, so I am not going to influence you and tell you were to go it all depends on what your preference is, we just love Greek food, if you are the same you won't be disappointed. We did a few Little Red train trips they are worth a try we enjoyed them, although they are not the most comfortable of rides. Enjoy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June/July 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Claudine & Steve - London 29, 32 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The Dias studios & apartments are simply furnished but very clean and spacious with only 14 rooms so not too busy round the pool area! The pool is quite small but sufficient for the amount of rooms, there were never more than 7 people round the pool at any one time whilst we were there so you can always get a sun lounger. The location of Dias is excellent, right in the middle of everything, supermarket is just accross the road, the Aletri restaurant (which is probably the best restaurant in Aghia Marina) is opposite, there are a few souvenir shops next to Dias and just down the road and the beach is a 5 minute walk if that which is a nice clean beach. The excursions I would recommend are 1. Elofinissi beach which is around 20 euros each and takes about 2-3 hours to get to as you make a couple of stops to look at a monestary and cave but coaches are all usually air conditioned. Very nice beach there with white and pink sand and clear sea. Also a couple of canteens there which are not expensive, about 1.50-2 euros for a drink and 2 euros for a cheeseburger etc. 2. The water park which we got one of the little trains to which we paid for at Hot Wheels, that was 20 euros each and you get about 4-5 hours at the minoupolis (not sure if spelt correct) water park which is very nice on a hot day!! We were there for 2 weeks and every day weather got hotter, always sunny, nice. The water park has several great flumes/slides etc. 3. If you go into Chania (only 2.60 euros each by bus)that is where the boat excursions are, we got one for 15 euros each where you did snorkelling and stopped at several places of interest and little island to swim/snorkle around, that was good, our boat man was called Kim, we preferred that boat to the glass bottom boat, and there was only about 8 of us on it so it was nice and private, had a laugh, a few of us jumping off the top of the boat into the sea etc. We really enjoyed Crete but if your looking to go away with friends I would suggest a more livelier resort where there is more bars and a few clubs as this resort I would say is definitely perfect for families and couples but not the ideal holiday if your going away with your mates! More of an eating drinking and relaxing holiday than dancing and drinking etc. The Greek staff in bars and restaurants are all very friendly and some work on the beach in the day time so you might get a discount on the jet skis etc!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice June 2005 Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Chris- hampshire 40,36,12,8 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Well worth a visit. The apartments are spacious, very clean,very friendly and have everything u need(sadly lacking a toaster)Hired a safe for 15e for 2 weeks probably didnt need it but it's worth it for the peace of mind. The Dias is well situated just 5 minutes from the beach and main street. Plenty of places to eat we tried Horiatikos, Eletri, Skala, Mitsos, Roka and Lottos all worth a visit but our favourites were Lottos, Skala and The Eletri (which is right opposite.) The trip into Chania is worth it 1.30e each. You get dropped off at the bus station which is were u pick up your bus back (organised chaos!) u need to press the bell above your head on the bus back when u get near your stop. The bus stop is down the hill and left(next to petrol station) there is also a yellow post box there as well for all your postcards. Just passed the bus stop u will find the bakery yum yum. lovely bread,cakes and pastries. A ring doughnut costs 1.00e but it is the size of a saucer! The best supermarket is down the hill across the busy road opposite the petrol station it is called IN.KA. Turn right at the IN.KA and the bank is a few yards along the road.(TIP- take high value travellers cheques as they charge you 1.50e per cheque regardless of its value so changing up lots of low value cheques will end up costing you more) Highly recommend the trip to Limnoupolis water park the kids will love it.You get to it on one of the little trains. We booked with Neilson Travel (left at the bottom of hill on opposite side of road) saved ourselves 20.00e on what 1st choice were charging. The walk into Platanias takes about 15 mins there is a footpath all the way plus lots of shops. There is an indian and chinese restaurant but we never tried them. The walk back seems to take a lot longer! The Dias holds a Greek nite on a friday if enough people are interested well worth it, lots of fun and plenty to eat be prepared to get up and dance! If it wasnt for the fact we like to go somewhere different every year we wouldn't hesitate in going back to the Dias p.s. say hello to Bosco the friendly barman --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Heather & Suzanne Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This was a last minute allocation on arrival deal that only cost £155 per person, so we were not expecting to stay in such a lovely apartment. We had a the lovely one bed apartment right beside the pool. The staff were very welcoming from the minute we arrived and nothing was too much trouble for them. The apartment was very spacious and very very clean thanks to Maria the maid (her daughter Manuela runs the pool bar in the day). The small kitchens have all you need including a kettle. The apartments are situated halfway up a slight hill about 150 metres from the beach and the main street, we had no problems with crossing the road, but late at night all the boy racers seem to come out and it can be a little hairy then. We ate at the Eletri resturant opposite the apartments and again recieved a warm welcome and were invited to the bar after our meal, we finally left at 5am in the morning after we had been introduced to the flaming sambuca technique of drinking! Costas the waiter is a very polite and sweet person and very hospitalble. Interestingly we found out the whole street and all the resturants, shops, apartments are owned by the same family of brothers etc and it is the only street in Aghai Marina without a name because the famly are so well known it does not need one apparently. We did catch the bus into Chania but be warned all the shops close from 2:30 to 4:30 for a siesta. The bus only costs 1.3 euros each way and is very good; it only takes about 15 minutes to get there, so do not bother with the excursion which cost a lot more. If you are going to this resort and apartments rest assured you will have a very relaxing time in good surroundings. One final thing, if you are a smoker you need to be aware that at Chania airport the opportunity for a ciggie is upstairs just before you go thru passport control to the department lounge as there is no smoking allowed in the lounge. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Paul & Betty - Basingstoke (49, 50) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Having booked this as a late deal, we were expecting very basic accommodation but were very pleasantly surprised by such a high standard and excellent location of the apartments, which were also very spacious, well equipped and spotlessly clean. We feel they surpassed their 2 Star Rating. Friendly staff who organised an excellent BBQ during our stay. Bar prices very reasonable and pool area although small is sufficient for the number of apartments - plenty of sunbeds!! Many local bars and restaurants just minutes away, would recommend going into the village up the hill rather than on the main road. Very good beach just 5 mins walk across the main road. Would also highly recommend Neilson Travel for any local excursions, staff extremely helpful and knowledgeable - Little Red Train trips are fun and worthwhile. Coach and boat trip to Gramvoussa and Balos a MUST!! We were wishing we had booked 2 weeks instead of only 1 as there is much more of this lovely island to explore. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Mark - Leeds (37,36,12,9) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Having read the reviews of the Dias previously it was clear that the apartments were going to be in good order - and were they ! They were absolutely spotless. Not one problem with the accomodation. The pool whilst on the small side was excellent - sunbeds always available anytime of the day. The bar staff (Stella & Katerina) were great with the kids and nothing was too much trouble for them. The owners were extremely friendly and during the evening there were numerous rounds of free shots. Why First Choice use these premises for late availability is beyond me they are much better than that and deserve greater recognition. Having said that, we stayed for two weeks and on the changeover day when everyone left we had the run of the place - fantastic. Aghia Marina resort is pretty good - everything is close at hand - top bakery at bottom of road. Didn't have one bad meal all holiday and all well priced. All restaurant staff were friendly and on the whole we couldn't fault the place - usually went to Hotshots for a drink before dinner and again top service. Chania is definitely worth a visit - straightforward to drive to but the bus is also easy as the stop is at the bottom of the road. All in all excellent holiday - great value for money and the only recommendation I can give is that we'll be there again in 2005 - already booked !! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Hartley's Yorkshire (40's, 15, 17) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from a fantastic holiday. The apartments were excellent. Cleaner every day and clean towels and beds made (take tea-towels). Cooking facilities basic - 2 ring hotplate and a kettle. No toaster unfortunately. But nearby restaurants excellent. We went to Aletri and Skala across the road mostly. Small supermarket across the road. Bakery at bottom of the road and left. Excellent bread, croissants etc. Larger supermarket across from bakery. Quite a few shops with souvenirs and beachwear. Apartments ideally situated half way between the old village and the beach. A 30 minute stroll to Platanias (bottom of road and left) or bus finds more shops lining the way. Regular bus to Chania with its little cobbled sidestreets and restaurants. We hired a car from Neilson travel (opposite side to bakery and down a bit)which was the cheapest and excellent service. They also do excursions. There were other young teenagers in the apartments so my two were set up with friends and they played in the swimming pool all day or beach and went to SoHo bar (bottom of road and right)and Skala opposite to play pool. Daisy in SoHo gave my daughter balloons and icecream for her birthday. We also went to HotShots for the dancing and Karaoke. Dias Apartments family are lovely. Kosmas kept us supplied with shots (yammas!)I bought a cake for my daughter's birthday and Stella put on the candles and presented her with it. It was a lovely time. The children were safe to go off on their own because the resort is fairly quiet. We were quite happy to sit and chat at the poolside bar. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2004 Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Ann - Leeds (51,54,59,62) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The staff (cleaner, bar staff) and owners very friendly. First Choice rep. great. Pool small but beautifully clean. Apartments spotlessly clean. I would definately go there again. Taverna Mithos was great, and the choice of eating places in Aghia Marina was fantastic. The tourist shops were good value for money.Yes the road is busy but manageable with care. Beach fantastic and the surrounding countryside is worth the walk up the hill. The trip to Chania is well worth while and local buses are great. Crete is a beautiful island and the locals are so friendly. Didn't want to come home! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dias Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice- May 2004 Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Kirsteen Robb - London (27,28,29) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This was my 5th visit to Greece and the Dias apartments are the best I've stayed in- I would recommend them to anyone. The apartment was very clean as was the pool and they all had big balconies- ours caught the evening sun. The best restaurant we went to is Aletri- right opposite the apartments. The waiters, especially Costas, are very welcoming and there were many local shots and plates of fruit on the house. The food is excellent too and really cheap! Platanias is about 20 mins walk away and bigger than Ag Marina - more choice for a night out. The hilltop restaurants in the old town have brilliant views and aren't expensive. Chania was only 6 euros in a cab (don't pay more!) and the old town there had loads of really nice restaurants. Point Bar by the harbour (up some stairs) had a great view and was open really late for dancing and gorgeous strawberry margaritas. Elafonisi is an amazing beach- 2 hours by local bus from Ag Marina but worth it and great scenery en route too. There are no sun loungers though or shade and snack bar is expensive so bring lunch! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epimenidis - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - August 2004 Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Ian 37, Beverley 40 and Abigail 13. Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The resort of Aghia Marina was a lot busier and more commercialised than we expected, but the beaches were not too crowded. There is a very cosmopolitan feel as the resort is a long established favourite with Scandanavian visitors. This accomodation has a very good pool, 3 meters at the deepest end but a good sized childrens area. The pool bar serves good quality snacks and light lunches and the upstairs bar has a good atmosphere due to the excellent attention of Stuart and Penny who are friendly and welcoming and work far too hard! The owner (Epi) and his sister and all other staff are friendly, courteous and attentive. The rooms are spacious, airy and immaculately clean. Air Con is a must and the price compares well with other Kosmar properties that we have visited. The drinks may cost a little more than other bars but for convenience and company the premium is negligable. We woul return at the drop of a hat! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epimenidis - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar -July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Sue Williams - Rainhill ( 42, 17. 15) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have recently returned from a very lovely holiday staying at the Epimendis studios. The studios were one of the best studios that i have stayed in. The rooms were excellent, very spacious and extremely clean. The rooms were cleaned daily by a very hard working cleaner called Nena,she never stopped,I was a little disappointed with the cooking area, as it was very small, But the rest of the accomidation made up for this. The pool was lovely very clean, with plenty of sunbeds. There is a rule of no food or drinks around the pool. I can understand the need for no food, but i do think water should be allowed. The bar is slightly over priced compaired to outside, but it staffed by very lovely people. The managers of the sports bar, organize quiz nights ect and try so hard to make your holiday stay enjoyable. The two owners are a Canadian Greek family, who are always on site, ensuring you have everything you need. Alex is very welcoming, but i found Epi quite unsociable to the people not spending in the bar, or restaurant. My main complaint about the holiday is the price of the air-conditioning. We knew there was a cost but 100 euros per room for 14 days was a bit to much. We were not able to afford the cost as we had two rooms, and so it was very hot and uncomfortable at night. Also it cost 10 euros a week for the safe. Dispite my complaints I have to say again that the Epimendis is probably one of the best places i stayed in. I would recommend it to people. I had a lovely time, meeting a lot of lovely families. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epimenidis - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - July 2004 Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Helen Taylor - Lincoln (30, 29, 2) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We have just returned from 2 weeks staying at the Epimenidis Studios. The accommadation was brilliant, very spacious room which were cleaned daily by a very hard working cleaner! The owners of the hotel are a Canadian Greek family who take pride in the hotel which can sometimes be a bit over the top but is also nice to see. The bar is a little more expensive than some but 2 small beers and 2 cokes still only cost 7 euros. The bar is staffed by some lovely people who are all keen to make sure you enjoy your holiday. An English couple (Penny snd Stewart) work in the Sports Bar organising a weekly quiz and stuff. We all felt that the bar needed a bit more equipment (pool table, air hockey etc)but it is new this year and not quite established. Our only complaint with the hotel was the air con (50 euros per week) We paid the expensive price as we had a small child and were then told that when we left the room we must remove the key which activated the electricity mesning we could not leave the air con on. We were also unhappy that the mosquito repellant we had bought could not be used. The air con is turned on when you arrive and then cannot be turned up, dowm, on or off meaning we were often cold at night. We did leave the key in the room frequeltly but had our knuckles rapped by the owners when we were found out! The Lotto pizza restaurant by the pterol station does pizza and pasta to die for and the Skala tavern does the best steak in town. This is left at the petrol station towards the old town. I am sure you'll have a fab holdiay if you say at the Epimenidis, just watch out for the air con! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epimenidis - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar -July 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Steve Gray Darlington (43,39,8) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: We booked our holiday before we were told about this site. On reading the comments concerning the Epimenidis I was a bit cheesed off. We went to this hotel for a 2 week break and to be honest we could not have picked a better hotel in Agia Marina. The place is owned and run by Epi and his sister Alex who both speak excellent English having spent many years in Canada. The standard of accomodation is the best I've had in a hotel of this type, with lots of Greek islands under my belt. The standard of cleanliness and hygiene is excellent and the pool was crystal clear at all times. Where the other people who have made comments on this site have got their bar prices from I dont know. Two large beers and a soft drink was 7.5 Euros. Whilst there we spoke to four couples who had been there every year since it opened 4 years ago, not a bad testimony! its a great hotel run by great people. Yes they do have one or two rules concerning the pool area but from what I could see this was for safety reasons and to maintain the high standards. Great place try it! Agia Marina is well placed to see the west of Crete. I would reccomend using the good bus service or hiring a car,but not from Kosmar.They use a company called A.N.E on the main drag in Agia Marina. Go to their offices yourself and get the same car for a lot less. P.S Dimitra, Stuart and Dimitri who work the bars at Epi's are first class. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Epimenidis - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - June 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Dave Trim, Dorset - (24) Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: This was my second time in Crete and the second time I have been to Epimenidis. It has a great atmophere and the owner are great. We had so much fun the first time we went that we went back again for a second time this year. The pool & pool bar is excellant and Epi & Alex (the owners) are always trying to make sure your having a good time. The resort is lovely with the beach being a short walk across the road. Whilst being at Epi's we met numerous people who had come back for a second and even third time. We will certainly be returning next year!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mastorakis Village - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Colin Whittock - Peterborough Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: Dont be put off by the transfer from the airport. The drive takes you through some of the most unappealing countryside i have seen. Crikey, i nearly got depression in the first 15 minutes of our holiday. But please dont worry. The brochure tells you that a torch may be neccessary. Unless you intend walking to the complex at 2 in the morning, it wont be needed. First (and last) impressions of the appartment complex are very good. Rooms are a good size (ours was anyway). Kitchen facilities are extremely basic. Plenty of cupboard and drawer space, but only 2 electric rings, sink, 2 sets of crockery and cutlery, 2 pans. NO kettle, NO toaster. Beds were extremely comfortable, new linen every every 2 or 3 days i think. Plenty of drawers, massive wardrobe, dressing table with mirror, bedside lockers, kitchen table and chairs, all in matching style and colour. Very nice, simple and sat nicely in a airy, light, whitewashed room. Safety deposit box in the room, 20 euros for two weeks. Air conditioning was a fantastic extra, especially in the night, 65 euros for 2 weeks and well worth it for the comfortable nights sleeps it gave. Bathroom was lovely, shower cubicle, lit mirror and all the usuals. Two bath and two hand towels are provided, no need to take yours, if you choose. The rooms are VERY nice in my opinion, someone got it right there. Pool is a good size, enough loungers etc. Bar upstairs very nice, not appreciably more expensive than anywhere else on the resort. Large TV for the footy, music. Breakfast available, a little more expensive than the local eateries, but much better in quality. Nice point was Yvonne the rep wasnt pushy with the trips. Some hols we have had, they really pushed the trips too hard, not here. Car hire available through the rep, and is as good value as anywhere in the resort. I used it and was pleased. Looking at the local hirers, there wasnt much if anything to save by going elsewhere. Aghia Marina is quiet, quite a small resort. All the usual tavernas, shops, car and bike hire etc. Go a mile up the road to Platanias, much much livelier, better for tavernas, shops, bright lights at night, people on he streets etc etc. Walkable via the beach, road, or 1 euro on the buses. If you love beaches, please please try to go to Efalonissi. Its 60 kms over the mountains, but the best beach i'm ever likely to see without going to the Caribbean or Maldives. I honestly cant do it justice. 2 shallow lagoons with water so clear its like looking into glass. Large sandy beaches, sand dunes and a mountain backdrop. From a distance the waters are brilliant shades of blue. Small shop on the entrance does rolls, drink, balls etc. No rip offs there. Coffee, drinks etc available just off the beach, again, good value. 4 people in our party, everyone just loved it. You might get lost a couple of times going there (i did), but its worth every single kilometer. Chania, lovely town. Only 1.3 euros on a regular, good bus service. Nice harbour, shops, tavernas etc etc. it'll take a few visits to see it all Souda, not worth the visit unless you want to see the Allied War cemetary, or love shipping. Overall, the best holiday i have had of 3 in Greece, and the appartments played a big part in that. Downsides....there arent many. The pool got a tiny bit murky over the 2 weeks and then miraculously went clean when the new arrivals were due. Maybe i am being overly suspicious. But please dont think it was a problem. Also found the taverna menus slightly different than what i have had before on the other side of the island. Personal choice of course, but i struggled a bit, and i dont mind Greek food. There is Lottos up the road, an Pizza resturaunt, it was ok, but just ok. In Platanias we all enjoyed a Chinese resturaunt called Chin Chin. Bit more expensive, but nicer than some of the tavernas menus. Cant put my finger on it, but the food wasnt the highlight of the holiday, for me anyway. In short, Mastorakis Village is the best complex we have stayed in. Newish, clean and well run. Perfect. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mayica Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - July 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Simon Howard - Brighton Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Booked via Golden Sun after looking up late minute deals on Teletext. Flew with ExcelAir (not bad) and arrived around 2pm at Chania Airport. First impressions of Crete (1st time there) were what I expected, very hot, very sunny and not a cloud in sight. Perfect! Initial worries started to set in with the couch trip to our accommodation, (Mayica Apartments located in Agia Marina). The Golden Sun rep (Dutch) could barely speak a word of english and what english she did managed to get across was aimed at getting us to buy her olive oil! The couch ride took about 45 minutes which takes you past the military base at Souda Bay and through Chania itself before reaching Agia Marina. This gives you a good idea of the local surroundings and what to expect. Mayica Apartments exceeded my expectation which was a relief. The apartment was roomy with a basic kitchen \ living room area with a small bathroom leading off of it. The bedroom has two single beds which unfortunately couldn't be pushed together because of the frames, (apparently single beds are the norm in Crete). We had two patio areas (one being a lethal sun trap) accessible via very secure insulated screen doors. The only problem we had with the room was the location. We had asked for a room on the first floor but ended up with a room on the ground floor, right next to the bar! This could prove a bit of a problem if you felt like an early night as the bar usually stayed open till 1am which was a bit noisy. So whatever you do, don't have room 11! The attendants were great though and very helpful. Everyone speaks English so the language barrier wasn't much of a problem. The travel agent told us that we were 500m from the beach which was true although you did have to cross the main road. However it was no busier than a normal high street and proved no problem in crossing. Although if you have small children, keep a tight hold of them as the Crete's like to drive fast. You can find a variety of family owned Restaurants and markets, off the main road with no problem whatsoever. We preferred these simply for the fact that they were closer and for ease of convenience. However you will find a variety of markets, souvenir shops and restaurants on the main road, as well as excursion agents and hire car retailers. The pavements are very narrow with Trees routinelt grwoing out the middle of them. If your in a wheel chair your going to have problems. On the morning of our first full day we had a meeting with the other new arrivals and the second of our golden sun reps. As before we weren't very impressed as although she was English, we felt she was reading from a script as she told us what we could go and see. At this point we felt a bit pressured into booking our excursions there and then. The argument being availability as well as our holiday insurance would not cover us if we booked a trip with someone else, (I'm still a bit dubious about this). However we opted to rent a car for two days, (Suzuki swift) which cost 110euros (about £75) with full insurance. Later on I found that if you book with Budget you can get a far better vehicle for 75 euros. Make sure you get full insurance on everything including the tyres. Our stretch of Agia Marina beach was lovely with a nice stretch of sand running in front of some really nice restaurants and bars. However walking just five minutes would see the sand fall away to either small shingle (very rough on the feet, especially in sandals) or rock. If you find this go exploring as the sandy parts are great. Jet skies can be hired if the conditions permit with rides starting at 30euros for a 15 minute ride. The Cretans are excellent cooks and the food was fantastic. If I would recommend anywhere to go and eat I would recommend a restaurant on the beach called 'Mitsos'. It has a terrace opening out on the beach, very attentive staff, nice decor, a great atmosphere and excellent food at a very good price. The majority of beach front restaurants will have someone standing outside trying to tempt you in. This is something we always found off putting. Mitsos doesn't have this which is a definite plus as you more included to go in and take a look. Because it is recessed back from the main road, (unlike a lot of the other restaurants) you don't get the noise and smell of passing traffic which can be off putting. I cant sing the praises of this place enough so definitely give it a try. Cretan roads are a bit of a nightmare. Road works can spring up out of nowhere and road signs are either non existent, or indicate the turning with no warning. Because the roads are usually one lane only, most drivers partially use the hard shoulder to let others over take. The mountains are the most tricky bit with no barriers to prevent you driving off a sheer cliff face. Keep you speed low and stay in second gear for most of the assent \ decent using third rarely. Don't exceed 40kph as this is way too fast. A lot of sheep headers more the live stock in the evening so don't be surprised to turn a corner and come face to face with a herd of mountain goats blocking the road. You can get a good deal with the excursion agents on the main road so don't feel pressured by your rep to book through them. We booked a walk through Samaria Gorge which is 18km long down from the mountains to the sea and takes about 6 to 7 hours to complete. When you get to the end there is a boat to take you to the next port where your coach is waiting. Don't drive there under your own steam as you will have to walk back to the top when you reach the end. It's not an easy walk even though its downhill most of the way, as the path is uneven and covered with stones so wear a good pair of trainers or walking boots. Don't attempt it if you have ankle or knee complaints. We are both pretty fit and our legs were hurting for several days afterwards. A trip to Lake Hurzon is definitely recommended. This is located about 40km East of Chania. Its waters are very clear and you can rent pedal boats or canoes to go out on the lake (7euros for whoever long you want). If that doesn't grab you then you can just go for a swim which is great if you've been driving all day. Wild Geese nest on the river bank and hang around the cafeteria looking for tit-bits. You can feed them but don't let small children do it alone. The Geese can be quite aggressive if they sense that free food is available. If you fancy trying some of the other beaches, then Ellifanisi, Gramvousa or Fangocasteliano are the ones to try. We went to Ellifansi which knocked us for six. The water is crystal clear and delicious cool. The only problem is with the amenities. The toilets are basic and devoid of toilet paper so take your own. The Cretan sewer system cant handle mass amounts of toilet paper so a special bin is provided for paper waste which you mustn't flush. There are two small shacks, one which sells food and drinks, (a little overpriced) and the other sells stuff like beach towels, camera film etc. They don't accept credit cards, cash only. So either take ample finances or pack you own food \ water. In fact take a lot of water as it gets very hot down there. The only disappointment of the trip was our visit to the Harbour of Chania. This is located about 10km East of Agia Marina and is dominated by the remains of a fortress built by the Venetians about 500 years ago. We went about 8pm and the place was swarming with tourists and locals (as you would expect). The harbour front is dominated by bars and restaurants with the usual touts trying to lure you in. Some of them can be quite insistent and overbearing so just keep walking. We opted to head inland a bit and found what looked like a nice restaurant next to the fortress wall with live music. The menu was very expensive compared to Agia Marina but we had decided to push the boat out a bit. A couple of words of caution. If your vegetarian make sure the waiter understands what you mean when you say no meat. My partner ordered a spinach pie, mixed 'salad' which came back with a huge sausage on it. When we complained they took it away to replace it with a giant shrimp and calamari! When they finally came back the spinach pie was cold and the shrimp \ calamari had been replaced with something that had crab paste in it. Vegetarian menus are very scarce ion Crete and a lot of so called veggie food is prepared with a meat sauce. However by mixing you starters you can make up a pretty good meal. Also the waiters will try and steer you towards their 'dish of the day' which is usually the most expensive item on the menu. If you've got something in mind stick to your guns. All in all the meal cost us 50euros and was the single most disappointing event of the trip, something that still angers me now. The remainder of the Harbour seems to be your typical tourist trap environment with lots of souvenir shops, jewellers, clothes shop to be found. To sum it up I'd say we got a bargain. We came away with good tans and apart from one back experience, good memories of the place. If it wasn't for our policy of never holidaying in the same place twice then we would go back without hesitation. Therefore ive scored our trip on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) Value: 4 Resort: 4 Accomodation: 4 Reps: 2 Samaria Gorge: 5 Lake Hurzon: 4 Ellifanisi: 4 Chania: 1 Driving 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mirabello Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: Olympic - June 2007 Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Williams/Evans - Cheshire (42,41,32) Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Well we booked this as a last minute holiday and purely based on the reports on this website. As described by others, the Villa apartments are not beside the pool but are very pleasant, quiet and we were in the "penthouse" which our view overlooked the sea and we could see the beaches all along to the right of the resort towards Chania. Well appointed rooms by Greek Standards and a mini bath for a shower basin - major plus! The linen was only changed once during our stay. The pool is situated by the side of a busy minor road so it is quite noisy. There are room for sunbeds along one side only, and not many to be honest, it's definitely a case of first come first served and beware people leaving towels on the beds while they trot off for lunch for a couple of hours due to the limited space. The pool was however very clean. While we were there it was only the father who attended the pool area and he didn't speak a word of English, although he was pleasant enough and often came round with bowls of fruit fresh from their trees free of charge. He didn't however play any music and although there was a menu and price list for drinks on the wall, whilst we were there I didn't see anybody eat or drink anything from the pool area - so there was no atmosphere whatsoever, we even resorted to bringing our own beer to the pool area and he wasn't at all concerned!!!! In summary therefore if you're a person that likes to lie by the pool all day to eat drink and be merry - this place is a NO NO. The resort is KAK.... I'm a great one for walking the length of the resort I stay in popping in and out of all the tack shops etc, but here, you'll be crossing the road (which is VERY VERY busy) constantly as all the shops are scattered around with no particular order etc, and as previously posted, the pavements are horrendous and not recommended for pushchairs or small children. There were mostly Danish/Swedish/German there and I had the feeling most restaurants catered for their needs, which of course means that the resort is lacking in British beers/ales and in particular CIDER is like the proverbial rocking horse s***. There was one english bar towards the end of the resort furthest away from Chania direction which was very pleasant albeit small, they sold Cider too! So far as food is concerned, as with most European resorts, they don't really cater for vegetarians which one of our party was, so it was cheese & tomato pizza or pasta with neapolitan sauce or omelete being the limited options. The Old Town had a handful of restaurants, the only one we tried was the last one up the hill on the left, the food was lovely and the local cretan wine yummy! Samaria Gorge - DON'T BE FOOLED, this is not a mere walk in the park "suitable for old and young alike" as advertised in the Olympic brochure. Two of our party are experienced gym goers and not afraid of healthy endurance style exercise - this TOPS that by a long way. You pay 38 euros to the rep, then 11.40 euros at the entrance for the entrance fee and the boat back to the next port (there are no roads out at the end of the gorge). This "walk" is in fact more like a hike/trek, we were told only to wear trainers/hat/t-shirt by our rep, it was a NIGHTMARE, it was in fact 21km of hard slog firstly 3k hiking down the mountain to reach the beginning of the Gorge on large boulder/cobbles that were loose, uneven and shiny and down right dangerous, then began the 16km trek along the dry riverbed of the gorge, again uneven unstable large boulders not even pathlike pebbles. At the end of the Gorge there is another 3k trek along a similar footing path leading to a cemented road (with large boulder/pebbles embedded just in case you were missing them!) and eventually the "paradise" hotel/restaurant where it appears the brits were taken to. Firstly let me say that we didn't get any opportunity to view the scenery down the Gorge as we spent all our time concentrating from our knees down checking our footing was secure, secondly, we were told to be at the other end by 4pm in order to catch the boat, so we arrived at the meeting place at 3.30pm only to be told the boat was in fact at 5.15pm which left us hanging around for almost 2 hours, so thirdly exhausted, starving and literally on our last legs we discover the timing of our arrival as instructed was simply a ploy to give you no option but to buy from the restaurant, which was the worst of those in the port - we had a milkshake (expensive and warm!!!) then left to find the much nicer tavernas etc round the corner. It wasn't the worst resort/apartment/experience I've had in a Greek holiday, but it comes pretty close. In summary the only down side is the lack of pool atmosphere. If you like pool holidays and hanging around shops in the resort only this place won't suit you. If you like peace and quiet sitting on your balcony reading all day taking in the sun, you'll love the villa apartments. But it's a good base if you're hiring a car and travelling the island and avoiding this boring grotty resort. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mirabello Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic - Oct 2006 Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Graham family - Carlisle ( 54, 51, 70 ) Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: We stayed in the Villa which is 2 mins walk from the main apartment block.Most of the 2 bed apartments are located in the villa which has its own pleasant gardens. The ground floor apartment we had was very large, clean and with a well equiped kitchen( kettle etc, ).The father & son were friendly and left pomegranates & roses for us.Aghia Marina resort is the usual cluttered mish mash of bars,tavernas,souvenir shops & mini markets but it does have a real bakers on the front.All the main hire car companies are located on the main road about 10 mins walk towards Platanias.I would recommend eating at Manolis taverna in the old village next to the church, the food was authentic greek,wine out the barrel & friendly staff.We ate out in Chania a lot and would recommend Tamam restaurant just back from the old harbour, there is plenty of free car parking around the old harbour and takes only 20mins by car.Hiring a car is definitley worth it the roads are generally good apart from the odd pothole & cretan drivers are no worse than in the UK,the national road which is only 10 mins from Aghia Marina & was empty of traffic most days. For trips out Elafonisi beach is beautiful shallow lagoons and pink sand ( 90 mins by car ) also Falasarna beach ( 45 mins ), Stavros beach near airport ( 30 mins ),lake Kounas ( 45 mins )and the drive over the mountains to Sougia on the south coast takes you through lush green valleys. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mirabello Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic Holidays - August 2006 Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Evans Family - Bethesda - (50,39,13,11,11) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Agia Marina - The resort itself is very spread out, and the Mirabello is at the closest end to Chania. (10 euros in a taxi to chania. The apts are up a slight hill from the main road which is very busy. Just across the road again is the beach, lovely beach with all the usual sunbeds and water rides, (jetskis, banana boat etc). there are a lot of hotels/restaurants along the beach, and most of them have a pool which you can use. the part of agia marina we were in was a bit quiet, not many shops but if you walked 15 mins towards platanias you came to 'the strip' with loads of places to eat etc and shops. We found it to busy and noisy to eat along the main road but if you went down to the beach there were plenty of places to eat on the seafront that were very good and quiet, 'The Amalthia' was one of our favourites, just a little bit nicer than all the others. Very good food also in the Cactus which was on the main road, but if you got a table towards the back of the restaurant it was ok, there was also a kids playground here. Just at the bottom of the hill from the Mirabello there is a crazy golf place, great to entertain the kids for an hour or so. We ate quite a lot in the old town, which was about 20 mins walk along the top road from the mirabello. Food up here was cheaper and much nicer than down on the main road, also much quieter about 65 euros for a meal for 5 including drinks for the children, wine and ice cream for dessert, the Aphrodite, Roka and the one on the corner i can't remember it;s name, but if you walked down past the one on the corner you came to a road which leads down to the main road in Agia Marina and there were quite a few good shops and restaurants down here as well. All in all Agia Marina to spread out for us, but it was ok, and once you found your way around you could keep away from that busy road. The Mirabello apts - Set in 2 blocks about 100 metres away from each other ( don't take any notice of the greek distance signs, double them every time!!) The apartments around the pool seem to be the 1 bedroom ones and the ones in the villa down the road about 100 metres away seem to be the ones with more than 1 bedroom. The pool was in a lovely setting with grass on one side and a small pool bar. We were in the villa, set in lovely gardens, and we had a great balcony overlooking the sea and the mountains, heaven to sit on with a glass of wine and just chill. Not the largest apt we've ever stayed at, but ok for our needs as we were out most of the day.There was air con which you could pay for at 65 euros a week, a must during August really if you wanted a good nights sleep. Kitchen not much to write home about, but then they never are in self catering accomodation. There was a small shop at the bottom of the villa drive which supplied everything you could need, water milk fresh bread and croisants etc and a lovely friendly greek girl worked there which was open from about 8 in the morning till about 10 at night, a little bit more pricey than the village but worth it not to have to carry water etc up the hill. Out and about - we hired a car for a week from Olympic holidays which we found to be competative as to prices, we checked a few other hire places in the village and the prices were about the same, you got the car delivered to you and then collected. we used the car to go up the mountains to the top of the Samaria Gorge, (to hot to walk it in august , 11 miles downhill) but the scenery whilst driving round the hairpin bends to the mountains was breathtaking and well worth going, also went to the water park in Limounopolis which was great, also used it to go up the coast towards platanias and the other way towards Georgopoulis which was a lovely place. If you are going in to Chania which is well worth doing as it's set round a beautiful harbour and loads of small narrow alleys with shops, you can either get the bus from the bottom of the hill by the apts 1.50 euros each or you can get a taxi about 10 euro. don't take a car into CHania, it's full of one way systems and traffic, and parking is a nightmare. Had a lovely holiday, and Crete is a beautiful island,which we will probably return to one day. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mirabello Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic August 2005 Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Sier family 51,44,17,14 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The 26 apartments are in two blocks , most over look the small pool the remaining 5 were in Villa Mirabello set in pretty gardens about 50 m along the road. There is a short but fairly steep road up from the beach. Our apartment was in the Villa it was clean and we had a great view across the bay to Hania and also of the White mountains. Air conditioning was an extra 55 euros per week but we found fans and open windows made the place quite comfortable. Definitely not a resort for anyone with walking difficulties or a push chair - the pavements are appalling. The beach was clean and shelved gently so was safe for children. A warning flag system operates and we saw a red flag on a couple of days when the wind changed direction and there was some surf. There were lots of restuarants ,some were quiet pushy about trying to get you to eat in them , the best we found didn't need to tout for customers. Hania is definitely worth a visit or several visits.The old harbour is very pretty and its worth having a drink in on of the harbour side tavernas. Explore the back streets there are lots of very atmospheric and cheaper restuarants. There are lots of jewellery shops with hand made unusual items which our girls loved. I would not bother with the trip to Knossos.The palace was reconstructed in 20th C and it has done the place no favours. The guide was very knowledgeable but completely over did the history. I'm sure she thought we were undergraduate archeologists. You might want to try cycling Cretan style. This was a half day trip. You are picked up by minibus that carries 14 people plus bikes and driven into the mountains. Bikes are unloaded and with a guide ( and support bus)you freewheel downhill for 20 - 24 km depending on the trip you choose. If you are hiring a car a word of warning about Crete's roads....they are terrible.All roads are full of pot holes and breaking up at the edges. The mountain roads,and 80% of Crete is mountains, are death traps.Even roads shown as main routes on the map are barely wide enough for 2 cars.I can honestly say they terrifed me. Overall we loved Crete and would not hesitate to go again . --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olga Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: Kosmar June 2006 Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Barry Cartwright 72 68 70 68 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Olga apartments Make sure you do not get room 15. Apart from that they are very nice & clean as said small pool only 6 sun beds around pool area.Nico's who is a owner runs the bar and does great snacks ie toasties, burgers, salads, chips,and a few more which are very tasty. Beach is right by bar which as beds and umbrellas Nico charges 5 euros for two beds with brolly per day but if you go down on afternoon he does not bother. There are some lovely Resturants and the meals are great we used the Kassandra which is just across the road and is family run with great menus all tried and tased. The two daughers Fani & Annita really look after you taking your orders and serving when ready. It is a very busy road. There are model train trips you can go on which take you into the countryside and the villages which are really enjoyable great for photos and camcorders last about 2 to 3 hours. All in all a nice hoilday. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olga Beach Studios & Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar september 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : kath rawlinson (66,59,58,53) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Apartments are very clean, spacious and well kept with a nice (but small) pool area. They are well situated near to all amenities. Whilst we were there the pool bar didn't open until 10 or 10.30 so there wasn't much chance of getting an early breakfast. Nikos, the barman, was polite but didn't strike us as particularly friendly. The apartments back straight on to the beach which was ideal if you are a beach lover. One word of warning; don't expect to be able to use your balcony much if you are in rooms 10 or 11.They look out over the main road and the traffic is ceaseless and very noisy. It makes sitting on the balcony having a drink very similar to sitting by a motorway. Lotto's and Romeo's served very good food with good service and good prices. The Kiss Bar was a nice relaxing place for a drink after your meal. If you want to get around the bus service is very good and cheap. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olga Studios - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Graham Helen Steph Tom Alls - Nottingham 43, 41, 14, 11 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Opinion: The apartments were excellent. We couldn't fault the service or the friendliness of the people. The rooms were cleaned every day and to a good standard. The pool bar served excellent but basic food. The location was perfect, it was right on the beach front. We had an apartment for 4 and the children had their own room and bathroom which was a godsend. We were on the ground floor and it was a great location as you came off our balcony you were at the pool, then the bar and then the beach. The sea was clear and the beach was clean. We also went into Chania which is well worth the visit. With Kosmar we went to the waterpark which is great fun and a great day out. All in all this holiday was excellent we had no problems what so ever, except for the flight (thats another story!!!)it is well worth the visit for the excellent location and friendly people. Admittedly the main road was busy, but once you walked up into the old village - silence reigned. There are some lovely restaurants up there, we couldn't complain about any of them. There are also several restaurants on the beach front which were good and a lot cooler. The cake from the bakery is a must. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olga Studios - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar - August 2005 Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Mike Helliwell - Exeter (59, 55, 25) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: The studios are directly on the beach, very clean and spacious with a good bar and pool. They lack any reception area except the car hire office and have no parking facility if you hire a car. You can park on the main road fairly easily even in August. The resort is a busy main road, not easy to cross at times and the footways are narrow and very rough in places. Pushing a pram or if you are disabled would be a nightmare. The restaurants are good and cheap, the best food we found was at Pirgos, nearly in Platanios but worth the walk. We walked the Samaria Gorge and my legs still ache. Do not try the Samaria Easy trip as those that did found it impossible in the midday heat (you walk in from the bottom end as far as you can get, its about an hours hike to the really spectacular bit and then an hour back all in the open sun). Hire a car to see the best of the island. Cretan drivers are a bit wayward and excitable, some of the mountain roads are a challenge and road signs and markings are rare but away from the towns the roads are fairly quiet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olga Beach Studios & Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar, May 2005 Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Alan & Pam Dean 55 N.W .Leics. Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Suffice to say, This accomodation should remain a Well-kept secret.Their location and maintainance is excellent! We used a different Restauraunt every night,they were all Good. We also managed the Samaria Gorge, well you have to, after the first few K's,turning back is not a viable option due to the rapid desent of the path/steps.Not really a walk, more a Clamber.V. exhillerating and a wonderful sense of achievment.Nay relief,our leg muscles took 3 days to stop reminding us of what we'd put them thro'.Maybe a bit heavy to pack, but, sturdy boots are a MUST.as is sure footedness. The only way out if injured, is by Donkey. Also, try one of the trips on a little Dotto train, many to choose from. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Olga Beach Studios & Apartments - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Kosmar Discounts) Kosmar-june 2004 Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Gemma Wootton, Joshua Spendelow (20,21) Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: These apartments are lovely!They are right on the beach and have their own pool. They are quite new and even have shower cubicles!!!(rare in greece). The rooms are really spacious too with high ceilings. There is a pool bar with a big tv and which sells very cheap drinks!The people are very friendly too and the maid comes in every day except sunday. The resort of Aghia Marina is very nice. It has lots of tavernas and souvenier shops. However, for a couple of our age, we thought the bars were quite rubbish but we walked into the next resort (platanias) which is about 15-20 minutes away where we found several nice bars ranging from chilled out cafes to lively discos.So, staying in aghia marina meant we had the best of both worlds-a lovely apartment right on the beach within walking distance from some great bars! I would also recommend a trip to limnoupolis waterpark!its great-for 15 euros each (about £10 each) a train will take you from the resort through the lovely orange trees to the waterpark. It's got loads of slides, a big pool and a lazy river and is an absolute must! One thing I would say about aghia marina is dont take travellers cheques! Not only did we pay £13.50 commission on £900 here in england but once over there we paid £1 commission on every £50 we changed!There are loads of cash machines in the resort and there's one actually at the olga studios which is really convenient. Also there are safety deposit boxes in the room which you can rent. I would definitely recommend these apartments and this resort! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palomas Studios - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic-=Spetember 2005 Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Michael Duckhouse. Christine Duckhouse Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: The POLOMAS STUDIO'S are on the main coast road that runs from Chania at Aghia Marina. They are set a little way back from the immediate road amongst well tended and laid out gardens.The beach is just over the road. Each studio has a kitchen area, air conditioning and a TV (with over 20 stations), also a safety deposit box is in every room. The bedding and towels were changed twice weekly and the studios were cleaned thrice weekly. Dimitri the owner (also a farmer) has a vegetable plot behind the studios, so is often around if you have a problem.Though they do not live on site. There are a number of mini markets close to hand (one just over the road), for the essentials such as water. For gift shopping you'll need to go into Chania or along to Platanias(walk or bus)for a reasonable selection. There are a large number of places to eat in the vicinity. Please note that I do not call them Tavernas though. The only true Greek Taverna that is close by is THE PARALIA which is just over the road. This offers a good selection of Greek meals with good cheerful service and a high standard. If Pizza is your choice of food or snitzel, both are in plentiful supply at other eateries. Otherwise apart from the Paralia, you will need to walk up into the old village for traditional Greek Tavernas, which is a reasonable walk away. The bus stop into Chania is just a couple of minutes walk away and the return bus stops opposite the studios.When you return from Chania by bus, you must buy your ticket before getting on the bus. Then listened carefully for the bus number to announced and then its a free for all. Although it was an experience its not one I'd wish to repeat. Standing for the short journey was no joke when you have a disability. We'd recommend hiring a car to get around providing you are not nervous about driving on what in some places are very narrow roads. The roads in the main are of a good quality. The "new" National Road that runs down the length of the island is the best way to travel any distance, dropping off onto the local roads when nearing your destination. Petrol stations are plentiful on the island. Its really only when you get off the beaten track that you start to find the real Crete. Unfortunately tourism seems to be causing some areas of the island to forget that its Greek, which is a great shame. We go to Greece because we love Greece and the Greeks. Not to find German and Italian cooking being rammed at us constantly! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Romantza - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Olympic Direct) Olympic-AUGUST 04 Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Anon-Essex -37.38, 13,16 Resort Rating: Excellent Accommodation Rating: Very Good My/Our Holiday Review: Couldnt find much info about Hotel, but was pleasently surprised, basic but cleaned every day, Georgios and his family were very friendly, food was v good. Balcony overlooking pool. Beach just a 2 min walk down the road and across the main roadwhich was not overly busy(we went in August)plenty of sunbeds at a reasonable price. The beach sellers come along every day fantastic basket of mixed friut for just 5 euros and the donuts are fab. Lots of great restaurants and food excellent. The best restaurant we found was a 3 min walk towards Plantanis called 'Troulakis' on the beach front(they have apartments too) we went there for quite a few meals and got to know Costos the owners nephew quite well they were all so friendly nothing was too much trouble, our daughter is vegetarian and they would adapt almost any dish she asked for.We were always given an after meal drink and a taste of different deserts free, we had our favourite table over looking the beach if someone else was sitting there Costos would set up another one for us. The greek peolpe are so friendly nothing at all is too much trouble. The weather was fantastic. The greek peolpe dont eat until quite late but once you get into the routine its quite nice, they take their time too very relaxed not rushed, they give you time to finish your starter before bringing your main meal etc.The waterpark was fantastic spent a whole day there at a reasonable price, the war cemetarys were very moving. We hired a car this was reasonably priced, nice to be able to make your own way around the island. Elefanosi beach is a must it was fab very large beach not too deep, amazing views. The road to it had us hanging onto the car doors as its quite nerve racking at times, again the views are fabulous, we stopped at one of the lay-bys where locals were selling Olive Oil it was gorgeous, also Honey i have never tasted anything like it (i dont eat it normally) but this was fantastic wish i had bought more,(we plan to go back and stock up on Olive Oil and local honey!!! Most of our time was spent on the beach sunbathing and snorkelling, so it was very relaxing. We will definately go back.EXCELLENT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Santa Marina Beach Hotel - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Manos Direct) Manos-June 2006 Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : ages 51,50 Resort Rating: Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: Rooms ok,cleaned daily air conditioning useless.Food bland,it was better to get a voucher for Lunch from the reception and eat out in the evening.The only place we have ever been where you had to BUY water to have with the evening meal(2.70 euros a bottle)Two large beers 8 euros,pop 2.5 euros,coffee 2.7 euros.Bakery 100yds down the road beer 1 euro.Staff in restaurant seemed to have been imported from Spain they were that miserable.Nice pool,nice beach,comfy seats.Approx 100 steps from the room to reception(and the same going back) I would certainly stick to self catering in future.If you are an early riser do not forget your travel kettle or pay 2 euros for a can of pop out of the fridge in the room(1.3 for a small bottle of water).The hotel is about 1km from the centre of Aghia Marina which is quite nice once you;ve dodged the cars walking up on a night.All I can say about the evening meals is they were slightly warmer than the ice cream but improved when the main man was around. All in all in my opinion and others we spoke to a waste of hard earned money!!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Santa Marina Plaza - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: Argo May 2007 Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : P& M Jones 60-62 Resort Rating: Below Average Accommodation Rating: Average My/Our Holiday Review: Having read previous reports from last year we decided to book one week as part of a two week holiday,paying the extra for sea view etc,thinking they would have got their act together this year!But oh no,on arrival the UK guests where informed by the manager that"could we help him out as he had a problem"this turned out to be his regular change over day speel,it was to ensure the dungeon rooms would be taken up by us for two and a half days till the next group of other nationals arrived,they took our dungeon rooms,and we took the sea view rooms of the leaving guests,I think a cunning way to ensure the use of these dungeon rooms,dirty bedding,damp pillows and much more which we will not bore you with,even the reps could not find an emtpty room,so this sems to be the way they ensure full occupancy, be very aware,other nationals said they intended to register their complaints in the UK,so come on fellow cave dwellers lets hear your version --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Santa Marina Plaza - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: Argo - September 2006 Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Trevor Barker (64, 62, 67, 60) Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Good My/Our Holiday Review: Hotel overbooked on arrival and two of our party had to stay the first night in alternate accommodation. The Santa Marina Plaza is a good clean hotel with large clean rooms in a good beachside location.Unfortunately the food in the restaurant, particularly at dinner and to a lesser degree at breakfast, was very poor. Would recommend the hotel on a bed only basis but not if food is included in the package price. The hotel advertises itself as 5 star which it most definitely is not. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Santa Marina Plaza - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Libra Discounts) Libra Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Ron Piper - Lancs 53 Resort Rating: Very Good Accommodation Rating: No rating My/Our Holiday Review: Would love to have stayed at this hotel having booked it for our 14 day holiday in October 2005 for May 7th 2006. Hotel only has 49 rooms but we were OVERBOOKED on arrival in Crete and were allocated the sister hotel Grand Bay View miles from anywhere. It seemed very convenient that this hotel had rooms available! According to our rep, this is a commom occurrence with this hotel so be wary when booking it, you may not get what you wanted. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Villa Giorgio - Aghia Marina Operator and Date: (Golden Sun Discounts) Golden Sun - June 2004 Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Dave Butterfield - Wakefield, 36,42,7 Resort Rating: Good Accommodation Rating: Excellent My/Our Holiday Review: First thing, as you hopefully are aware, these apartments are up a hill, its not the steepest, nor the longest but its is a hill and a five minute walk down to the busy main road. For us it wasnt a problem at all and we dont claim to be the fittest people around! The effect though is that you are in a peaceful location and if you should be lucky enough to be in apartment 16 as we were, then you have two balconies, permanantly in the sun with fantastic views over the village and the bay. Around 5pm you may see the Dolphins playing in the bay as we did, a pair of binoculars are recommended!. The apartments are basic but clean and the friendly owner Giorgio who lives on site is very kean to ensure you have all you need. Its perhaps 2 minutes half way down the hill to either of two mini-markets, or 5 down to the main road an all that is there. The apartments are at the start of the village and the main shops, markets, restaraunts are all across to the left. Better though is to come down the hill, take the first left and follow that road through, it brings you into the old town of Agia Marina. In our experience it is impossible to have a bad meal anywhere in the old village, and you are spolit for choice. Typically a main course plus a dessert for us 3 plus a couple of beers for the adults and a couple of cokes for our son came to a little over £20. Then you have the Cretan hospitality that means they will bring you another sweet and a glass or maybe small bottle of either Raki or Ouzo on the house! If you have small children then they will be very well treated and we found generally a better selection of kids meals was in the old town too. If you walk down to the main road there are many more places to eat and drink but often the noise from the road spoils the nice setting many of them have. The standard varies here too, nothing was poor, everything was acceptable but we did feel it was more of a gamble. Particular mention to Lottos which advertises itself as a Pizza place but does so much more, a fantastic menu and the best selection of desserts we have seen, You might have seen differeing reports of the beaches in Agia Marina, thats becuase there are two distinctly different beaches. Come out of your aprtment, head straight down the hill, across the road and down the side of the Alexandra Hotel, here you will find the best beach, very clean and fine sand, clear green/blue sea which stay no more the 5 ft deep for quite some way out. Agia Marina is not the prettiest town, so I really woudl suggest getting out and a bout. The bus stop is at the bottom of the hill and will take you into Chania (about 15mins away), they run until midnight and so you can go there just for the evening if you choose, Its a pretty harbour, lots of restaurants along the front, the better ones though - and the ones that dont hassle you are in the streets behind. The maritime museum is worth a look, its cheap too. Those with kids may get pestered to go on the Little Red Train that runs from alongside the museum, dont! Its an appalling route and a waste of money, choose one of the many routes out of Agia Marina and its neighbour Platanias. If you are driving into Chania, free parking can be had behind the museum. To get further afield I would suggest a car, Rethymnon is up to an hour away on the national road and again has a pretty harbour, some interesting boat trips for the kids, a fortress too that my son enjoyed tearing about all over. Plenty of parking again free behind and alongside the fortress. Go for another hour along the national road to Iraklion, the capital and also the turn off for Knossos, the very important and interesting Minion excavation. Parking there is free and entry was 6 euros each, our son was free. Get yourself a guide book before you go in and make your own way round or else use one of the guides who seem to charge 5-6 euros per person. Its a very exposed, very hot site with no refreshment facilities (although there are several outside) so bear that in mind. Iraklion is the capital and it shows, it has more of a modern feel but is a an interesting look at modern crete, again park for free along the harbour front. We had no complaints about the accomodation, location or facilities and have no hesitation in recommending Villa Giorgio as long as you note the hill! As for Golden Sun, cant comment, the booking was ok, the rep on the coach transfer sounded bored and scripted other than that had no cause for them.
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