Well I Can See Why You All Love Agios Stefanos

[Cheddar]

Hi All,

Just returned from Ag Stef (I posted earlier in the "Where To Eat Out" section as San (Ag) Stefanos Virgin), so thanks for all your advice and just out of curiosity, we ate the first night at Nasfika and were very pleased. Didn't have poor meal anywhere in our 10 nights and we had at least 7 Mezedes style meals, with a large jug of wine at most.

As a first timer to Ag Stefanos, the place grew on me as time went on. At first it was a tad too brash and British with a lack of smaller tavernas tucked around the back streets (if you kown what I mean) and all the bars seemed huge. But the sheer friendliness of everyone and I do mean everyone, won us over and we began to really like the evenings out, but funnily enough didn't eat or really drink along the "Condor Strip", but preferred the older part to drink and eat in (large Mythos on draught only 2 euros at the 3W Bar.

We loved the area around the resort and walked to Ag Georgios twice and had a scooter to get out and about for a week or so. Stopped three times (after a longish walk) at Erianas on the peninsular by the little church and loved the shade, the welcome, the chickens/ducks/geese etc and the lovely Eriana herself.

Overall we had a fantastic stay in Ag Stefanos and will definately return in a year or two - thankyou for all the sage advice and entertainment on this forum and enjoy your next holiday in Ag Stef !

[don]

Glad you enjoyed it. I can't put my finger on why I like it so much. The only thing I can say is after a couple og hours I "slot into the groove."

[debra]

It is funny really I know.  I too like the old part better - it has become more 'British' as the years have gone on - I used to love the sound og only Greek music everywhere.  So glad you enjoyed it.  My choice would have been Nafsika first.  Love Theodoras food.

[Sandra W]

Glad you enjoyed it. I can't put my finger on why I like it so much. The only thing I can say is after a couple of hours I "slot into the groove."

[Jimbo]

Fantastic beach with no road along the back of it - beautiful views out over the islands - very cheap compared to other places (try Paleo!) - and a real atmosphere of friendship. No twisty back streets but lots of flowers. It's a very relaxing place. The first time you go somewhere you're worried that it may be a nightmare - but when you go back to Ag Stef, within minutes you feel all that urban crap dissolving and you get hugged. 

[loftyscot]

Thanks Cheddar, you pretty much echoed what our family discovered in 2008. In three weeks time I know when we arrive there, I'll turn on the switch, and it will work. Glad you enjoyed it.

[sunshinegirl]

We will be returning to SS on the 8 July for two weeks.  This will be our second time as we visited last year in June and really enjoyed it. When we got home we felt as though we couldn't wait to get back and not had that feeling anywhere before as we dont normally return to the same place twice.  Anyway we cant wait to be there again but feel a little apprehensive as we enjoyed it so much last year and hope it will be the same this year. We will be staying at a different appartment than last year and the friends we met last year are actually out there now so hopefully we will make new friends.  We were with a great crowd last year and still keep in touch with them but you know when you visit somewhere again it doesnt seem to have the same feel about it so hopefully, fingers crossed, it will be just as good or if not better.  Will let you know how we get on.

[IrisG]

We had the same apprehensions, sunshinegirl,
but we actually enjoyed it more this June!
We're back again at the end of August, and have
already booked two weeks for next June.
Like you, we've never been back twice to the same place,
but this place is different. It casts a spell!!

[Denise]

Ooooh I can't wait to get there now. Come on August 19th!!!!!!

[debra]

JIMBO, you have written it just right.  The first time we visited Ag Stef - I was so relaxed I came home almst horizontal - nowhere else does that for me.  And the beauty - the sea, the surrounding villages and the beach...................it's not really hard to see why I always just want to reutn.

[helyou]

first went to ss in 1999, my kids were 12,14. it was the first holiday where i felt it was safe for them to go with new friends around a resort.
the local people are so friendly and always seemed to know where the kids were (there were about 8 or 10) going around ages from 8 to 15.
never once did i feel worried about them here.
used the athens bar as  my bar of choice, nikos and his cousin spiros were behind the bar, what a double act.
often left early hours, not drunk just relaxed and in great spirits.
this year is my sixth visit, my daughter and her kids are currently at the tsaros, she was more excited than the kids as she hasnt been for about 9 yrs.
every time we return and walk into the athens bar, nikos is full fuss of us, but everywhere we go people rcognise us from previous visits, its why i keep coming back, and will keep coming back.
the perfect place to de-stress. roll on the 21st

[Jules]

A perfect place to relax, unwind, chill and to make lots of new friends. We can never wait to get back again. Roll on September 2nd

[tonyco1]

Glad you enjoyed it. I can't put my finger on why I like it so much. The only thing I can say is after a couple og hours I "slot into the groove."

"OG" - Surely not a typo from the great wordsmith - Don!! - Jules keyboard strikes again, LOL

We all say it time and time again here, but we discovered it in '83 on our own, took the kids in '84, now taking the grown up kids, and the grand-kids this year,
to discover a great and safe resort, the friendliest in Greece! My son loves it as much as we do, and now takes his children as well,
Maybe they (the Grandchildren), will take their children one day too!!
We are not unique in this and many other families have done the same.

[Gavlah1973]

Must admit we fell in love with the place last year when we visited for the first time, especially the first class friendly service we received at the Romanza..........however.........I just could not keep returning to San Stef at the expense of other holidays. We would have returned here this year as our second holiday had our nephew not dragged us along to Protaras for his wedding in September!

If I only had the opportunity to go on one decent holiday a year then San Stef would probably be somewhere we would return to every 2nd/3rd year. I just believe the world is massive and life is too short! I want to cast my net as far afield and wide as I can. I went through a stage of returning to Correlejo In Fuerte every year when I was younger as I loved the chilled out surf dude vibe of the resort and the island however the minute I went to Greece I kicked myself for not trying it earlier.
I still have friends who, despite being in their late 30's, have never been to Greece!

Each to their own and I realise that in these times of economic difficulties then you probably want the safety net of guaranteed good value and knowing you'll have a good time but I feel that there will be other places out there that also offer the kind of holiday San Stef does!

My parents took me to St Ives in Cornwall every year when I was a kid and I appreciate that they couldn't have taken me on foreign hols but it would have been nice to have gone somewhere different!!!!

[don]

I admit to going to San Stefanos EVERY year but 4 or 5 times a year go to somewhere else. I would really miss seeing some really good friends if I didnt do this. For similar reasons I have to make regular returns to Tenerife. Just been looking back and surprised ourselves to see we have been to over 60 different resorts since our first trip overseas in 1982.