San Stefanos Review

[John15]

Just returned from our holiday to San Stefanos and I can see why so many people return year after year.

Accommodation - Rose Garden
Excellent first week, just as expected, peaceful and relaxing, second week not so peaceful. As the Rose Garden is so popular, several members of a large family group unable to book here (staying in Barras, Thomas Bay etc.) descended on the Rose Garden to use their pool and bar. I know that this is the norm for some regulars but it did disrupt our stay. No problem with the adults who we got on with very well but their children were very noisy in the pool on occasion. 

Kiki and Yiannis are excellent hosts along with their extended family who all help around the place. Lunches were very good - I can recommend the Tuna Salad and Mythos. Room was better than a lot of places we have been to before with a great view. Greek night BBQ was very good but avoided the second week for the same reason as above.

Eating out
We tended to stick to the older part of the village, eating at Olympia, O Manthos, Two Stars, Summer Dream, Fantasea and Yiannis Grill (the one near 3 W's Bar) Our favourites of these were the Olympia and Fantasea. I had the biggest pork chop ever one night in Fantasea and a huge T-bone steak on another visit.

Bars
We started out visiting El Greco's before our meal but as we started to venture further we soon changed to the Summer Dream - great service, friendly staff and comfortable seating.

All in all a great holiday and we will probably return some time in the future, we are still looking at other Greek islands but have started to revisit our favourite destinations (Kefalonia earlier this year and Thassos is already booked for July 2014).

I would like to thank all members of this site for their useful knowledge and helpful tips and advice.  Have great summer!

John

[Jules]

Thanks for your holiday review John15. Glad you had some lovely meals out. Olympia is a favourite of ours so always glad to hear that others also enjoy it. 

[cabmufc]

Great to read good reviews about our favourite holiday destination..we too decided to try somewhere different this year and went to Parga.As nice as it was it didnt have that something that San Stefanos has and thats why we have booked to come back "home" in August next year!!..already planning my itinary!!,,sad isnt it..but its the only thing that keeps me going to cope with that thing called life!!

[debra]

just read an article in the newspaper that says that the looking forward to and planning a holiday is psychologically better for us than the actual holiday!!

[cabmufc]

just read an article in the newspaper that says that the looking forward to and planning a holiday is psychologically better for us than the actual holiday!!

Oh so true Debra!!....Went to Parga this year and I spent so much time You Tubing and surfing all things Parga for nearly a year that when the real thing finally came it was not exactly a letdown but I felt that I had done it all already!!..Although I have done San Stefanos a few times before,next year will so much different because I realise what I missed out on this year!!

[Rod]

just read an article in the newspaper that says that the looking forward to and planning a holiday is psychologically better for us than the actual holiday!!

The wife and I are going to Lagos in the Algarve next week and I just can't get "up for it" as I usually do with San Stefanos.  I can't really explain it.  We have been to this resort many years ago and it is lovely but I'm not getting that buzz that I do with my Greek islands.   

[Andrew]

 I know what you mean Rod last year we went to Menorca and in January this year we went to Tenerife for a bit of winter sun they are both very nice but they are not Greece .

[Jimbo]

Parga has some wonderful trips around it: Dodona, the oldest Greek theatre; Ioannina - lovely lakeside town; the (misnamed) river Styx (actually Acheron); the high cliff from which the Souliote women threw themselves and their children to avoid capture by the Turks... and so on. In fact the whole of Epirus is almost a magic kingdom.

[cabmufc]

Parga has some wonderful trips around it: Dodona, the oldest Greek theatre; Ioannina - lovely lakeside town; the (misnamed) river Styx (actually Acheron); the high cliff from which the Souliote women threw themselves and their children to avoid capture by the Turks... and so on. In fact the whole of Epirus is almost a magic kingdom.

I know Jimbo.......but its not San Stef!!!....Remember you from Romanza in 2007 as well as a quick hello when we were leaving and you were arriving a year later!!