Latest Reviews for Platanias

The apartments are actually in Aghia Paraskevi. The whole island is beautiful!

The Marialena apartments are the best in terms of quality that we've had in our 8 years of going to Skiathos but they are also the ones with the least atmosphere. The location is over a kilometer from the road let alone the beaches etc. The prices on the complex are very high and the owners not the most welcoming! Find somewhere with lesser quality accommodation that has the usual Skiathos cheer - don't stay here unless your first priority is quality of the room. The beds are also very hard!

Situated 5 minutes walk up a concrete track in a quiet location the 12 studios are basic but they and the grounds are kept immaculate with the never crowded pool cleaned every day. Very friendly owners who live on site.Good Tavernas along the track like Alvi good home cooked food also Pegasus, good pizzas, also don't ignore Calma which is located a bit further up the track, smart with good food and service.Several more Tavernas along the main road.Skiathos town really buzzes at night which was the best time to go as it was very hot and tiring in the day, it went up to 40c when i was there.

The beaches are some of the best I've been to in the Greek islands, great for snorkeling especially Little Banana, very quiet and relaxing and teeming with fish, take some bread to feed them and you will be surrounded by them.The buses run about every 20 minutes but can get crowded at times but it was all good fun,the hardest part being getting off at your stop when they were packed.They even have conductors when they're busy.It's worth going on the boat trip to Scopelos and Alonissos.I plan to return to Skiathos and Paschalis studios next year as i really enjoyed my stay there.

Jimmys Studios and Pool Platanias Skiathos.
Skiathos is a very nice small Greek Island, generally quite with the only large town being Skiathos town.

Platanias is a fairly small resort but there's plenty of Tavernas to go at and 3 local supermarkets.
We found the best Greek food was served at the Pagasus Taverna and Maistrali Taverna,also the kabin next to Jimmys makes a very tasty chicken souvlaki pitta at a extremely reasonable 2 euros!

Bus's run every half hour or so, its about 20 mins to Skiathos town and around 10 mins to the other end of the island.
Jimmys is set up a lane almost out of traffic noise approx 5 mins from the middle of the resort.

Jimmys studios are run by Demtris and his parents, Its an small set of older appartments set out in a very nice garden, all the balconays seem to look over this garden and its a great place to enjoy a few beers. The supermarkets are within easy walking distance, even with a six pack of water and half a dozen bottles of Mythos.

The appartments are fairly spacious, the beds not too bad and the bathroom even had a shower curtain. The cleaner came in every day except sunday , towels were changed twice a week. However, the towels were rather small, only one loo roll was provided over 2 weeks and overall the appartment was not the cleanest one Ive ever stayed in. Also in my opinion there was a couple of maintainance issues that should have been sorted pre season.

Overall it was a nice stay in Skiathos and I wouldn't let the little niggles stop me from staying at Jimmys again.

Firstly, the resort is variously known as Platanias or Achladies, and the beach is sometimes called Ag Paraskevi. To avoid confusion, this resort is next to Troulos, on the main road from Skiathos Town to Koukanaries.

The Vasso studios are in a block of 12, (inc one apartment), each with their own balconies, and good sized pool. They are 'old Greek' style, with the usual basic two rings for cooking. Our studio consisted of one room containing twin beds, wardrobe, drawers etc, kitchen area of sink, cooking rings, cupboard and shelving; plus separate bathroom of loo, sink and hand held shower, (no curtain).
Note: only HAND towels are provided so you need to take both beach and bath towels with you.

The owner lives on the ground floor, speaks excellent English and is very friendly and helpful. He does all the cleaning etc, and the rooms are spotless. He also has fans available to hire - approx 20 euros per week.

The studios are in a very quiet position, with (I think) only one other block of studios slightly further up the lane. The most noise you'll hear is from the various cockerels, sheep, donkeys and dogs, but we were not disturbed.
This is definitely suited to those looking for peace and quiet - if you want a lively pool bar then this is not for you.
The studios are set in gardens, and the swimming pool is crystal clear. (Don't be put off by some of the brochure pictures where the water looks green - it's just that the pool walls/floor are a speckled pale green rather than the usual flat turquoise). Depth approx 1 mtr to 2 mtrs, with shelf type steps in the shallow end, and one large shelf that you can sit on in the deep end. There is also a small paddling pool adjoining.

It takes about 15 minutes at a gentle pace to get to the main road from the studios, (about 1km). The walk is mainly flat, with one sharp rise, a bit like a hump back bridge, where another lane joins. All but the last 20 yards or so is lit at night, but you may want to take a torch. There are several blocks of studios set along the length of the lane, with the nearest mini market and taverna approximately 5 mins walk. The rest of the tavernas and minimarkets are near/on the main road.

We found that the Avli (on the 'hump')was a nice place to eat and went there several times. Also the Pegasus was fine, (and they do takeaway Pizza of you're desperate!) However we thought that Troulos had a much better selection of Tavernas (especially the Eden),and Mini markets. Main meals are around 6 to 9 euros, with salads at 3 - 5 euros.

The bus stops are at the end of the lane, on the main road, and from here you can travel along the coast and access all of the other beaches by a (usually) short walk. (We had wondered why all of the maps etc referred only to bus stops when giving directions, but we soon realised that there is no other way of finding anything!) The main road is quite busy and there are no pavements at all, so you do need to be aware all the time, and be especially careful to keep an eye on the kids.

We hired a car from Victoria Rentals in Troulos - you can get their number from the advertising board just down the lane from the studios. Very helpful and friendly, they speak very good English, and deliver the car to you. (This is also the firm that Olympic use if you book through the rep). I would recommend a jeep if you are intending to leave the main road as most of the tracks are rutted / dirt.
This is definitely a beach lovers island as there is absolutely nothing else to do. If you were very determined you could spend half a day wandering round Skiathos Town but that's about it! (There is a public loo on the Bourtzi - the 'island' on the harbour - if you like to know these things!)

Most of the beaches have a taverna or two for refreshments, and many also have watersports hire. We did find that the sun lounger hire was expensive - two loungers and an umbrella was 8 euros a day on all of the beaches, which soon adds up. Of course you don't have to hire them, but on some of the beaches there was limited 'towel room'. The beaches are almost all gently shelving sand, with rocks at either end. Very good for snorkelling, but it's also so clear that you can just stand in the water and watch the fish swim past.
We had a really good relaxing holiday, (even though the weather wasn't brilliant!)

We stayed at the Paschalias studios and we couldnt have made a better choice in our opinion.
The appartments were set in very peaceful, secluded gardens with a lovely pool which we enjoyed all week mostly to ourselves!
The rooms were basic but very clean and everyting worked. Only downside is the water ran through clay which gave it a very high mineral content and could stain anything white which you want to wash out.
Also the owner (who we nicknamed mumma Greek!) was very entertaining!

Next door to our appartments were Jimmy's studios, they had a pool bar run by a young man called ";Dimitris"; who went out of his way to do anything for us. He was a brilliant host and some of the other guests returned year after year all because of him! Its a brilliant way to chill out at the end of the evening before returning to our appartments which really were a stones through away.

We hired a car all week so had no problems getting arround the island, although everyone was very positive about its public transport. There is only one main road which a bus runs from one end to the other on so everything is accessable by anyone. To drive from Skiathos town all along the road through the resorts to Bannana beech at the end took about 45-50 mins.

We hired a speed boat from Platanias beech water sports centre and would recommend this to anyone! We had it from 10am till 5pm, we had lots of training and they really knew what they were doing, we took it over to Tsougria and Argos (no, not the shop!).
This was a great day out and we all said it was the best day, make sure you take plenty of sun cream though as the sun beats down on you in the boat and obviously you have no shade.

I was pleasantly surprised with the accomodation after reading previous reviews. Yes it is 1980s accomodation and with fixtures and fittings to match. However, it was all functionable and spacious, we spend limited time in the apartment. The pool bar was fairly noisy but if you closed your doors and windows there was limited sound. In general the sound died around 12.30. The cleaning of the apartments was disappointing, twice a week.

The tavernas were, in general, not as good as I have experienced on other islands. The Mistrali and Platinas were good the best was the taverna diagonally opposite Platinas (name I cannot remember but you cannot miss). In Skiathos town there was an excellent taverna at the very top of the tourist street (you cannot miss this street) and straight across the road.

The beach closest to Marias we found good.

As others have remarked regarding the rep, I thought had a lack of interest and limited local knowledge but then again we didn't book any tours!

The holiday as a whole was very relaxing and enjoyable. Skiathos is well worth a visit.

This might seem rather odd but I am adding a review prior to going on holiday to Skiathos. I was rather concerned about the number of references to the airport and the landing/taking off experience, which had rather frightened me, as a nervous flyer.

Having double-checked with my airline I can reassure other future visitors to the island that not every single airline refuels at Thessolonika (which would involve two take-offs and landings in approximately half an hour) and indeed Excel, with whom we are flying, does not. Furthermore, reports of terrifying, G-force-defying landings and take-offs have been largely dismissed as myth-mongering by many I have spoken to, who have flown to the island in previous years. Runways are necessarily short on small islands and indeed I am told that Madeira is, for example, notoriously short but does not cause problems for passengers.

I checked it out because having been terribly alarmed at what I read I could not understand why the tour operator had not given me this information themselves. I now have a more balanced perspective and hope to be able to post a wonderful review upon my return from Skiathos at the end of August. The information people have provided about buses, taxis, beaches, insects etc., is very helpful.

This was our first visit to Skiathos and ";WOW"; we were not disappointed... We flew with ";First Choice"; airline and found them to be very well organised, both at Manchester and in Skiathos. We would certainly fly with first choice again and would recommend them... FANTASTIC..!!

Upon arrival at our appartment ";The Marialena Village";, we were greeted with the warmest welcome by the owner George and his nephew Simon.... We were taken to our room by George who showed us around and explained how all the amendities worked.. The appartment was absolutely fabulous... relatively new with a fitted kitchen, fitted wardrobes and air conditioning... FANTASTIC..!!

The owner George and his family (Maria - his wife, Lena - his daughter, Harry - his grandson, Grandma, and his son-in-law who looks like Figo (Portuguese Footballer)) were very warm and welcoming, giving a personal service at all times. However, the main charactor in this family was George's Nephew SIMON... this young man is the barman and an absolute star..!! he remembers everybody's name, he is extremely approachable and friendly, he will do anything for you to ensure that you have a perfect holiday.... anything from changing the menu to suit your needs to throwing together mind blowing cocktails.. he is very informative on food, cocktails, music and places to go.. He always has a smile on his face, from dawn till dusk.. FANTASTIC..!!

During our stay we hired a 4x4 jeep (130 Euro for 4 days) and headed off to explore the Island.. We hit all of the south coast resorts and then headed to the north side of the Island via the Mountains... believe me, this is not a trek for the faint hearted as the roads up and down the mountains are very steep and narrow, but with breath taking views... FANTASTIC..!!

The Island of Skiathos is very laid back and peaceful. It offers a range of traditional greek night life with very little british influence i.e. loud bars and clubs.... great for couples wanting to chill... FANTASTIC..!!

The beaches on the Island are in abundance. As we hired a car we must have visited around 12 different beaches in 3 days and snorkled on all of them, we thoroughly recommend you buy snorkling gear as the sights we experienced under the sea were awesome... The best beaches for snorkling were Aghia Paraseki and the little Banana Beach (nudist) at Koukounaries.. FANTASTIC..!!

Our visit to Skialthos was definately a memorable one, and has been our best holiday so far....

A Beautiful combination, ";Skialthos"; and ";The Marialena Village";... PERFECT..!!

11 out of 10..!! FANTASTIC..!!

Stay at the ";Marialena Village";, we guarantee that you will not be disappointed.. FANTASTIC..!!

Hi, came here in June of last year with my boyfriend. The accommodation was how it was described in the brochure, altho the pool was smaller than the photo once you were in it was quite big!
Our room was very clean and maid service was frequent. The kitchen was basic but that was to be expected in the studio!
They have a great location for the beach, which is just over the road but may not be great for those with young children as the road is busy!

Overall the restaurants are nice, and is the beach is lovely. It is very hot also!
The studios are right near the bus stop and a few shops for all your basic needs. The bus stop is great for nights out into skiathos town and to get to the large supermarket (air conditioned!!).
I would definately reccommend skiathos to anyone, and also these apartments.

jimmys was dirty,dated and discusting.these apartments are the worst that i have stayed in over 25 years off travel.beds dirty,pillows mouldy,apartments unclean , and building work going on outside all day,traffic noise all day and night ,picture incorrect in 2004 broucher ?it his house ?so dont be misslead.grotty apartments at the back .

but above all this skiathos is the one to go to.every bus stop has a new venture ,beach or tavernas, shops, bars,realy good. tips .bus stop 3 supermarket cheaper than anywhere else on the island go there.bus stop 26 georges taverna, bus stop 15. infinity blue very good.bus stop 16.alvi,platanias bar,green park.just go and enjoy .

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