Help! Little fishing village, near to beach, not touristy - help me find the holy grail!

[ExistentialThreat]

Me, 46, grumpy, tired. Likes: culture, being warm, peace, little cafes, walking, off the beaten track. Dislikes: crowds, all-day-breakfast type of places, resorts, everyone being English, tourist traps
DH, 47, grumpy, tired: Likes: not having to drive anywhere, having a quiet beer, tasty food. Dislikes: tourist traps, other people
DD, 6: Likes: swimming, exploring. Dislikes: 'forced fun' (holiday clubs etc)

We would like a direct, low cost flight (3.5 hours max); a place to find an AirBnB or similar (self catering not hotel); with a pool - guarenteed sun.

Budget is an issue - looking for somwhere pretty cheap on the ground.

Last year we went to Marrakesh and had a great time. Looking for something else this year.

I'm going round in circles looking at Morocco, Montenegro, Greexe, Turkey. Can anyone help?!

Hotel Philoxenia on the island of Paros. Doesn’t tick your box of self catering but it is a quiet family run hotel and it is bliss.

Clovelly

In Devon

Look at northern Spain, beaches are amazing, food is fab and the tourists are mainly Spanish. Obv is a big area but west coast of Galicia usually warmer (though I’ve had fab weather in many different parts in the summer). Llanes in Asturias is particularly lovely. The Basque Country has a v good reputation for food. San Sebastián is amazing but poss a bit big for what you are after

Olhos de agua Portugal?

Brac Island Croatia, ds went last summer & said it was deserted, they had a lovely week, gorgeous hotel, they stayed at the Gava Milna Waterman resort.

@Nat6999 that’s a good call as is Hvar - strange as when I went in July it was packed - quite uncomfortably packed - only thing about Croatia is that I thought food wasn’t great and pretty expensive too - certainly compared to Greece,

If you want VERY cheap look at North Macedonia

Thanks all! North Macedonia is a very interesting thought @SapporoBaby - I visited there Skopje many years ago and loved it - maybe next year!

Thanks to @Crikeyalmighty we have now booked a week in Skopelos. I would never have found it without your recommendation! If you have any insight into tips etc please do let me know.

Love Mumsnet for its intelligent hive mind!!

@ExistentialThreat did you book the place I suggested? I haven’t stayed there but I did check through the reviews and previewed a few weeks on prices and thought it looked a cracking rustic place for the money . And I was very aware you were on a budget - will post some tips later so check back!! Do go to skiathos though whilst there - an easy trip and whilst touristy and will be busy ( if you are going in summer) is very very nice.

I understand Hvar is known as a ‘party island’, popular with youngsters due to the night life !

Musselburgh fits the brief.

Lots of lovely places that would fit your criteria not far from Kalamata in Greece. We went a couple of years ago with a 6 year old and got a great mix of beach and culture so suited us all. And there were very few tourists. We went up ancient Messini one day and there were only about 10 other people on the whole site. In July!

Kassiopi Corfu. Touristy but not tacky. Beautiful harbour, lovely beaches and tavernas serving quality food. Hire a boat and explore. Not a full English anywhere. You can get the bus direct from the airport.
Booking dot com has lots of accommodation but make sure you stay right in centre of town (it's not loud or busy I promise) - otherwise you will be walking back to your accommodation after a lovely evening meal down a busy unlit road with no pavement after dark.

Soller village. Mallorca.
get a flight to palma. Then get a cab to palma-Soller to train station. Heaven on earth. 30 mins to palma, 15 mins on tram to puerto Soller if you feel like a beach day.
real old fashioned beautiful Spain. Saturday market. No English breakfast or Irish bars.
Ruins gorgeous

Skopelos is lovely, you'll enjoy it I'm sure. Glossa, a hilltop village at the north end of the island, is worth a visit. Very characterful and has some nice restaurants with a great elevated view over the sea and neighbouring islands. The Mamma Mia chapel (Agios Ioannis) is near there on a stunning bit of coastline.

So many lovely ideas here! I am saving this.
We went to Bol on Brac island Croatia last summer. We went in the first week of July though and whilst it was busy, it was not thronged as it would be from mid July. We had an air bnb right on the beach. Loved it. It was very hot though.

Albania.. Simon Calder the holiday expert can't recommend it enough.
Fly to Corfu.. Ferry to Albania.
Ticks all your boxes.

A Croatian island. Last year we stayed on Sipan and it was the best holiday I have ever had. Can't sit to return. Air BnB, a few local restaurants, amazing water to swim, other islands to visit if you wish, not touristy at all. Heaven.

@Moier it’s interesting - we’ve got a guy in our city who is Albanian but owns a bunch of Italian restaurants- and to be honest the food is absolutely excellent at all the places - now my favourite Italian cafe owner ( who is Sicilian) told me that a great many Albanians train in Italy and hence are great with Italian food- so I suspect you can probably get really good Italian food in Albania-

Guaranteed sun in Musselburgh??

I'm on.

Have a look at Skala Kalloni on Lesvos (Lesbos). It’s a fishing village with half a dozen low rise hotels, away from the beach, and half a dozen tavernas. There’s a long sandy beach and as it’s on a gulf, it’s like swimming in a warm, salty lake with no currents - you could walk out a long way, and the sea is still only up to your shoulders! There’s a couple of village shops, two bakeries and possibly a new mini supermarket close to the town square. There’s a cafe and an ice cream parlour also on the town square. It’s like being in the 1950s!

In the summer, Jet 2 do direct flights, around 4 hours, maybe a bit less. We have only stayed in three of the hotels, but we have seen self catering apartments, etc around.

We only go in April, May and September - then it’s mainly middle aged/elderly birdwatchers, who are not given to acting like archetypal British lager louts abroad. Consequently, the local people are friendly and remember us, from one year to the next.

Go last 2 weeks of August, it’ll br empty then and cheaper

We lived Fiskardo but didn't enjoy rest of Kefalonia. We were on a package in Lassi i think and escaped to Fiskardo for a couple of nights staying in room overlooking the harbour...it was stunning. I didn't realise it wasn't a Brit overrun area though. Probably as it's quite far from the airport.