Help me find this resort (Greek Islands)

[thisist]

I’ve had a shocking few years. So bad it’s hard to fathom. I want to do a Shirley Valentine and visit one of the Greek Islands for a week in May, solo. I need rest and recovery, hot sun and glistening sea views.

I want to be very close to a sheltered beach with white sand and shallow turquoise water. I need a direct flight and I don’t want it to feel overcrowded in May. I plan to go for early morning walks, read by the pool and sit on the beach. Evenings will be spent at the accommodation - watching movies and sleeping early. I’ll take a couple of day trips. I don’t want to use public transport or hire a car if possible - I’d like everything to be walkable (happy to walk far and a lot). I need good breakfast and lunch spots, coffee shops, and a small supermarket. I don’t want to feel isolated so not a village - it does need to be a small town at least.

Does any of this ring a bell? I feel at home in the Greek Islands, but the ones I’ve been to actually haven’t had great beaches. I’m looking for a feeling of paradise and pure escapism.

Can anyone help? Thank you!

Crete is looking like a real possibility.

Skiathos and Corfu still very much on the radar. Can anyone recommend an area/town there that would suit me? People say these places are very healing.

ChatGPT says Elounda.

Love that! It certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

Kassiopi is lovely, a harbour town with a lovely feel. It does have beaches but they’re pebbly. Lots of trips by boat available and nice places to eat. San Stephanos has a nice sandy beach or you might like Kalami where the White House is. NE Corfu is just beautiful.

Roda in Corfu - a little slice of greek heaven

I've been 3 times now, it's my retreat from world. Below is Agni, hired a car and did a few local places in a day. It is the most beautiful little bay in Corfu, imo.

Roda keeps coming up online all the time. What’s it like? And do you recommend any particular places to stay for a single female? Would I need to hire a car or could I stay there for a week and walk places?

Anywhere in Roda is safe for lone female travellers, Roda Oasis is lovely, Nino's On the Beach , Roda beach resort all lovely.
You could stay in Roda all week and not need to go anywhere if you didn't want to. The village is beautiful, everyone knows everyone....gorgeous tavernas on the beach, buy a drink or a snack snd you can have a sunbed all day.

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I wouldn’t recommend Skiathos for what you’re looking for (but it is a lovely island!) There is only one town (Skiathos Town) and the beach there isn’t great. It’s near a road and it’s quite pebbly - there are amazing beaches in other parts of the island but you’d need to get a bus and all of the other areas are more resorts than towns, so they don’t have the choice of coffee shops etc that you’re looking for.
Good luck with the search, please come back and tell us where you go and what it was like!

Marking my spot as I’m incredibly drawn to Greece/Greek Islands and have never been! Desperate to go but am restricted to school holiday dates. This is a great thread - thanks OP and thanks everyone.

I first visited 30 years ago and was so lucky to island hop as a teen and experience the islands how they were then. I have memories I will cherish forever. It’s changed a lot unfortunately and it’s hard to find anywhere ‘unspoilt’. It was easy to find paradise and tranquility back then and the towns had just the right amount of hustle and busyness. Anywhere with a direct flight will be super busy in school hols, but don’t let me put you off. I still feel at home there and I prefer far more than Spain/France.

Thanks for the info, so helpful! This is what I’m finding tricky - it’s hard to find beautiful sandy beaches close to a town, they all seem to be out the way. You can’t have both. I love Rhodes town, both old and new and the familiarity of it would be good for me right now (I’ve been several times before) but their town beach isn’t what I’m after and I think I’d have to go much further south to get white sands.

Roda is very high on my list now, thanks. I’d hoped for somewhere closer to a town, but if I do go for a small resort this looks pretty good!

My friend goes here for complete rest and relaxation. She’s has incurable cancer and it’s her favourite go to get away from it all destination. I’ve visited it myself many years ago, it’s bliss.

Oh wow; that’s so good to know, thank you for posting.

We’re going back in June and I cannot wait.

It would be a compromise but the bus is the easiest public transport I have ever used. Its basically one road. There are some stunning beaches and lovely walks. Download the Skiathos trails app.

Where would you recommend staying in Skiathos? Any favourite areas?

Pefkos, Rhodes. Short taxi ride from Lindos if you want to go there for a wander/bit of shopping etc. The beach at Pefkos is really nice, much nicer than the one in Lindos imo. Lindos beach makes me feel a bit claustrophobic.
Symi is lovely for a relaxed day trip.

We loved Koukounaries. Furthest from Skiathos Town you can get but the bus does run to there

That's where i stay, but it is quiet. Amazing beaches with a walks through the forest.
I found the atmosphere in skiathos town magical on an evening and it was nice wandering round.

Koukounaries is quiet not much to do in an evening enough restaurants if you didn't want to travel out, the busses are good, but I would want to get one every evening

I love almyrida but it may well be a bit small for you. There are probably 7 or 8 restaurants and a few shops. Well located to get about if you hire a car but I don’t think it would be what you’re looking for.

elounda would probably work at the other end of the island. The water is clear and shallow and there’s a lot more there. I prefer the almyrida end of the island but that’s my personal preference. There are probably more tourist attractions at the elounda end.

I've been visiting Greece for 30+ years too and spent many happy holidays island-hopping so I know what you mean when you say how much some places have changed. Those idyllic places of peacefulness do still exist but not anywhere that includes a direct flight and only staying for a week, fly and flop so to speak.

I think the best place for you to try and get most of what you're looking for is Crete. Others have mentioned Almyrida and I think it's ok but I much prefer Kalyves which is right next door to it. It has much more of a Greek feel, lots of tavernas, cafes, supermarkets and other shops. It also has a fabulous long sandy beach. It's very much still a Greek town rather than a purpose built tourist resort. Fly to Chania and get a taxi direct to Kalyves or you can get the bus into Chania town and then a bus to Kalyves. Paleochora on the south-west coast is excellent too although the bus journey (which is wonderful) is about 2 hours.

I really can't think of anywhere that fits your bill that won't involve some sort of transport and time to get to.

Another thing I'd like to mention about Crete is the difference between the two airports. Heraklion is just a complete nightmare. Inbound and outbound, it's horrendous. They are currently building a new airport but that still a bit way off.

Chania, on the west of the island is much better. Arriving is still not brilliant (although far better than Heraklion) but departure is a much more relaxed affair. They upgraded the check-in and departure areas a few years ago and it is much more bright and airy. Lots of shops once you pass security too and loads of seating area.