Crete Blog

If you’re considering a holiday on one of the Greek islands for this year or next, Paxos might be worth considering for a family holiday, or for a romantic getaway for couples.

According to Greek legendy, the island was created by Poseidon when he struck Corfu with his trident in effort to gain peace and quiet. The pebble beaches of Paxos are surrounded by sheer, precipitous cliffs that create scenery that is both breathtaking and expressive.

The sea around Paxos has vivid colours; it is pleasantly clean, clear, and cool. Dramatic fauna and flora are abundant, especially in spring. Ancient olive trees line the hillsides allowing the mind and senses escape to the treasure of comfort and beauty that awaits holidaymakers.

Seeing The Island

Paxos is charming and quaint and can be seen easily in a couple of days by motorbike or car. The three main towns on the island are Logos, Laka, and Gaios. All of which exhibit the classiul ac Hellenic Ionian style with bright and colourful homes lining the promenades.

The rural area environment has a landscape that features low stone homes surrounded by bountifnd lush gardens. There is always something beautiful to see and many photo opportunities while you’re sightseeing or walking. For those who like Crete holidays it’s familiar but at the same time unique enough to enjoy.

The three main resorts all have natural harbours - Gaios being the biggest and busiest.

Travelling further inland there are old churches and buildings and many hiking or biking trails if you seek to further explore the island’s rich history.

Hotels In Paxos And Things To Do

Travel around the entire island on a day or half day cruise. Picturesque wind-carved limestone cliffs, sculptural rock formations, and caverns line the way. Crystal clear, calm waters surrounding the island only add to the exquisite beauty. The weather and climate on Paxos is similar to the weather in Crete.

A bit of history from World War II is just off the island. Inside the cave called Papanikolis, a Greek submarine found refuge and hid during the war.

There is plenty of opportunity to swim, snorkel and relax. This island is wonderful for holidaymakers seeking relaxation and to get away from the rest of the world. The locals are all very friendly and happily greet visitors. A spectacular sunset can be seen by traveling to Erimitis, a bar which sits above the cliffs of the west coast.

Paxos is a worthwhile day trip if you don’t have a lot of time, but want to escape for a bit. There are many hiking and biking paths that go around the island via trails, coves, and beaches. There’s a few travel sites that have a map, often the same ones that have a Crete map.

You can easily take in the unhurried, traditional, and tranquil Greek lifestyle. Many people visit this wonderful island because of the miles of pathways that lead to unspoiled, secluded beaches and coves.

Hotels in Paxos fill quickly during peak travel season. Villa holidays are popular. Many villas have private pools and various villa companies include Paxos in their brochures, James Villas for example.

The island also has two hotels that often receive rave reviews from happy guests. The island of Paxos might be small compared to some islands like Kefalonia, but it offers an intimate charm and beauty for those who crave quiet, peaceful relaxation. Retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern living and escape from it all.

More information about the Greek islands are available on social media like reddit

Tenerife Blog

Around the world holiday destinations often need something new to give it the appearance of keeping up with the times and having the travel press write about it, and Tenerife is no different from any other destination in that respect.

A new hotel will make waves as does a refurbished one, and a hotel that’s under new ownership.

All are cause for travel journalists to start booking their flights to Tenerife ready for a few days special treatment in exchange for a review in their respective media.

And so it is with Tenerife as new owners take over the 5 star San Blas Reserva Ambiental in the south of the island.

A spokesman for the new owners commented:

“The purchase of San Blas Reserva Ambiental Hotel is a wonderful addition to the Sandos Hotels & Resorts product line and offers and innovative holiday resort with a variety of spaces, facilities and activities designed to live up to all the expectations for vacation fun and relaxation as well as a unique experience for group and incentive travel.”

Commenting on the benefits of booking a stay at what could be one of the best Tenerife hotels they add:

”The San Blas Reserva Ambiental Hotel is situated in front of the magnificent Atlantic Ocean, just ten minutes from the Tenerife South Airport, and located on a natural Environmental Reserve. Unique on-site facilities include a multi-media center with an interactive museum to discover mysterious species and a historical experience tunnel that recreates the history of San Blas from prehistoric times to the modern day, a sailing lake and a 27-hole Biosphere Golf Course, and a boutique Spa facility with an extensive list of body treatments.”

So with a location close to the airport from where guests take their flights to Tenerife, what are the opinions of those who have stayed there recently and added their views to popular review sites? A typical response has been:

‘We had a perfect vacation at this wonderful planned hotel. Every detail has been thought through. Our room were large with a very nice seperate shower room (yes, it was that big!) and jacuzzi. The staff is very friendly and their personality always shines through. The breakfast buffet was soooo good. One evening we tried the buffet too. Usually I’m not to fond of hotel buffets, but the San Blas really surprised me here too. In the nearby fishing village there are a lot of lovely restaurants too. Overall I can only recommend San Blas, and will absolutely stay here when travelling to Tenerife again. This is a peaceful way to vacation away from usual the tourist traps.’

Other reviews from those staying there for their Tenerife holidays are also generous in their praise, with most commenting that the facilities, cleanliness and staff make it for them 4 or 5 star standard.

For more Tenerife information including a 5 day forecast with today’s Tenerife weather visit yourtenerife.net

They also have a map, villas and the latest news and articles to read.

Rezidor Hotel Group has announced that it will open a new hotel on Gran Canaria, Spain in 2012. The Gran Canaria Radisson BLU Residence will be a short distance from the village of Arguineguin and contain 144 apartments, all offering a sea view.

Rezidor Hotel Group operates more than 190 Radisson BLU hotels in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, including Radisson BLU hotels in Oslo, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Gothenburg.

“We are very pleased with the continued growth in Spain, where we recently opened the first Radisson BLU hotel in Madrid,” says Kurt Ritter, president and CEO of Rezidor Hotel Group. “This opening also underlines our commitment to an ambitious growth of our young and stylish portfolio of hotels.”

“We are pleased that we can expand our cooperation with Rezidor and are confident that we will provide increased value to the Gran Canaria tourist industry, ” added Lars Wenaas, owner of the new hotel.

Gran Canaria is one of Europe’s southernmost outposts and is located just 150 kilometers from the north west coast of Africa. With a mild year round climate, Gran Canaria is a popular holiday destination for travellers to Spain and the island is famous for its idyllic beaches and stunning landscape.

The new Radisson BLU Residence will be located on the south coast of Gran Canaria along the oceanfront, near the popular village of Arguineguin. This is one of the quietest places along the coast, offering a particularly favorable climate.

The hotel will offer a modern recreation area with pool, tennis court and a complete spa. At the hotel customers will also find five meeting rooms and a separate section for those who need to work while on vacation.

For hotels in Gran Canaria visit yourgrancanaria.net - they also have today’s Gran Canaria weather

ttglive.com ran a report recently saying that the Canary Islands look set to have an increase in holidaymakers this year, and had this to say about the islands:

The Canary Islands The big two are increasingly branding major resort hotels for particular client types. The Gran Melia Palacio de Isora in Tenerife will be part of Thomson’s flagship Sensatori resorts brand from May, offering luxury for adults with an emphasis on spa treatments.

This is a bright spot for tour operators and accommodation-only providers, with a lot of new-build accommodation over the past decade and more all-inclusive than in other areas. 

First Choice is adding a new Holiday Village in Lanzarote at the Flamingo Beach hotel, offering families all-inclusive holidays in apartment-style accommodation.Youtravel sales and marketing director Paul Riches says: “We’re seeing significant growth for Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, mainly due to increased flight capacity. “The dynamic packaging model is popular. We have more four-star all-inclusive hotels, which include a selection of  ‘allocation on arrival’ properties in Tenerife.” 

Ian Hailes, head of product and commercial for Cosmos and Somewhere2Stay, says it is expanding on the back of increased Monarch flights to the Canaries. “We offer a wide choice of departure days and durations, and have good offers from hotels,” he adds.

Bedbank has late availability of four-star all-inclusive from £36. Traditional half-board hotels now offering all-inclusive include the Paradise Park at Los Cristianos in Tenerife, and the Timanfaya Palace in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote. Up-market operators such as Prestige are also doing well in the Canaries. Chairman John Dixon says: “Tenerife has some fantastic quality hotels, and is really fighting back. But we need more family-friendly luxury hotels in Gran Canaria.”

The Sunday Mirror ran a good article at the weekend about Gran Canaria:

We’d been a bit worried when we heard that the Gran Hotel Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort Spa & Casino had more than 1,000 rooms, fearing this would mean it would be about as relaxing as the average airport terminal.

We needn’t have worried. It was busy but - with the grounds including a tropical garden of 76,000 square metres, four swimming pools and the sandy Maspalomas beach just 200 metres away - the crowds we’d seen at check-in melted away. We stayed half-board in a Junior Suite. The rooms were lovely and spacious, immaculately clean and had a breathtaking view out to sea.

Breakfast and dinner were served buffet-style in two huge restaurants, though there were also two other fancier restaurants in the hotel if you were willing to pay extra.

Most of our days were spent lounging by the infinity pool, with the most strenuous thing we had to do all day being a walk to the bar to buy cold drinks and sandwiches, although we had to be careful, as payment works on a far too simple swipe card system which you settle on check-out.

With a Diet Coke costing an eyewatering four euros (£3.50) a pop, it soon started to mount up. After a while, we noticed most families with kids used to stock up with daily supplies at the local supermarket because it was much cheaper. We realised we would be doing the same thing after the baby arrived - and for the next 30 years.

Had I been feeling more adventurous, the famous Dunes of Maspalomas were only a short distance away, but what with my swollen ankles and aching pregnancy body, the trek didn’t quite appeal.

Instead I headed the few steps down to the hotel spa, which costs 45 euros (£40) per person for the day 52 euros (£46) for non-residents). The fee covers use of all the facilities, although actual treatments cost extra.

Wow! Never mind a day, I could have spent the week cocooned in here. It was like entering nirvana and felt like a global exercise in indulgence.

A carefully thought-out circuit takes you from the heat of the Arabian world to the extreme cold of the North Pole. Pregnancy ruled out the African Sauna and Hamam Turkish Bath (too hot). Nor did I fancy Ice World (4C) and the igloo, although in manly fashion Mike seemed to enjoy panhandling freezing water over himself.

Instead I went and lay in The Lagoon (a lovely 35C), then shifted to exfoliating my feet in the Himalayan Salt Grotto (where my negative ions were supposedly banished), before heading to the Lava Flotation Pool for a touch of Hawaii, rounding off the experience by sipping sweet mint tea in the evening sun in the spa’s garden. I didn’t think the experience could be bettered until we went to a nearby hotel, the Lopesan Villa del Conde Resort and Corallium Thalasso also in Maspalomas. Here, Mike and I had a joint aromatherapy massage. It was very expensive, at 135 euros (£119) each, but took place by the Atlantic and included a private hot tub.

Spa holidays are big in Gran Canaria and have been since the 19th Century. But fashions are changing. While I was seeking some light relief from the rigours of pregnancy, some of my fellow guests appeared to have sought an altogether different kind of life-changing holiday. Looking closely, fading bruises and wide-brimmed hats hinted that some guests had come here for an ego-boosting facelift.

To read the rest of the article click here

For Gran Canaria hotels visit http://www.yourgrancanaria.net

British tour operator First Choice have chosen two Gran Canaria hotels to be on their Premier childcare list.

To see which ones click here

For today’s Gran Canaria weather visit yourgrancanaria.net

Grand Hotel Residencia Maspalomas

Gran Canaria’s hotels are a traditional mixture of small family run establishments and modern hotels, with most in the 3 and 4 star category.

But now there is one hotel in Gran Canaria that has been rated the third best in the world by people who have stayed there - and according to them it’s the best in Europe report http://www.yourgrancanaria.net

Independent hotel reviews are a great way for people to see what others think, and when there are a good number a feel of what a hotel is really like can be gauged before making any booking.

And it can help hotels who fall below the standards expected of today’s holidaymaker if they read the reviews to see what their guests think, to rectify matters and improve future comments and rankings to ensure they are as well thought of as their competitors.

The hotel gained this review from the company who did the survey:

The Grand Hotel Residencia is located in Maspalomas, the palm-rich resort on the south side of the island Gran Canaria. The luxury hotel with a Spanish colonial style design is situated in a breathtaking landscape: under the hot desert winds of Africa a single dune is formed, which resembles the Sahara.

The hotel’s recognition by tourists and subsequent publicity is good news for holidays in Gran Canaria during the recession, and importantly publicises to potential visitors that the island can provide first class accommodation as well as the good weather.

Apart from relaxing on the beach and enjoy the hotel facilities, what else is there for people to do on their holidays in Gran Canaria should they want to do something a little adventurous or sporting?

The beaches are noted for their white sand and crystal clear waters, great for swimming. Especially notable is the massive Maspalomas beach with its sand dunes and the marvellous hidden beach of Guigui. Las Canteras beach is located in the capital of Las Palmas and tends to be much livelier, though still family friendly.

For the sports minded holidaymaker, many of the hotels offer a variety of sports activities, including golf, tennis, paddling, sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving.

If you fancy a round or two of golf, the courses are open year round. Gran Canaria’s golfing legacy goes back over a century to 1891 when her first golf course was opened. It was built in what is now the central zone of the capital city of Las Palmas. In 1957 the course was relocated to Bandama, but still retains the name of Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas. Gran Canaria really is a pioneer when it comes to golf and can claim to have introduced the sport to Spain. Today there are numerous golf courses and endless sunny days to enjoy them.

But if you just want to stay at your Gran Canaria hotel and enjoy the facilities, you can be sure that at least one of them is going to be about as good as you can get.

More travel articles and information about Gran Canaria is available on the internet and increasingly on social media like stumbleupon too.