WHERE TO STAY IN THASSOS
It was a long journey from home that morning but when the taxi dropped us at our hotel in the dark, we just had this sense that we had struck gold with this one. We had definitely done our research for Thassos accommodation, but you never know – it’s amazing what an applied dose of photoshop can do, we have turned up at hotels and villas before where your heart just sinks.
Feeling a little bit peckish from the journey, we dumped our bags and headed for the town.
Archetypo Luxury Apartments are at the end of Golden Beach known as Chrysi Ammoudia. From high on its shelf above the Aegean Sea, in the dark all we could see was pitch black ocean edged with a sprinkling of lights and it was clear we were at the more remote end of the cove. Although, the faint sound of music coming from the nearest bar was a reassurance that at this late hour we were still going to find refreshments. An hour or so later we were stumbling through the dark again, light-headed from the Ouzo and fumbling for our apartment keys. Little did we know that this walk would become a treasured memory from our Thassos holiday – that familiar Greek setting of chirping cicada’s and the smell of basil and oregano from an evening dew.
The next morning when we opened the curtains we were met with the most incredible view and wondered if we had been so lucky as to have discovered the best apartment in Thassos. It certainly seemed that way!
Golden Beach is the kind of location Hollywood scouts for its next blockbuster. The green slopes of Thassos island, especially on this north-eastern coast, could be mistaken for the Jurassic Park landscapes of Hawaii and feel like a balm to the soul. Perched on its ledge at one end of Golden Beach, this Thassos apartment must surely be the luckiest bystander to one of the islands most beautiful scenes.
Golden Beach, Thassos
It’s a 5 minute walk down quite a steep track to the nearest bar and from there another few minutes to the white sand of one of the nicest Thassos beaches you will come across (it has blue flag status). Or, take a sharp left turn and you will encounter the cutest little Greek harbour with just a handful of fishing boats bobbing against their anchor.
At the Chrysi Amoudia end of Golden Beach, there are a handful of restaurants and bars, a handful of gift shops and one or two places to pick up some groceries or hire a scooter or boat or car. We did in fact hire a car from ATW Moto Rent as public transport is sketchy at best from Golden Beach. The car was a wreck on the outside, which maybe highlights the state of some of the roads on Thassos, but nevertheless the hiring process was smooth and extremely cheap at €10 a day.
Several of the beach bars let you use their sun loungers for free if you are eating or drinking with them – we particularly enjoyed the Gyros and greek salads from Beba Greek Taverna on Golden Beach.
If you are looking for something a little more special, or even just a great choice for an evening meal, Enavlion Hotel does a really good set menu at their La Terrasse Restaurant – 5 courses of top quality food for €35. The hotel may look like an architectural disaster (it’s nicknamed the Wedding Cake) but you are waited on in style and the food was the best we had on our entire Thassos holiday.
The opposite end of Golden Beach is known to locals as Skala Potamias after the little port there. Again there are several bars, restaurants and shops in this section of Golden Beach. The slopes aren’t quite as steep in this neighbourhood which has paved the way for more Thassos accommodation on the beach. Apartments, small resorts and even camping spots seem to attract a more family-oriented crowd at this side. To check out this less steep end, albeit slightly busier, click here.
Archetypo Luxury Apartments Review
For us, Archetypo Apartments were the perfect location. We loved the 5 minute walk to Golden Beach’s bars on an evening and didn’t even mind the steep climb on the way home. Being higher up on the slopes just meant the views were better.
We took advantage of those views every day whether that was at breakfast on the terrace, or later on a sun-lounger. Both apartments have been built to take advantage of the views and include a balcony with a seating area too – an extra that we always look for when we are booking accommodation.
The rooms are modern and fresh with natural fabrics and wooden furniture. Care has been taken over the details, such as modern lighting for all situations and a well equipped kitchen. The bed was a Coco-Mat – apparently a good brand of mattress and we certainly couldn’t fault it. Add to that the peaceful neighbourhood (there are very few houses in the immediate vicinity) and a good nights sleep was a guarantee – perfect for a full day exploring!
There is ample parking for guests and the apartment was actually a good choice for a small family too, with an extra single bed plus a sofa bed. There is a pool and hot tub but we found no need to use them because Golden Beach cannot be beaten!
We could not fault this hotel and being 5 minutes walk from one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece yet with these amazing views must be a rare find indeed.
Ilio Mare 5 Star Hotel, Prinos
After a week in Thassos’ Golden Beach we spent a few nights at another really lovely hotel on the other side of the island – Ilio Mare. It was a 5 star hotel with all of the trimmings and a good dollop of Russian millionaires and their dolly-birds (great for people watching!) I would be equally as zealous to recommend this Thassos hotel too as we had a lovely few days in the lap of luxury.
Huge rooms beautifully decorated and landscaped grounds with a great beach section full of hammocks, loungers and beds a lá Beyonce and Jay Z – I felt right at home in my big floppy hat with a cocktail in hand.
The restaurant was fine-dining and the breakfast was also excellent. It’s located on the beach at Skala Prinou and a half hour walk to the nearest town. It’s a lovely walk, along the beach, but it’s perhaps not as good a location as the Archtypo Apaartment if you were keen to try a variety of bars and restaurants. We did do a lot of research though and I would still say this was one of the best luxury hotels in Thassos, perfect for couples or a special occasion.
For the best deals at Ilio Mare, Thassos, click here.
Thassos has been one of our favourite Greek islands to date and we had a fabulous time exploring. If you want to visit a few of Thassos’s hidden gems or even just explore the island in a bit more depth be sure to have a read of our little travel guide here, it’s full of ideas and things to see in Thassos.
Enjoy, and be sure to let us know what you thought of this beautiful Greek island.
And, if you are in the throws of planning your holiday to the island of Thassos, be sure to check out Skyscanner for flight deals. They do the legwork for you by scraping all of the airline websites and finding the lowest fares…
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