Thassos Town, George Hotel

We stayed at the George Hotel in Thassos Town for one week in mid September 2004. Although the George Hotel is very basic (more like self catering apartments without the self catering facilities!), it was kept spotlessly clean. We were on B&B basis, but didn't have breakfast there so can't comment! The pool is gorgeous, as is the pool area and pool bar. Lovely family run atmosphere - again very clean.

The pool bar isn't always open late (10:00 p.m. onwards), but this wasn't a problem as there is a lovely friendly bar right next to the hotel called the Atlas Bar, which stays open very late as do all the other bars in Thassos Town. If you go to the Atlas Bar, look out for a gorgeous cat called Rabbit! If you get one of the front facing upstairs rooms (2 floors) you will have a lovely balcony overlooking the pool. As it is in the middle of the town (which is very small and quite quaint), you won't get any spectacular views.

The hotel is right in the centre of town and has all amenities right on its doorstep (supermarket, chemist etc). However, you don't suffer any noise from traffic (one lane and there is hardly any!) and it's certainly not a place for the partygoer so there won't be any wild teens out clubbing making noise! The hotel is a 3 minute walk to the sea, and a further 5 minutes to Thassos Town beach, which at this time of year was perfect and quiet.

The sea was clear and warm and the sand clean. We would highly recommend the "Island Bar", which is about the third bar you come to on the beach - free sunbeds, very cheap food, excellent friendly service all day! If you continue to walk down the beach right to the end to the boat yard, there is a bar (can't remember htee name) which if you go outside to the back, you are surrounded by nothing else but sea and rocks - watch the sun go down there!

The best restaurant in Thassos Town by far was Zorba's. Don't make the same mistake we did - there are two of them, and it's not the one on the corner by the main strip of shops - that one is awful! It's the first one you come to from the George Hotel on the right (open air). The food is fabulous, the service and hospitality excellent and they have live greek music and dancing every evening - it's very traditional and there were mostly greek people eating there. Another good one was The Twins, which is further down, just before you get to the Zorbas you SHOULDN'T go in to! I can't remember the name of it, but there is also a good restaurant when you are walking along the harbour from the end of the shops, and you look up on a slight hill - they do very good seafood. If you are in desperate need of an English breakfast, there is an English run restaurant/bar called Cheers on the Harbour, which I hate to say is excellent for breakfast. We wouldn't ever go to a "British sky sports football and sunburn" place on holiday (eugh!), but a Thassos local recommended it to us and that one breakfast was very good.

The other place we went to whilst we were in Thassos was Makryamos, a beach about a 5 minute cab ride away (cabs are very cheap). We found our own little cove - it was so peaceful. The sea is again totally clear, the sand is almost white, and the views are to die for. Nothing else to do in Makryamos though apart from sunbathe!

I wouldn't recommend Thassos if you are one for lively nightlife, as there isn't much of that at all. There is however plenty of atmosphere in the numerous restaurants, tavernas, and bars for you to sit outside and enjoy the evening heat. There are a couple of great bars along the main strip (which is tiny!) We had a fabulous holiday in Thassos Town and we would visit again. We are in our late 20's, and wanted a quiet relaxing holiday with no clubbers - we got exactly what we wanted. It's very couples based, mainly over 30's, and I should imagine in the summer it is also very family based. Highly recommended island, and if you don't plan on spending any time in your hotel room apart from getting ready and going to bed, then the George Hotel is perfect as a clean, comfortable, friendly base in an EXCELLENT location. If you do go, please do try and support the charity Friends of the Animals and Environment of Thassos. There are so many stray animals there, and this is a local charity who we chose to support - they have collection boxes in lots of the bars - just ask someone. Hope this review helps!