Limenaria, Thassos Christos Apartments

Christos Apartments in Limenaria are in an excellent location. They are right behind Navagio beach bar, only a few metres from the beach. It's a small complex, less than 20 apartments in two 3-storey blocks. There's a small pool and a few sun loungers within the complex, but there are plenty of free loungers on the beach right in front of the apartments.

The apartment we were in was small and basic, but fine for what we needed - beds, balcony, table and chairs, wardrobe and some drawers. The kitchen had a fridge with icebox, two electric rings, sink and some crockery and cutlery, but we used very little of it. The room had a hairdryer, and air conditioning was available although we didn't use it. There are no safety-deposit boxes in the block and I think the nearest were in the post office.

The apartments are a 5 minute walk from the resort centre, which is spread out along the sea front. It's close enough to be very easy to get to, but not so close that you're disturbed by noise - all we could hear at night was the waves on the beach.

Cleaning of the apartments was disappointing. Toilet paper was provided, which seems to be unusual in Greek apartments; usually you have to buy your own. Sheets were changed once a week and towels two or three times a week. Bins were emptied when the towels were changed, which is not always enough - in Greece toilet paper is put into bins, not flushed away, and bathroom bins should really be emptied every day. The apartment was not cleaned at all during our stay though - it had been cleaned when we arrived, it was cleaned after we left, but not sure if it was while we were there, so the floors got sandier each day. Maintenance seemed a bit haphazard as well - we were on the top floor and the lightbulb at the top of the stairs was broken so we were going up and down stairs in the dark at night. We reported it several times and nothing was done while we were there. On the other hand, I needed to borrow a pair of pliers to repair a damaged suitcase, and they were produced almost instantly.

The water supply was a bit variable as well. On our first two nights there it ran out altogether when we were showering - I was standing in the shower all shampooed up and dripping wet when the water went off altogether and all I could do was stand and wait for it to come back on. Over time we realised that the water could be a bit dodgy if there was a lot of demand at once, so we began not showering until after 9pm, and by then the water was plentiful and hot. It was way too hot to eat early anyway, so it wasn't a problem once we go used to it, it was just a bit disconcerting at first. The drains were a bit stinky too.

Limenaria is a lovely resort. It's small enough that you can walk the length of it in a few minutes, but big enough that there's a choice of restaurants, tavernas and bars. There was a variety of Greek food, pasta and pizza but none of the roast dinner, curry, Chinese catering-for-the-Brits stuff you find in so many places. It wasn't a particularly British resort - the Brits seemed to be in the minority.

The beach is a mixture of sand and pebbles, and there are a lot of sea-urchins, so it's worth taking or buying beach shoes for swimming in. The beach was filthy though, full of litter and fag ends. Bins were provided and you can't blame the locals if the tourists don't use them, but it would have been nicer if the beach had been cleaned every night.

There are plenty of excursions to do - day-long boat trips, trips into Thassos town, walking the gorge etc, but Limenaria is ideal for people who just want a quiet, relaxing holiday of lying on a lounger, working on the tan with the occasional dip in the wonderful turquoise sea.