Makryammos Bungalows

a beautiful location right on the beach. Secluded and quiet. Everything you could possibily want. Individual stone bungalows with your own verandah/balcony. The french doors even have mosquito nets built in them so you can leave the doors open at night (with the outside shutters pulled to) and you wake up to the sound of the sea! Bliss! Hotel and staff excellent, food very good. Location you cannot get better. It is set in a hill side with a slow walk back up to the bungalows which are scattered around. Not for those with difficulty walking. The island itself is steeped in history and wonderful people, sleeply/quiet villages along the way. Exellent bus and taxi services, very cheap prices compaired to England. Worth going on the island coach trip as the guide fills you with lots of local history. Very informative.

My wife and I just returned from this hotel. We booked last minute with Thompsons. There really is nothing negative to say and having hired a car for a few days reckon we had the best spot on the Island. Drive up to the lake you dont need a 4 x 4 just be a bit carefull. If you dont like climbing hills request low accommodation and a corner unit, also the best time to go according to locals is early September.

We have visited this resort 3 times now the first in summer 97, then in 2001 and again in 2004. Guess you can tell we enjoy the atmosphere and beautiful location having returned several times along wth many others. Weather wise it is cooler than some of the Islands further south but still hot enough-we experienced a dramatic thunderstorm one evening and now realise why the "stormdrains" are there! The best stay was probably the first one. Then they did not have the line of blue umbrellas and sun loungers which I feel detract from the beauty of the beach. Instead they had bamboo shades dotted around the beach and paticularly at the back of the beach for those needing the shade. Or of course you used your own. The last stay was still very relaxing but much busier on the beach. We hired a car and if you're willing to investigate a few tracks off the main road around the Island you can find totally secluded beaches even in the middle of August-absolutely fantastic. We travelled inland on one day and ended up a huge mountain...unable to turn around ..and travelling very slowly up and down a rocky road (if you could call it that) with sheer drops on either side. At one point me and the kids with a water supply left hubby in the car on a hairpin bend since he was adamant he could get the car down the mountain! Very sacry..take a 4by 4 a good map if you venture inland and up the mountains. Rooms are excellent, large with fridge and air con. We had a family suite basically 2 rooms connected-fantatsic views and about half way up the hill. There were a few little lizards about but they scamper away as soon as you enter !! We emailed the hotel a couple of weeks before leaving for the holiday requesting where we did not want to be rather than a specific room number. Basically we did not wish to be at the top of the hill..it's quite a hike in the heat. Food was fine especially the weekly BBQ's although there is a charge for water at the table even though we were on full board. Evening entertainment is a bit limited and quiet but that suits us, just played cards whilst drinking a few cocktails. Not sure it would be that suitable for our kids now since the eldest are 17 and 18 now-but Thassos town is just a taxi ride away for a more active night life. Watch out for the sea urchins, our daughter stood on one within half an hour of us arriving !! apparently the best thing is to soak your feet in olive oil! Beautiful swimming in warm waters and the snorkelling is quite good too since the sea is so clear. We saw the odd small jelly fish further out but nothing really to worry about just to be aware of them. A good walk into Thassos town is through the olive groves and not on the road. Basically on leaving the resort at the top of the hill you turn right off the main road and are greeted by spectacular views of the bay. Following the path brings you out to the little church and just before that if you take a left from the path it brings you to the magnificent ampitheatre again with amazing views. Takes about an hour doing the walk slowly and stopping frequently to admire some view or other. Best to do it early morning before it gets too hot.On the way you spot all sorts of wildlife!! As mentioned in other reviews there are plenty of wasps about which can be a bit of a pain at mealtimes. We have been to many Greek Island and this one remains our favourite, though to be honest did prefer the resort before they made some of the changes.

We booked a week on this resort before we had read the reviews, and were a little worried about some of the negative ones we found on this site. Having now been to Makryammos bungalows, we have to say that we were delighted with the resort, and wondered if in recent years the management has changed as we found everything to be really good - excellent in fact. We are quite fussy about where we stay, and have visited many Greek islands in some wonderful resorts. But we have to say that although Thassos isnt our favourite island, the resort Makyrammos Bungalows is by far the best place we have ever stayed at on any Greek Island. We had a bungalow (number 21) with a sea view, not too far up the hill (see pics of views from our chalet bungalow). It was clean, with housekeeping visiting every day. Everything was in working order, and looked quite new. Normally we can afford to eat out at Tavernas in the evening and see this as part of enjoying the holiday experience, but as we didnt have enough money this year we only chose this resort because it came with half board at an extremely reasonable price through Thomson holidays. We were a bit worried about what the food would be like, and not sure we would enjoy having to eat at the same place every day, but we need not have been concerned. The food was excellent and so much choice. And as it was buffet style "all you can eat" you could afford to just sample everything and then just leave it and go up for something else if you didnt like it. The home made soups and breads were absolutely delicious, and the barbeque night was particularly good. The food was often a little on the cool side at times - could be they need to sort the hot servery system out so its more efficient at keeping hot food hot - but other than this we always looked forward to our mealtimes which could be taken inside or out on the patio which was very pretty and overlooked the sea. The waiters were pleasant, chatty and efficient. One downside was that any drinks bought on the resort were more expensive than ones down in the town. But you could always get round that by buying in your own supply and chilling out with it on your own bungalow patio. We found the whole resort very relaxing. The beach was pure sand, no shingle or pebbles, the sea was safe for children as it wasnt very deep to start with (about up to adult waist to armpits for several hundred yards out). Lots of fish, great for exploring with a snorkel. We swam out to the little island and back every day to burn off all that food! The beach was clean and pretty, with pretty gardens just in front of it. We didnt use the pool or tennis courts but they looked ok on inspection. We went out of season and would always do this as we prefer things a bit quieter without kids around (and its cheaper) We would plan to go in June next time and would definately go again. We usually like to go out most days and explore the islands we visit. But this time on a tighter budget, we only hired a car for just 2 days (locally from Hertz in Thassos town - dont go through the holiday reps its almost double the price) Anyway, we went round the Island, but have to say that we thought makryammos Beach was by far the best, and the North is by far the prettier part of the Island. There was an English bloke called Simon who had lived in Thassos for 8 years and worked at the Hotel. He said that that Makryammos beach was in his opinion the best beach - he wouldnt recommend Golden beach or Paradise Beach and couldnt understand what all the hype was about them. And now having seen them, we have to agree with him! The wasps were a bit of a problem at times, but it seemed that they only sniffed around you at first when you went on the beach. After a while they seemed to leave you alone. Sometimes they were a nuisance when you were trying to eat but it honestly wasnt a major problem and towards the end of our stay there seemed to be less of them around the restaurant - not sure why. Anyway, all in all we heartily recommend this resort if you want to stay in a pretty resort in Thassos. If you just want a place to chill out, not travel around, but just read, eat, swim, sunbathe and enjoy laid back low key night life like playing pool, playing cards, chatting over a drink with friends(we dont like evening entertainment and they only had one night of live music during our stay) then this is the place to come and unwind.

Steyd there from 10th June 07 for 14 days in Bungalow 81. This is 3/4 way up from the main buildings which are set around a fantastic beach with water that is fantastic to swim in and real safe for kids. However, be warned of the following. Flies, oh dear, Clearly not the fault of the managgment but they really need to install some control measures as the damn things are waiting for you at your table. Food, pretty good selection, beatifully cooked or prepared but sadly cold most of the time. It is hot if you get there when the restaurants open but if you are 1/2 hour late it is most likely to be cold and the food warmers are not adequate. Beach beds: Book them in reception the day before and secure your place on a fantastic beach. ( 7 Euros for 2 beds+Umbrella + 5 Euros deposit for the key which unlocks your chosen bed. Pine needles etc can gather at the right end of the beach which have washed down from the forest but the 2 beach guys work hard top keep it clean so just go the other end if you dont like it. The walk to Thassos Town: It is an OK walk, downhill all the way from Makryammos but it is a winding road and the locals do move a bit quick around it. No great problems if you are good on your feet but a cab only costs 6 Euros to town. You will almost certainly need the cab back as it is a long and gradual steep walk back, be warned. Drinks etc: Expensive, almost 4.5 Euros for a Bacardi & Coke. The hotel shop: very small and does NOT sell booze or single bottles of water. get your stuff in one of the town supermarkets but shop around as it can be up to 4 Euros diferent.( take your own coffee) Getting about: Speedy Car Rentals in Limenaria ( Peter Kartalis). 23 Euros per day for a Matiz with A/C is superb value and will be delivered and collected at the resort. The 23 Euros gets you the full cover including tyre replacement. (Speedy are on the Web). The resort staff: Great and friendly. Other stuff: You will not like this place if you do not like steps or wasps and flies. The rooms: perfectly adequate but only the BBC world is available in english, ( Dont really care though!) The Island: fantastic. dead easy to drive round in a day and there is archeology everywhere. Get out and about and drive into the mountains. Thologos is, Well, not really sure!! One single road goes all the way round and the scenery is beautiful. Finally: The journey to Thassos is seamless and if you go with a tour operator then you need not worry about transfers etc as your bags are taken off you after the airport and then you get them back on arival. No real probs,it;s more a few gripes but hey!! just go and enjioy this beautiful island. Oh: Forgot to warn all UK visiotrs who do not want to be surrounded by kids on the beach, The eastern Europen countries use the Makryammos and the weekend at the end of our first and very peaceful 1st week was interrupted by the arrival of dozens of Eastern Block families with their kids!!!; Clearly their school holidays are different to ours and the result was that the restaurant became the Greek version of Butlins!!!

I have just returned back from staying at the Makryammos Bungalows in Thassos, we were a group of 5 couples. The bungalows were excellently spaced out and all had partial views of the sea, they were clean and had air con, fridge and hairdryer. My wife and I stayed in bungalow 91 which was on the end of a block, it was one of the highest up the hillside, which I have to say is fairly steep, so be warned if you struggle on your feet! The food was brilliant, lots of selection and good quality throughout our stay. Do not book any boat excursions with the tour operator as you can get the same trip for half the price if you book it yourself at the old harbour in Thassos. Thassos town is clean and has plenty of shops, bars and restaurants to choose from. The town is a pleasant 20-30 minute walk from Makryammos which is down hill all the way. A taxi back from town will cost you 5 euros and is worth every penny. Beware of mosquitos and wasps and the island seems to have quite a large population of them!

My friend and I returned yesterday from a lovely holiday at the Makryammos Bungalows. We had been to Thassos before and loved the island, but this was something special. Tucked away in its own little cove, the bungalows are located on the pine wooded slopes. We were lucky to have a corner one but they were all very private. We had a lovely sea view from our patio and all you could hear was bird song and sometimes the sound of the sea. Although stone built, they are very modern inside with a bath, fridge, kettle and hairdrier. There is a TV but we could only find BBC World News in English, but that didn't bother us in the slightest. The swimming pool was large and everything was well-maintained. The beach is beautiful and its great to be able to have a drink in the bar or meals in the restaurant in sight of the sea. The only downside would be anyone who has trouble walking, there are steps up to most of the bungalows with no handrails and sometimes uneven stonework. The meals were good. We thought breakfast had more choice than dinner, but there was something for everyone whether it be Greek or more English tastes. Thassos town is about 25 mins walk - quite a nice walk through olive groves before you get into town. A taxi back was only 5 euros, which was fine. Any 'Greece Lovers' who like peace and tranquility should give this a try.

Thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks in this beautiful setting. Bungalows are set amongst pine trees but fairly steep slope to the beach and restaurant. Buffet food was good and varied and staff most friendly. Accommodation was comfortable but sometimes the housekeeping left a lot to be desired! Need to avoid September though as the wasps on the beach were annoying and painful. Also beware late holidays (Sept/Oct) as evening entertainment and some excursions finish.

Makryammos Hotel is an enchanting place. The cottages are well hidden in a real pine forest that declines to the beach. From the see, you barely acknowledge the presence of a hotel there (and this is certainly a success!). The rooms are spacious and comfortably furnished. The service though is unquestionably poor. The restaurant serves food which is barely palatable, and you are likely to see the left overs served again and again in different forms. Beverages are not included in the meals, not even plain water, for which you have to pay cash at the restaurnat. The beach is very beautiful, but overcrowded and very badly kept. It should be cleaned daily and sieved thoroughly. All courses (gimnastic and animation) advertised on the web site are not available! Last but not least the place is full of stray and fimined cats, which are really a pain to see. All said, it remains one of the most charming sea places I have ever been to in the Mediterranean.

Very bad service offered, even for 'package holiday' tourists. The distinction is necessary, as Greeks pay three times more (eg. 135 euros compared to the pack.hol. 50 euros). 1) no (even tab) water in breakfast. the small bottle was charged 0.87 euros! 2) smelly drainage brought into the room large number of insects and mites. 3) indifferent managing director, rude and ignorant employees at info desk. 4) no medical care (bitten within the room by a millipede only to hear that 'these things happen') 5) lousy idea about what 'nature' means, when you pay 135 euros for a room and are forced to 'hunt' a small lizard (slowworm or whatever) for two nights above your child's bed. 6) charges for the beach umbrella (7.00 euros/day), which, however, could be used only till 18:00 oclock! 7) bad management of the beach; a large amount of sea wracks, frustrating people -especially the little ones-. 8) insaulting catalogs, menus and info leaflets with hundreds of spelling -and other- mistakes in all three (greek, english, german) languages. 9) amateurish behaviour at the restaurant (three people were served watermelon with only one knive and fork). and many-many more things to blame on makryammos, which i now try to forget...