Christos Studios & Apartments

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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 staff are friendly and they'll bring you drinks right to your beach lounger. 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 poor. 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 nowhere near 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 at all while we were there, so the floors got sandier and the bathroom got mankier. 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, it just wasn't taken seriously. 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 - there were lots of holidaying Greeks and Serbs and the Brits were 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.

We had a week at Christos Studios in June.
What a fabulous place to stay, on the edge of the town but within walking distance to the centre. Bakery and supermarket within 5 minutes walk. The apartments are situated right next to the beach. You really could not ask for anything better.
The apartments are basic but clean, a bit short on the cultery and crockery front but I always take some with me as this is often the case in apartments in Greece.
Yanis and his family are very welcoming. Kostos who showed us to our apartment on our arrival invited us to dine at his restaurant - Asterias - we tried it on the first night, and went every night during our stay - excellent food - with a different special menu each night.
The beach bar sells drinks and snacks during the day and the parasols and sun beds on the beach are free for guests at Christos - you can just relax and listen to the waves on the sea shore and "Bob Marley!
We had a wonderful week at Christos Studios and can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have a chill out holiday. We shall definately be going again.

Christos Studios was basic accomodation but very clean. The staff can't do enough for you and recommended many places for us to visit off the beaten track that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. We had a couple of minor problems but were very happy with how quickly and courteously they were dealt with by the family who own the Studios. When we arrived we were greated by a family member who also owns a restaurant in Limenaria and having tried a few food venues we would certainly recommend his for service and quality of food.
Paradise beach was the best beach we visited on the island, at one end of the beach is the nudist area. Aliki beach is also worth a visit as you can also see the historical area behind the beach.
I wouldnt recommend visiting the monastery on the south of the Island as it is quite a building site and is fairly modern, lacking in character.
We would recommend going to Theologos , which is a small village inland. We found it had much more traditional greek character than Panagia, the village most advertised for tourists.
Sarah and Paul

The Christos Studios are really good. Basic but clean. Yianni and his family are very welcoming. Within seconds of leaving your room there is a swimming pool. Leave the pool and seconds later you are in the warm Aegean Sea. The sun beds are free and if you want to be very lazy drinks and food are provided as you lay on your backside, totally chilling out.
You can mingle with lots of Greek families on holiday and the atmosphere is very relaxed. I would recommend it to anyone. For couples in love or a for a family, the Christos Studios are ideal.

We have just returned from a week on Thasos - a beautiful island that we have visited before and liked a great deal.
Both of us thought that Limenaria was a wonderful base for a holiday, a real working town so there was a mixture of local people and tourists, lovely choice of restaurants (Mouragia has to be the best for vegetarian dishes that I have ever encountered, in 20 odd years of visiting Greece), good beaches within walking distance, lovely sea water.
We stayed at the Christos studios - and this is really the only thing that we were disappointed with. It was a mixed bag - a nice pool for the early morning dip, the apartments were in a great position, just on the edge of town away from the noise but within a couple of minutes walk of everything we needed. But, beyond that our room was something of a disaster area really:
On arrival after car, plane, bus, ferry, and more bus travel, we arrived dirty and in need of a shower. But, we had just two hand towels. It soon become evident why we had no bath towels - there was no need for any, as the shower was as dead as a parrot.
This apartment was a plumbing no-man's land ... The shower was a complete non starter - we have sampled many, many Greek showers and this has to be by far the very, very worst. It was to be fixed the next day - and then some water came out of the head, but only if held within 8 inches of the floor.
The next day the whole head was replaced. Still no joy, in terms of water delivery. By now we were sick of washing in the sink. So we got an 'off-suite' shower, as the rep allowed us to use the shower down the hallway in an empty apartment. Sometimes this one worked, other times not, all a bit of a gamble, but a big improvement on ours.
Meanwhile back in our own apartment, despite hardly using the bathroom, the floor needed extensive mopping, as the water level seeped up each evening, just as other residents enjoyed their en suite facilities.
Something really weird was going on with the water system in this building. My friend developed Olympic standard mopping skills over the course of the week. I'm really not sure what we would have done without the use of that spare room, and I wouldn't like to be in the rep's shoes when she has a full house in this apartment block.
Beyond this, the apartment looked a bit IKEA after a sale - ie. there was nothing in it. No drawers to put clothes, cameras, jewellery, swimming gear, or anything else, in. We had a really narrow wardrobe (although the supply of hangers was astonishingly good), the mirror was in the most bizarre place, the lighting was really dim, some of the electrical plugs were broken and a bit scary looking.
We had a room for 2 -3 people, so the third bed became the dumping ground for all our belongings. which is ok, but we couldn't fathom the logic in the minimalist approach to furnishing. Very weird.
We treated the week as a bit of a joke, not worrying about wandering up and down corridors wrapped in bath towels (the bigger ones were eventually delivered), not worrying about the mopping, or the disaster area that our room developed into.
But, maybe for older people, or a couple with a child who tried to stay in the room we got, it would have been a bit of a challenge on the plumbing front. Visit these apartments with an open mind, a box of spanners and if possible your B&Q loyalty card for emergency supplies.
Final thought - we had a lovely lovely holiday!

The Apartment
A regular Greek traveller, I know what to expect in Greek accommodation. This place was pretty much average. PLUS POINTS were as follows: Very good sized wardrobe, (not many hangers), comfortable beds (well I thought so, my partner thought them a little hard), a small kettle and a hairdryer.
NEGATIVES We had a black mould damp patch on our bathroom ceiling, (this may have been just our room, probably due to a leaky shower above), only very small towels, (although the rep managed to arrange some larger ones for us).
Although the Kosmar brochure doesn't mention it the rooms have air conditioning (payable locally). However we found that our room stayed fairly cool and we didn't need to use it.
The Bar
Called Navargo (or something like that), it is Greek for shipwreck. I liked this place, some thought had obviously gone into it. Nearly always some good music on. usually easy listening, chilling' music, although the occasional bit of rockier stuff. Never too loud. The downside here were the prices. In a lot of the bars we were paying 2 Euros for a large bottle of Amstel. Here it was that much for a small draft beer.
The Staff
Everyone was very friendly and helpful. No complaints here.
The Pool
Not Olympic sized but ideal for cooling off. It was always clean although a few insects had died in there by the end of the day and it could have gained from a bit of attention in the late afternoon to get rid of these.
The Beach
Hmmmm. Depends what you want here. For me I like a nice, gently shelving sandy beach. This wasn't. It was a mixture of sand and shingle with some larger stones. Fine for sun bathing, but not too good under foot. And in the sea it was stony too....with quite a shelve on initially entering the water. We tended to walk further along the beach, (to the right as you leave the apartments, about half a mile) and we found that although not brilliant the beach was better here.
Other Places
As an alternative to the beach here we went to Psili Ammos beach. You can catch the bus or it is 7 Euros one way in a taxi. Just book a return pick up with the driver. This is much nicer underfoot and in a very pleasant setting.
We also got the bus to Scala Potamia, (on the other side of the island), a stunningly beautiful journey and the beach there is firm hard sand that is shallow for a long way out. There was a wasp problem there however, and it was near impossible to eat a lunch as they descended on you in droves. I think this is a seasonal problem and probably dependant on lots of other factors. I have stayed in the resort in the past, towards the end of September and don't remember there being a problem then.
We also went into Thassos town, good for a bit of retail therapy! And we indulged ourselves in a day trip to Bulgaria. Phew...a really early start. Interesting but bit long! A lot of time spent on a bus.