Elounda Aqua Sol Resort

2 readers found this review helpful

My husband and I have just returned from the Elounda Aqua Sol Hotel. Crete.
The hotel itself was very clean and there was a lot of variety in the food. We went all inclusive which was very good. If you have any trouble in walking there a lot of stairs to climb to and from the pool, also a long gradient out of the hotel and down to the small supermarket down the road from the hotel. We felt we were isolated as far as the day and evening entertainment was concerned as it was all spoken in French.
Elounda itself is very pretty surrounded by mountains with lots of shops and tavernas. You can walk there, which will take about half an hour but once again walking back it is all up hill. So we used to get a taxi which cost 6 Euros day or night.
Try to use the buses, which are air conditioned coaches, instead of using the tours by your reps. We went to the KNOSSOS PALACE by catching a bus from outside the Elounda Bay Hotel about 10 mins walk away to AGIOS NICKOLOS bus station then a bus to HERKALION bus station then a bus the KNOSSOS PALACE. It gave us much more time to look around and we could do everything at our own pace. It took about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get there but worth it if you like old ruins.
From ELOUNDA you can get a boat to the island of SPINALONGA for 10 Euros each return. Well worth a visit. Buy the book on Spinalonga before you go as there is only a small information shop on the island.
If you like reading a good book to get before to go is The Island by Victoria Hislop it is a fictional book telling to the story of a family who went to the Leper Colony which existed on the island from 1903 to 1957. Victoria Hislop was there the week before we went so we just missed her . You can also catch the Happy Train which takes you down to the village of Plaka (which is a tiny village just opposite Spinalonga) along the coast road and back again for 6 Euros.
We recommend the Jeep Safari tour it was thoroughly enjoyable the Lassithi Plateau was spectacular. You visit the Olive Oil Museum in Agios Nicholaos. You stop off for a meal and visit the caves where Zeus was supposed to be born. The drive through the mountains are something not to be missed.
We also went on a trip to Santorini, which was a very pretty place, but was the most dis-organised tour we have ever been on. We were picked up at our hotel at 6-45 am with no rep or tour guide on board. We reached Heraklion harbour still to be met by no tour guide or anyone to tell us where to go to catch to catamaran. After spending 2 1/2 hours on the catamaran which was full of diesel fumes we were told over the loud speakers which coach to go to by nationality which was where we finally met our tour guide. Be prepared not to get back to the hotel until at least 9.30 - 10 clock which will mean you will miss your evening meal.
Enjoy your holiday in Elounda we did.