16/07/2024
My honest opinion from a great holiday! A five minute read for anyone who is interested in visiting this beautiful island full of beautiful people, especially anna oikonomoy!
We arrived back on 10th July from a holiday that we'll always remember due to the fact that the staff were always there for you and would cater for anything you asked for with no trouble. We arrived on the 26th June after a 4 hour flight and a two hour ferry trip to get to the island as the nearest airport is Skiathos. We were in holiday mode as soon as we got on the ferry, taking in the sights of neighbouring island Skopelos and sailing past the church featured in Mama Mia which was a surprise to my partner (a big Abba fan!)
We were very warmly greeted at 4 Epoches by the young Anastasia and Nikos who were so helpful from the start. Our room was as we expected, exceptionally clean and just what you expect in a proper Greek resort. The air con was spot on and the bed was really comfy (split into two single that pushed together easily with no issues). The rooms were cleaned daily which is a first for us on a Greek island and the standards were high.
Breakfast was excellent which included the following: Bacon, sausages, scrambled egg, fried egg, fresh tomatoes, cheese pies, croissants, ham, feta, honey, peaches, watermelon, assorted jams, toast, the lot. Enough variety for any moaning critic. We met the lovely Anna who was the face of the hotel and was the visual head of running the place as she was doing everything for everyone and was a great person to turn to for any advice about the island. The pool was always quiet at most times and was the perfect size to relax in and out when it was really hot (which it was) and the temperature was perfect.
Steni Vala itself was a quiet little boat port with some nice tavernas / restaurants to eat and drink in whilst watching the boats and yachts go in and out, counting the different flags from different nations and enjoying watching the people and locals going about their daily routines. Special shouts out go to the excellent Sossinola and their excellent family run restaurant who were so kind and even gave me a Mythos glass to take home on our last day. The food and service was amazing. Also neighbouring restaurant To Fanari with their fresh fish being brought in daily. We even watched a Grouper Fish being caught, scraped and gutted in front of us which was a sight to be seen! Excellent food again.
The small supermarket stocked everything we needed and we even watched the Euro Football in their cafe bar on a couple of occasions with a great set of people. There were two lovely beaches within 20 minutes walking distance (for able walkers), one in particular Glyfa, being really quiet and peaceful and in the other direction the Suelto Beach Bar which was very friendly.
If you want to get around the island and visit remote areas you can hire a car from the excellent Sporades Rent A Car which is next to the Ikion Cafe Bar up a small alleyway next to the diving centre. Kostas is a gentleman and will give you a map and explain all the best places to visit on the island. We hired a car for 8 days and visited everywhere we could get to and then some!
The capital Patitiri had to be visited a few times to appreciate how good it was and after a few trips grew on us. Highlights were definitely a taverna / restaurant called Ostria. The food was excellent and the staff were comedians, especially the young lad from Volos who had the magic entertaining touch!
A trip to the old village Chora is a must! Winding cobbled streets that reminded us of Molyvos on Lesvos and quite steep with spectacular views around every corner. Recommended was Cretan restaurant Thea with it's almost Michelin quality food and fantastic views across the bay to boot!
If you fancy a boat trip I suggest the all dayer with Odyssey Cruises. Captain George is a crazy character, one minute cooking his prawns for lunch, next minute diving in the seas for a swim. You may meet his partner and her little dog Chilli if you're lucky! She is a quite famous actor in Greece and told us loads of stories, especially when she played Amy Winehouse in an alternative version of Scrooge in Athens! And Captain George makes the best Feta ever on his goat farm up in the mountains. A great trip with a lovely sunset to witness!
There are very few negatives to mention and I'll let you decide what they are. I'm a writer not a critic and everyone has their opinion. Just let me tell you that if you've visited Greek islands before you'll find 4 Epoches an excellent stay and worth every penny as you'll be assured of a great holiday and go back home with memories you'll always cherish forever.
A big shout out goes to all the staff at 4 Epoches for weathering the storm (there actually was one!) and working hard for the whole 14 days we were there. They will deal with everything thrown at them with the best professional service ever and will go the extra mile for everyone, including people who are disabled and unable to get around like we still can.
A massive thanks to Anna, Margarita, Nikos, Nikolas, Anastasia and Phillipa (the chef) for a great holiday we'll never forget and we'll be back in 2026 after our usual Lesvos trip. We love you all ###
