I’D FEARED our Greek adventure was over before it had started.
The country had been smashed by floods during Storm Daniel just days before we arrived.
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Torrents of rain had turned streets into rivers, swept away cars, flooded homes and left holidaymakers on lockdown at their hotels.
Half-expecting an email to confirm our trip was cancelled, we prepared for the worst. But it never came.
What were we walking into?
We — my wife Lauren and I — had recently got married. But with no official honeymoon booked, we decided to visit some of the lesser-known parts of Greece for a week-long getaway.
We landed on Skiathos — the most popular of the Sporades Islands — which is located to the east of the mainland in the Aegean Sea.
The island is known for its incredible golden sand shores which are met by the clearest of blue Aegean waters and that’s exactly what we were met with.
We were whisked away to the Princess Resort, a stunning, luxury retreat on the beach front to the south of the island.
We were immediately drawn in by the relaxing vibe to the place and its picturesque location, which we really got a feel for at the hotel’s beach bar — where else!
Any notion we had for exploring on the first day was soon washed away and not by rains but laziness as we found ourselves dozing on the comfiest of loungers to the backdrop of the bar’s chilled tunes.
And as the hazy, late-afternoon sun flickered off the crystal clear water, we soaked up our first taste of cold Greek beer and toasted the official start of our island odyssey.
Skiathos is famous for being home to filming locations from the movie Mamma Mia and the cast and crew actually stayed at the Princess Resort while filming scenes for the Abba-inspired musical flick around the Sporades.
“Well, if it’s good enough for Meryl Streep”, I thought.
The hotel serves up a number of dining options including a delicious breakfast buffet. Just yards from the pool area is the snack bar which does brilliant burgers, salads and toasties.
For the more outgoing guests with the urge to get active, the hotel offers a range of fitness options like yoga and pilates, as well as spa and wellness treatments.
It’s easy to imagine an A-list movie cast settling into the luxurious surroundings of the Princess thanks to the five-star service provided by the extremely friendly and welcoming staff who looked after us incredibly well.
One of the things that struck me most as we started to explore was how quickly it had recovered from the deluge of downpours the week before. The islanders had shown incredible resilience to get things back up and running, particularly with it being quite late in the season.
We soon found ourselves getting lost as we strolled through every nook and cranny of Skiathos Town, with its quaint little streets and their picture postcard-like houses and shop fronts painted white and blue.
Climbing what felt like 10,000 steps to the St Nicholas Bell Tower was absolutely worth it as we were met with an incredible view of the entire town and the harbour.
Like most, I love nothing more on holiday than trying the local cuisine and Greek food is right up there for me.
We were spoilt for choice with hundreds of restaurants and tavernas tucked away around every corner of the town’s cute little streets, serving everything from authentic Greek dishes like moussaka to the more common grilled meats and street foods like juicy gyros and souvlaki.
There’s a lively nightlife scene too, with several late-night bars lining the harbour and playing music into the small hours.
For the adrenaline junkies and aviation geeks, whichever category you fall into, the island’s unique airport runway has become somewhat of a viral craze with tourists.
Here, thrill-seekers flock to watch planes as they come in to land almost within touching distance overhead due to the runway being so unusually short. Just remember to hold on to your hats and sunglasses.
As I mentioned, the island is famous for its idyllic coastlines and we experienced this first-hand by visiting some of its other beaches.
We headed to Koukounaries Beach, just a 10-minute journey away from the Princess. It’s another beautiful stretch of beach that’s popular with families.
Chasing the sunset, we hiked for around 20 minutes from Koukounaries to nearby Banana Beach — not to be confused with the neighbouring Little Banana Beach around the next bay, which is appropriately named due to it being the island’s only nudist beach.
Watching one of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever witnessed, it felt like the perfect ending to the first chapter of our trip.
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We island-hopped to our next destination and arrived on Alonissos.
Its enchanting little harbour village of Patitiri is as dreamy as it is welcoming.
Secluded. Luxurious. A little piece of paradise. Those are just some things that come to mind when I think of the Marpunta Resort, our next stop on the Santikos Collection.
Precisely a six-minute drive from the harbour, it’s located on its own peninsula to the southwest of the island, nestled among palm trees, perched on a cliff edge overlooking that turquoise Aegean Sea. It’s spectacular.
Guests are encouraged to leave their troubles behind and slip into a state of pure relaxation. We didn’t need much encouragement!
Flanked by its own private beaches, the hotel offers wonderful sea views at almost every turn and has a really laidback atmosphere.
Hiking tours, paddle boarding and tennis are all available but reaching for the menu to order lunch and another cocktail by the pool was about as strenuous as it got for us.
Delicious offerings included my new favourite Greek treat, bougatsa, a sweet pastry with a creamy custard filling.
The incredibly attentive staff at the resort’s pool bar and Achinos beach restaurant can’t be faulted. They ensured all our needs were met from the comfort of our sun lounger.
The peaceful surroundings of the Marpunta allow for some quiet reflection, and I can honestly say I don’t think I’d ever tire of looking up from my morning coffee and gazing out at the stunningly clear water surrounding the hotel. This IS the life.
Although Skiathos had brought a surprisingly bustling nightlife element to the trip, Alonissos was certainly a much quieter experience.
However, the slow-paced Alonissian life still had a lot to offer and was every bit as beautiful as its neighbour.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Located just a few kilometres from the port of Patitiri and at the top of a hill is Alonissos Old Town, also known as Chora, stole the show for me with its narrow streets and charming stone buildings, lined with pretty little restaurants and shops.
We spent our last night there taking in the panoramic views of the island as we toasted to the perfect holiday, with not a spot of rain the entire time. Yamas!
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GO: Skiathos & Alonissos
GETTING THERE: Jet2 fly from Newcastle to Skiathos with fares from £??pp. See jet2.com
STAYING THERE: A Deluxe Double Sea View Room at the Princess Resort in Skiathos is from £208 a night, B&B, two sharing. Rooms at the Marpunta Resort in Alonissos are from £124 a night, B&B, two sharing. See santikoscollection.com
MORE INFO: visitgreece.gr for holidays in Greece.
