How often do you do it?

[Ploppy]

Plakias certainly has its fair share of returning visitors each year.

Just thought I would get a feel for just quite how much of a dedicated lot we are.

Myself and Margherita tend to go once a year in September. Once went in June due to work committments. September suits us as it is after the school holidays, the sea is lovely and warm and the weather is still good.

Wouldn't mind going twice a year but having only 20 days holiday and other pressures like family visits make this impossible.

The poll only allows three questions but I could of asked 'How long do you go for?' We do the standard 2 weeks but last year we did 3 which was heavenly. I know a lot of people also split the holiday with another resort so let us know where else you go.

Thanks,

Paul

[Rowena & Carl]

Plakias certainly has its fair share of returning visitors each year.

Just thought I would get a feel for just quite how much of a dedicated lot we are.

Myself and Margherita tend to go once a year in September. Once went in June due to work committments. September suits us as it is after the school holidays, the sea is lovely and warm and the weather is still good.

Wouldn't mind going twice a year but having only 20 days holiday and other pressures like family visits make this impossible.

The poll only allows three questions but I could of asked 'How long do you go for?' We do the standard 2 weeks but last year we did 3 which was heavenly. I know a lot of people also split the holiday with another resort so let us know where else you go.

Thanks,

Paul

We go for 2 weeks in June/july and 10 days in October would be longer but the same problem not enough leave. We normally have a break from Plakias just for 1 night when we head up to Rethymno which is fantastic but we soon crave Plakias again the next day. We did do 3 weeks in Plakias for our honeymoon and I would definately do that again if I had more holiday. I had two extra trips to crete with my sister in law over making it 3 x a year for 2 years (heaven) we first stayed in Panormo (& Plakias 1 night) on the north coast between Bali & Rethymno it's a lovely small working village very peaceful if you want to really chill out which we did & the 2nd time we stayed in Plantannes, Rethymno as my friend was reping there, not such a nice area next too busy beach road & beach really packed but still had a wonderful time & the family at the apartments we stayed in were wonderful. Only 7km from centre too so spent alot of time in the old town at night.

Would also be interested to hear of other people's stays on other parts of the island as one day we plan to drive to Crete & tour the whole Island, we have covered alot of the west but never gone too far East, Matala probably the furthest.

Look forward to hearing others stories etc

Rowena

[George]

That surprised me, I thought there would be a lot more Seasoned Veterans than that, there again there's only been 19 votes as I write this.

george g...

[Mike G]

Being retired, fitting holidays in with annual leave isn't a problem and my ideal would be two weeks in May and three in Sept/Oct. I know many disagree but I think going to Plakias for all your foreign holidays shows a lack of imagination but I do like to go there once every year (not this year unfortunately). I like it hot but not overbearingly so and prefer the quiet times of year for more reasons than I will mention here.

Other favourites are Paleohora (Crete), Petra (Lesvos), Tingaki (Kos), and Kambos (Samos). I would like to try Skopelos some time and Skala (Kefalonia) again if they ever resolve the (far end) beach issue . I also enjoyed Agios Georgious (Corfu SW coast).

Those who know Greece well will recognise the common link in these resorts being decent areas for walking and a far end.  

As I prefer to book via a tour operator booking three weeks can be a problem but as someone has said in another thread it is a really good duration for a break.

Mike

[John R]

That surprised me, I thought there would be a lot more Seasoned Veterans than that, there again there's only been 19 votes as I write this.

george g...

I agree with the above remark. I am not yet quite a seasoned veteran (10th year this year) but still feel like a newcomer whenever I talk people while there - all seemingly having been there for much longer than us.

John R

[John R]

I know many disagree but I think going to Plakias for all your foreign holidays shows a lack of imagination but I do like to go there once every year

Mike

Well - basically we don't go abroad at all for our holidays. Went to Crete once as a one off adventure to celebrate retirement (12 years ago), found Plakias and been every year since. Somehow we just don't consider it as "being abroad" - sounds daft but there it is !!

John R

[George]

That surprised me, I thought there would be a lot more Seasoned Veterans than that, there again there's only been 19 votes as I write this.

george g...

I agree with the above remark. I am not yet quite a seasoned veteran (10th year this year) but still feel like a newcomer whenever I talk people while there - all seemingly having been there for much longer than us.

John R

Full of surprises this thread, I had the impression that you had been more than me John (my 11th year this year), and do agree with you, I still do feel like a newbie, so where's all the long termers? Or are we them  ?

Would be interested to see John O's vote, maybe he took that 60's photo  

george g...

[compage]

Our first visit was in 1991.
Although we've been to Plakias more than once in a year we've never planned to do that.
It's just that we've used Crete as a starting point for some other trips but then cut them short and had a few days in Plakias to fill up the available time.

We like to do 3 weeks in Crete in late September / early October and have a week of that in Paleohora before finishing up in Plakias.
Before Paleohora we might do a couple of nights in other places.
Hania is good for that but this year it's going to be Malia so that we can visit the ancient sites.

We've hardly touched mainland Greece yet but other islands we've enjoyed and visited some more than once are Corfu, Paxos, Kefalonia, Thassos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Rhodes and Kos.
The only one we didn't like was Tilos.
In addition, we've visited some of the smaller islands but not stayed overnight.

In the next decade or so we hope to visit a few more distant places for various reasons.
Some are in Europe but most are long haul.

[John R]

Full of surprises this thread, I had the impression that you had been more than me John (my 11th year this year), and do agree with you, I still do feel like a newbie, so where's all the long termers? Or are we them  ?

george g...

Been going to Crete for 12 years now but first 2 years were "wasted" on North coast. We visited Plakias for a day on our 2nd year (so I suppose I can nearly say this year will be our 11th) and immediately on arrival sat in our car looking around the place thinking "what have we been doing for the past two years ?"

John R

[Daisy]

1993 was our first year, we will be making our 14 visit this year, we try to go May & Sept,  we have made many good friends over the years. We have been to Corfu, Lefkada and the east coast of Crete and enjoyed them all but always return to Plakias.

[Greecemad]

As I'm sure I've said before, my first trip to a Greek Island was to Plakias in 1990. Since then I've been to the Greek Islands every year and for the past several years I've been twice (in June and then in August/September). The pattern I've settled into is to go somewhere in June for a week (or sometimes longer) and then have a long island-hopping trip in the Cyclades in August/September. I think I'll probably now limit the June to holiday to Crete and the Sporades (Skiathos/Skopelos).

I've been to Crete 10 times and Plakias 9 times (so I'm not yet a seasoned veteran). On Crete (going clockwise) I've stayed in Chania, Bali, Iraklion, Hersonissos, Malia, ?, Lendas, Matala, Aghia Galini, Plakias, Sougia and Paleochora.

I've also stayed on the following islands: Rhodes, Kos, Patmos, Lesbos, Skiathos, Skopelos, Corfu, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Antiparos, Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonissi, Donoussa, Amorgos, Anafi, Folegandros, Serifos. I've made day visits to Poros, Aegina, Sikinos, Delos, Kalymnos, Pserimos, Thirassia and the volcanic islands in the middle of the Santorini archipelago.

Back in the 1980s I also did a coach tour of Athens and the mainland.

You may also be interested to know that there is no other forum like Plakias Forums about any other of these places on Crete, or any other island.

Greecemad

[George]

Seems like there are some seasoned campaigners around.

My first visit to Crete was in 1978 which probably gave me the taste for Greece (although it was a Club 18-30), but the bug was definately caught.
Other islands include Rhodes (Lots), Kos, Ios, Karpathos, Samos, Kafelonia and Lefkas.

Stayed in Makriagialos in the east one year, because we wanted to explore that end of the island, and regretted it, and went straight back to Plakias the following year.
My first visit to Plakias was 1992 and haven't looked back!!  

george g...

[John R]

Seems like there are some seasoned campaigners around.

My first visit to Crete was in 1978 which probably gave me the taste for Greece (although it was a Club 18-30), but the bug was definately caught.
Other islands include Rhodes (Lots), Kos, Ios, Karpathos, Samos, Kafelonia and Lefkas.

george g...

I came alone in 1965 to Crete for a few days (stupidly stopping only around Heraklion). Also went to Athens and Delphi on that same trip. In 1971 we went on a coach trip around the Greek mainland followed by a week on Rhodes. After that we had no real desire to return to Greece until my retirement when uncharacteristically - in 1996 - we went on a very cheap last minute - accommodation allocated on arrival (Malia !!) package. Found Plakias in 1998 and have returned annually ever since.

John R.

[George]

We all make mistakes John, but we get there in the end!!  

george g...

[Ploppy]

We are relative newbies. First went in September 2001.

This was back when my fear of flying was severe, almost didn't get on the plane, Margherita had to virtually drag me on. Thankfully I did and found Plakias.

Johns site was up and running then and I became a member of the old forum before we went so we knew something of what to expect.

11th of Spetember happened whilst we were there so it is not a trip easily forgotten for a few reasons.

We have been back each year since so this year will be our 7th trip.

Paul