10/10 Excellent
Georgi Z.
7 Sept 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A month in paradise
We have been around Northern Greece a lot in the past 15 years and Phaethon's house is the closest to perfect we have seen so far.
Here it goes, in order of priority (for us):
- Amazing sea view. You only get that if the house is above the sea level and there is nothing obstructing the view. Preferably facing south to west so you get the sunset as well. I will just say that most of our photos from this vacation feature the view from the house and the sunsets over Mount Olympus.
- Crystal clear turquoise water. I mean, when we look for a vacation house, we literally scout the coast on Google maps satellite view for the right water color. I won't say this was the best we have seen but it certainly passes with flying colors.
- Close proximity to a beach. You only need to walk a few stairs down to the beach. Which is, indeed, semi-private and that means you are either alone or with the very few (nice and kind) people from the adjacent houses.
- The house. It is clean, spacious, beautifully furnished, and very well equipped. Kitchen has everything needed, and more (first time I see a dedicated ice-maker machine in Europe). The only thing we brought was a Nespresso machine but that’s because we are particularly picky about our coffee. We did not use the air conditioning at all but were glad it was there for our peace of mind. We have had more than one sleepless night elsewhere.
A special mention about location – the Kassandra “finger” (or “leg”) of Chalkidiki is very easy to cross east to west. For us that meant then when we had bad weather (north-western wind) we could just drive for half an hour to the east cost and still have a perfect day on the beach there.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when considering this house.
- If you are with small children (1-3 years) you will have to keep a close eye on them when outside. It is not the type of yard where you can leave them play unattended. We are not in that situation, so not an issue.
- Another is that if you plan to eat out a lot you should be prepared to drive. The closest good restaurants are in Possidi, which is 7-8 min drive (and 45+ min walk). For us it was only a minor inconvenience, plus we cooked and ate at the house most of the time.
And finally, the host. From experience, a host can make or break a holiday. Luckily, it was the former. We have nothing but good things to say about Phaethon.
In summary – it was one of our best summer holidays ever.
Georgi Z.
Stayed 27 nights in Aug 2020
