Booked today to go to ALYKANAS BEACH VILLAGE as pictured in the Airtours Summer brochure. The picture is an artist's impression as there is no photograph yet. We assume it is a brand new complex. We fly out on 27th June from Birmingham with 2 children aged 10 and 7. Has anyone been yet. We have been to Alykanas and Alykes twice before so know the area really well. Is it situated between the Hotel Valais and the little river at the Anatolikas Restaurant or is it somewhere else? Is it completed? I really hope so. If we get there and it is not finished what do we do??

Flew to Zante with Airtours on 2lst June 2001 from Cardiff. Fourth time with Airtours to Greece and cant fault them. The flight last year was very good - the cabin crew particularly one guy was an absolute scream, especially his safety chat before disembarking.. I almost cried with laughter. The pilots are always great about letting the children into the cockpit etc. The worst thing about any flight to Zante is having to check in at the worst airport in Europe !!

Stayed in Kookounaria in July 2001, room 333 whcih was a studio. We have 2 girls who were aged 6 and 9 and it was fine for the four of us. In fact it was the most spacious studio we have ever stayed in (in Greece). It was immaculate inside and out, and apart from being woke by the peacocks at the back, it was quiet at night with very little disturbance from surrounding bars. Situated up the hill from the crossroads at Alykes which was fine on the way to the beach, not so good walking back though!! Overall a fabulous place to stay, excellent pool etc., although prices in the bar are pretty expensive - go elsewhere for a night out!!

Thank you to Helen Rafferty for the very comprehensive report on the Alykanas Beach Village. We are so looking forward to it now (2 weeks today!) Just a couple of things Helen, was there a hairdryer in the studio, and how ofter do they change towels etc. Does the air conditioning mean hiring a fan? Does the fridge have a freezer and are there plenty of kitchen utensils such as cutlery, tin opener etc. It is always handy to take these sort of things unless you know they are already there. Glad you enjoyed your holiday.. and thanks again !!

Hi all, got back yesterday morning. We had a fantastic two weeks at the Alykanas Beach Village. It was pristine, maid came in every day, towels and sheets changed Monday and Friday which I suppose you just have to put up with.. try not to let the kids put sand on the beds!! Everything was brand new.. new kettle but it didn't work so we used the microwave to boil water for coffee. Air conditioning units are fantastic.. 45 Euros for a week. We paid but we know of a few people who didn't because it kept coming on without control. The temperature on our balcony at 10am in full sun was 51oC which was 124oF so be careful!! In the shade it was around 38 - 45C This was our fourth visit to Zante so we were comparing these apartments with others and they were definately better than any we have stayed in. Went along to the Beach Apartments (Kosmar), just next door. Again these were spotless but the bar was a real rip off...Coke cost 180 cents (about £1.20) which would be okay if it was a can or bottle, but they were pouring it out of a litre plastic bottle which costs around 80pence to buy in the supermarket. The Beach Village bar was also more expensive than local tavernas but at least the soft drinks were in bottles or cans. The bar was also very popular, as was the snack bar by the pool. Snacks were reasonable I suppose but took the sullen waiter ages to get around to serving you and when he did he spent most of his time complaining about being on his own and being so busy! Elaine, the Airtours Rep was fantastic. Had a bit of trouble with noisy neighbours... kids running around the landings at 2am etc. but Elaine and the manager sorted out some house rules which have now been given to everyone on arrival. All in, it is a brilliantly situated apartment and convenient for the beach and town alike. You will love it..

Never had a bad meal here. The stuffed peppers are just divine.. the waiters recognise you every time and make you so welcome. My 10 year old daughter just loved the baked spaghetti and they will do anything on the menu in a child sized portion..although the child size portion is only marginally smaller than the norm. However you will only be charged for a child's portion so it was very good value. Staying at the Beach Village meant we could travel by horse and carriage there for free.. they take you there from outside the apartment. In fact many restaurants are now doing this. The kids love the play area which has Little Tikes outdoor toys and also the tank which has a couple of little terrapins.. keeps them amused whilst waiting for your order (which arrives in no time despite the popularity of the restaurant..it is always packed!)

Tried this one because it had a good write up here. Thought it was okay, pestered by wasps and cats! The beef with spaghetti was lovely as was the garlic bread with cheese starter. Husband had the swordfish kebab but wasn't that impressed really. The setting is alright but because of all the lemon trees, there really are a lot of flies and wasps. Perhaps we were just unlucky..

To jholden :- the Alykanas Beach Studios & Apartments are in the Kosmar brochure and are situated next door to the Alykanas Beach Village which is found in the Airtours brochure. They are both approached from the road by the Letsos Hotel and are separated by a 300metre stretch of spare ground. Both compexes are situated on the beach, but the Alykanas Village is much bigger and covers a larger area. The Beach Studios look incomplete in so far as the building has steel rods poking out of the roof.., perhaps they plan another floor sometime in the future. The pool is lovely, right by the beach and the play area for children is great.

We only came here to hire a pedalo for the purpose of turtle searching! Last year we went on a boat and saw one turtle. This time, we went out to the shallow waters in a pedalo at 11.30am and were surrounded. I have never experienced anything like it...it is a very humbling experience. A pedalo costs 12 Euros for one hour and believe me it is worth every cent. We went back the following day with the camcorder and done it all again although this time it took a bit longer to sight the turtles as they were a bit further out. However we did again see around 5 of them.. same time.. late morning. As for the beach itself, it looked very busy with sunbeds and parasols crammed closely together and many people sunbathing next to where cars were parked right on the beach.

Yes all the studios have a bath as well as a mixer tap and shower, shower curtain and towel rails above the shower. No hairdryer but your hair will dry in about 5 mins as it is so hot anyway. Towels and sheets are changed twice a week.. dont know why someone had it only once. Travellers cheques can be changed at reception.. we always did it there, same rates as elsewhere in Alykanas. The balcony rails were up to my chest (5' 4") but if you have a toddler I would definately request a ground floor apartment. Keep sandals on kids' feet.. poolside looks lovely but is a bit rough and also slippery. There were no clothes airers so take a piece of thick twine or travel line and pegs to string across your balcony. TV in apartments is free... handy for watching Sky News to see the weather back in Britain..ha ha !

You will not find any turtles along the East coast ie Alykanas or Alykes. The National Marine Park lies along Laganas bay where the turtles come back year after year to lay their eggs. Hire a pedalo in Laganas and you will find your turtles. The beach at Gerakas is the most beautiful on the island and is at the point of the Vassilikos peninsula. There are no speed boats or water sports anywhere along this part of the bay because of the danger to the turtles and whereever you see the little cages is where the eggs are buried. There is a watch-point which is manned by Marine Park volunteers and they are very informative. Out on the bay at Laganas towards Marathonisi Island you will see the glass bottomed boats and pedalos..personally go for the pedalo and find your own turtle..it is a sight you will remember for the rest of your life.

when the patio door and shutters are closed it is very quiet. however it will be absolutely unbearable to do this unless you have the air conditioning on as it is very hot in the apartments. the complex is not particularly noisy anyway, we did have a couple of noisy nights mainly because of unsup**vised children running around late at night. with regard to sleeping arrangements for 2 adults and 2 children, there is a dividing wall to around chest height which allows some separation in the studios without the extra bedroom. the studios are very spacious so i wouldn't worry. we always prefer not to be on the ground floor - only reason really is that in the past we have had ants/mosquitos/cats coming through the open patio door so it is usually a bit better to be a little bit off the ground !! actually we hardly had any bites, partly because of the jungle formula lotion that i have always used on myself and the children, and also because it was so hot in the last two weeks that i think that tends to keep the insects at bay a little..

Ground floor apartments have a wall all around the terrace, dont worry no chance of escape for toddlers !! About chest high on an adult so not able to climb easily either..