After going to Caretta Beach for two weeks last summer with my family, I decided that I wanted to go again. The staff were extremely friendly, there was a huge choice of restaurants to eat at, Heavens Kitchen being a favourite! And plenty of bars (with AND without karaoke), which were both fun. Stanni's right at the end of the stretch has an amazing Greek Dancing night every Sunday. The dancers fully involve everyone willing to join in, and it's a brilliant night in typical Greek style.
Come and join the Fat Lads Volleyball Team at Caretta Beach! Enjoy the beautiful, peaceful location of Caretta Beach in a totally relaxing atmosphere.
Overall, very good accommodation. Modern, spacious apartment with separate bedroom, kitchen had microwave, kettle, hob plus fridge. Good size balcony.
Very good facilities; pool area was had 3 separate pools with plenty of loungers and lots of inflatables for everyone's use.
Aircraft noise not an issue; there's only 1 or 2 planes an hour landing or taking off, so don't let it put you off.
Tons of bars/restaurants within a 5 min walk.
2 BAD POINTS:
1. We were put in A block which is totally unsuitable for a young family (we had an 11 month old baby), due to late night music/noise from the bar. Kosmar rep was useless at sorting out the problem.
2. The BBQ had average food and really rubbish wine, plus the whole family had a stomach upset for days afterwards. Avoid BBQ night like the plague!! There's much better food to be had in Kalamaki's many restaurants.
Fantastic selection of restaurants with very good food at very reasonable prices. Lots of facilities, like car hire, supermarkets, bars all within a few mins walk of the hotel.
Not really picturesque but it wasn't sold as a traditional Greek village.
Beach was fine if a bit small and narrow.
Hey,
Meant to do this review when we got back from holiday but now just getting round to it!! My sister and I had a great holiday in September at Caretta. It was both our first time to Greece, and we thought both Caretta and Zakynthos were great!! Our room was very clean and tidy and our balcony overlooked the airport runway and we loved watching planes take off and land. The staff are all great! George and Yannis are crazy!! My birthday was the same day as George's. Thank you George for making my birthday special as well! Still not sure how I woke up the next morning without a hangover!! The reception staff are also very helpful and it was very handy having a minimarket on site. Greek night is also brilliant. The food was good & we did loads of dancing, don't think we quite mastered all the steps but great fun trying!!
Just a shame we only had one week.We have recently arrived back from the Caretta Beach (our 2nd time there.., and my 8th time in Zante). We stayed in the new block (J) this time, and cannot fault the apartments or the staff at all.
I commented here the first time I went to Caretta Beach. I went for the 2nd time in September for a week, it was absolutely amazing, everyone remembered me and my partner Andy, We went out with George and Yannis in Laganas, and everyone was so amazing and friendly! We stayed in block F, so not as good as the new block but still clean and everything up to standard. I miss it loads and probably will go back next year!
Thanks guys for the wonderful time, yourtop people!
I'll add photos later!
Just arrived back after 2 weeks in Zakynthos. This was our 6th time in Kalamaki and our 2nd time back to the Caretta Beach Hotel.
Alritey there!
Stayed at the Caretta Beach 19 - 26th August 2007 and have to say one of the best holidays we have had. The staff were great and the accommodation was spot on for the three of us, brother came with us, as we came child free!!!! Would definately come back again with the kids as we think they would love it!!! Can't wait to go back again as we definately will.
Big hello to everyone at Caretta Beach! Unfortunately i arrived back home from the best 3weeks holiday ever! The location of the hotel and the amazing friendly staff would quarentee anyone the most superb holiday ever! With the staff at reception, to the bar staff, even the security, and of course the amazing management staff there is always such a welcoming and friendly,relaxed atmosphere throughout the hotel! Everyone at Caretta Beach is missed so much already and cant wait until next year!!! xx
Just returned from two weeks at the Caretta Beach and it was fantastic. A fab complex, extremely well run by the management team and ALL the staff were friendly and couldn't do enough for my family.
Just to say we had an awesome time at the caretta beach! will defo be back next year
Does anyone know a working email address for the caretta beach?!
Hi, we are going to caretta beach on the 25th August for a week and we would like to email the apartments, if anybody has the email address could you please email me at y.oxley@ntlworld.com with the address thanks
My Fiance and I have just returned from the Caretta Beach and I must say we loved it. Everyone was so friendly. The food we found was most excellent. The only thing we found because we are of an older generation we found that the noise levels of youngsters a bit too much making a lot of noise through to the early hours of the morning but apart from that and where the hotel is situated we loved every minute of it - especially the weather which was well hot.. We would go back to Kalamaki with no doubt.
Me and my boyfriend have just booked to go to the caretta beach studios in september. Just wondering if anybody has stopped in the studios? Are the studios part of this complex? Thanx
To be fair this was the best summer holiday i have had!
We came back from Caretta Beach Hotel on 01 July 2007.
Brilliant – Brilliant – Brilliant
Our second year running at the Caretta Beach, which has been extended this year – 3 new swimming pools, 2 new accommodation blocks, and the standards of the Hotel remain the same - high!!
Caretta Beach is a big hotel complex, with a small and friendly hotel feel. The staff are first class, friendly, welcoming and can't do enough for you...from the reception staff to the cleaners, to the barmen and the catering staff.
From the moment of arrival to the sad final wave off, you couldn't find fault with any of the staff or the complex.
After being shown our room, it felt like home – what a great feeling.
Made so many friends whilst we were there, really hope we see them again next year.
The food was excellent, excellent value for money, not a bad meal once in 14 days...... Greek Night was absolutely fantastic, plenty of food, nice wine and great Greek dancing – everyone loved it. As was the Pizza night, fresh, hot and tasty.
Rooms are cleaned daily, the bedding and towels changed regularly. Aircon worked perfectly.
Swimming Pools cleaned and checked every night.
The manager Thomas and his team are and were always on hand. A BIG thank you to all the staff who made the holiday so special, special thanks to Tassos, Dimitris, George, Yannis, Debbie and Laura.
Finally to the owner Marina, well done on the Hotel Complex extension and for all your hard work – fantastic Hotel, we ARE coming back next year – see you then, MANY THANKS
Hi,
I came back from Caretta beach hotel on the 24th June, I had the best time of my life! Very hot the 2nd week reaching 45C! Madness. It's an absolute must to stay here. Lets just say they had 2 pools leastyear now they have 5 - big expansion, very friendly people. If your planning on going make sure you meet Tasos, he is so funny, He is usually on reception and main bar 12am - 7am! He is so friendly as is Yannis and George! Also the manager Thomas is a good bit of a eyecandy too ;)
In response to Caroline's comment!:
we have just got back from 1 week at caretta beach its our second year and we loved it. The bar has been extended and they have extended the hotel to include a 2 new pools and a new accomodation block as ever the staff are helpful and friendly . i have included a few pictures one is the new entrance one is the view from the balcony the other is one of th eblue caves in the northh of the island which are well worth a visit
.hello.my family and i are heading to caretta beach in the last week in august and was wondering if anyone could tell me which rooms have the evening sun with a pool viewwe're really looking forward to this holiday as we've been reading the reviews and they've been fantastic
we stayed at the caretta beach 3 yrs ago, the whole family loved it
must disagree with the comments made by declan below.(maybe)never visited greece before?.The rooms are cleaned daily and are kept spotless,towels changed daily.and the beds made army style daily.No there is no tv,who wants to watch tv while on holiday.Yes accomadation is pretty basic,as in greece everywhere is,kalamaki is well known for its excellent restaurants,so who wants to cook anyway,especially microwave meals.The hotel is renowed for repeat visitors ,our third year on the run,and booking soon for next year.In my opinion the hotel rooms/apartments are above average for greece.and if you wanted to cook you could,theres a double ring cooker,a toaster and a kettle,more than enough utensils.The hotel even provides a free pizza night ,they have excellent staff,and nothing is a problem,the pools and the area around the pool are cleaned spotless every evening.theres plenty for the kids to do and they have odd entertainment,karkoke/singers ..barbeque nights.the bar also provides good brekkys and snacks,as with the drinks all prices are good.There is internet access/sky tv for the ones who want it..2 pools with bars..mini bowling and arcade,2 pool tables.footy pitch,volley ball.a well stocked shop,with a large amount of english supplies.always someone on reception,you can even hire a iron.we have 3 hols a year trying different places around europe,but one or maybe 2 we will return to caretta beach for our favorite hols.
the caretta beach hotel is fantastic!! we go there every year and its so great!! the rooms are cleaned every day and the cleaners are very friendly and the bar men are very nice and friendly too. every greek person in the hotel speaks fluent english which is excellent when you need help knowing how to get around the local area. also the greek children who are very good friends of mine, are relly friendly towards the english tourists. one of the greek children is only 5 and she can already speak quite a lot of english. the complex is brilliant. it has 2 adult sized pools, a sandpit for young children, and a football pitch for the boys to have some fun.there is also a car park too!! from amie xxx p.s. hello takis and marina we miss you loads!!!!
I stayed at the Caretta beach for 2 weeks with my girlfriend in Setember 2006. I was a bit shocked when i first entered the room to see the complete lack of any self catering facilities in there. There was no cooker,microwave and very few utensils. There was also no TV or table to sit at. The whole room was also very dirty. The floor in the bathroom was constantly wet and there was ants everywhere, it was disgusting. I thought i was the only one that had got a room like this but when i asked around everyone else was in the same situation.
What shocked me the most was all the great reviews that i read before i went on the holiday just didnt seem to match up with what was presented to me, id wonder are the reviews wrote by people associated with the hotel cause there is definetly something weird there. Its also classed as a 3/4 Star facility aswell and thats just laughable. Some of the electric items were hanging off the wall and as i work in the electrical industry i could see that these were completly unsafe and i couldnt believe that they were getting away with it
You had to pay for any form of air conditioning aswell but it is in the room but it can be only activated by reception after you pay for it (Disaster). It is 40 euro a week so i rented a fan for 30 euro for the two weeks instead which was sufficent for me but noisy at night of course, which upset my girlfriend a bit but it was too warm to have it off, good way of keeping the ants away aswell.
The only good thig that the "Hotel" had to offer was the happy hour in the bar from 5-7 which was great value for money and also if you spend 60 euro or more in the supermarket then you get two free breakfasts. The hotel actually did not mind selling alcohol to minors aswell, there was quite a few of them walking around the place with alco pops and it was very off putting
To conclude, i dont think i would go to this "hotel" again and i jsut thought that i would give my honest opinion because the other reviews just dont add up, hope this review helps.
I WENT BOUT 4 YEARS AGO DEOS ANY1 NO IF YANNIS STILL WORKS AT THE BAR AT NIGHT HE WAS DA BEST ! !! ! ! X X X X
Just come back from a fab 2 week holiday stayed at the Caretta Beach for the first time but will def go back again great facilities for all the family to enjoy the staff where lovely esp Maria who was really welcoming was really sad on Sunday when we had to say goodbye and return to rainy London.
Going to the Caretta Beach in a few weeks.........
going again in 2 weeks kids already pack two week off enjoyment for me as well as the kids
hi just arrived back from caretta lastnight it was absaloute brillent we were shown to our room by theo and then went down to the bar we were greated by to cheaky barmen GEORGE AND TASOS a big HELLO and i cant wait to go back next year
Oh my god!!! What an excellent holiday... Hotel was very clean, couldn't have asked for a better location! Lagana only 10mins in a taxi and only 8 euro's. Great entertainment on an evening, was loving the karaoke and pizza night, although recommend a bit of talent before grabbing hold of the microphone as me and my friends found out!! Were do i start with regards to the staff.... George was great entertainment, always smiling and always had a laugh with him. Miss him already!!!
is james the former jmc rep still part of the management team here as he is a star, my neice took ill on our first day there in 2002 when he was just a rep and he was brilliant.he could not do enough as was the case with the owner and all the rest of the staff. as for the hotel count the planes going past but dont let it bother you , after a day by the pool you dont even notice them . its a very short walk to the village centre to the best restraunts in zante such as parethon, hera olive tree and pandesia whih was owened by this hotel owner,. drunk corner at the end of the road is an ideal watering hole with sky tv big brother and sport on tap as long as you are there. YAMAS is the main shout with all the freebies you will get so enjoy.
We arrived back from the Caretta beach Hotel on Friday 7/7/06. we stayed for a week and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We have stayed at this hotel before and chose to stay here as we took our 17 month old grandson. We had a few quereies but the wonderful Manager sorted things out promptly!! We would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all the staff at the Caretta Beach for making our holiday a great one!!!
operator and date: panorama
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we hired a hyundai accent in advance from www.faros-rentals.gr by internet which included free cdm and theft protection and they were superb and very reasonable. car was dropped off to the hotel on time and you only had to leave keys with reception when finished. we drove to st.nicholas to see the blue caves but chose to drive to the shipwreck as it was 3 hours by boat from there. we also took in volimes village for home made produce/souvenirs and vromi beach while we were on the north side of the island. also worth a visit were gerakas and keri beach where we hired a motor boat to take us to marathonis isl.
the tour operator friends next to mermaids were excellent and we booked two trips with tim, one to the island kekalonia and the other a turtle watch from a glass bottom boat which leaves from agios sostis-magicalall in all we had a great holiday, loved the greek people.caretta beach isn’t 5star but you didn’t pay 5star prices and kids loved it. enjoy
Thanks to everyone at the Caretta Beach for their hospitality and making all of our group so welcome .
We have just returned from two weeks at Caretta Beach, A really nice hotel, rooms are clean and comfortable. The staff were great, friendly and helpful. Pools are brilliant, enough loungers to go round and then some! We didn't socialise much in the hotel as it was more family orientated and we were on a girly holiday but we were always made welcome!
short walk to the village centre good all round accomodation though it is now twice the size it was when we stayed there in 2002 but still has a very friendly atmosphere. very short ride from the airport . and caters for all your needs .the beach is abut a 10 minute walk away where you can hire a pedallo to watch the famous loggerhead turtles as they swim towards the beach in june to lay thier eggs but remember do not diturb them.
just got back from the best holiday in kalamaki, the caretts beach apartments were fab, there was mix up with arrivals for us but they sorted it all out smoothly and quickly...the place was fantastic, we were made very welcome and the pools were great although gettin on the lilo's was the best part ha ha!
Just got back from a wonderful 2 weeks stay here at the
We were personally shown to our room by a member of staff. The room was very clean and tidy, with a terrace overlooking the small pool. Room were kept very clean by the maid service.
After briefly unpacking, we headed for the main pool. The main pool was large enough, warm and very clean, as is the smaller but quieter pool. Sunloungers are a plenty in both pool areas.
The BBQ and PIZZA evenings are highly recommended, great value, excellent food and service.
The two Bars/Snack bars were well stocked. Mythos at 2 euros a bottle, 2 for 1 at Happy Hour, as is all alcoholic drinks.
The Mini – Market was also well stocked and very handy!
The team at Caretta made us very welcome. The friendly and very efficient staff were exceptional and made our holiday. Nothing was too much trouble!! We are coming back next May for another 2 weeks.
Our special thanks to the lovely Manageress Saria, all the staff that work there, from the cleaners to the Bar Staff, especially George and Mr Bar Man "Can I Help You" – you were ALL great and made our holiday.
Well Done to you all – Many Thanks and see you next year!!
HELLO,
hi anyone back from the caretta,is it still as good as ever....have the bar prices gone up from last year...ie bottle mythos 2 euro,or is it getting like spain,happy hour still going? same staff ..hope so,cant get there til sept/oct...cant wait
HELLO EVERYBODY ! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD SEASON AND WILL BE WITH YOU AGAIN ON MAY 18th .THE BEST HOTEL ON THE ISLAND .PERFECT FOR FAMILIES YOUNG AND OLD ( like us ). LOVE TO EVERYBODY ESPECIALLY TO MY FAVOURITE NIECE ( MARINA ) AND I LOVE YOU TAKIS. SEE YOU ALL SOON POLI OREA ! POLI OREA ! CHRISTINE & GARETH.
Hi Everyone
The Caretta Beach Hotel is fantastic!! my dad is best friends with Takis and Marina, we go there twice a year and it is great!! Hello to Dennis, Yiannis, Sophia, Elya, Soria, Takis, Marina, Barbara, Barbara (the othe one), Gareth, Christine and everyone else. i miss you all so much and i cant wait to see you on May 18th!!! I CANT WAIT!!!
Just to wish the Caretta Beach a great summer, sorry we wont be coming this year, were going to Crete but if i could get the time off work i would def come and see you all. My email is maisie713@hotmail.com and would you email me hotel prices, if i can get a cheap flight and a price of room from you i will try and come. Once again to all of you have a great summer. May.xx Joe xx
sorry tassos is the crazy barman
as for trips .dont book with the reps,book with smilie tours on the main rd,or one of the other agents,boat trips good,theres a waterpark but i believe younger children are limited on what they can go on,horse riding was great for my daughter,and the greek nights are a must.hire a car too(cheap on the main rd)and see the island...beautiful...get on the free bus to st nicholas beach for watersports and lovely beach(avoid on windy days )laganas have a bit of a mini fun park..ie bungee trampolines etc for the little uns,but a bit pricey...
congratulations youve picked the best hotel in kalamaki,all restaurants welcome children.pandesia is a fav for our kids,they really make a fuss of them....mermaids is great for fussy eaters,very large menu and great brekkys,i liked pablos too, not far from caretta.theres is not a place in kalamaki that you wont be welcome.and watch out for takis the crazy barman at caretta,wonderful hotel and staff even better.will be going back this year for 3rd year running.
I'm going to the aparthotel caretta beach on the first of july with my husband and four children.Children's ages ranging from 12 to 4 months.I would like to know any restaurants that would cater for children.Any tours that my children would enjoy. Hope someone can give some advice.
Hello to Takis and Marina,
Hello to all,
just back from2 weeks at caretta beach. staff very friendly and helpful and was very relaxing. music at bar cheesy but good! bbq and pizza nights a must. we would definelty go back again as it was ideal for families!!!also wanted to try and contact someone from essex,stayed at da hotel from 6/10/05 to 20/10/05,but don;tknow his name,was with a big family and played pool with me? if ur ever on here email me its, heatherturnbull1989@hotmail.com
Recently back from our third visit to Kalamaki and the Caretta Beach Hotel. Very friendly staff who made us feel very welcome when we arrived (minus a suitcase that had remained in Manchester!). It was really nice to be remembered. We stayed on the quiet pool side where it really is great. The rooms are fabulous, very well kept and contain everything you need with a lovely balcony to enjoy the evening sun. Would fully recommend this place to anybody wishing to holiday on Zante. We like it soooo much, cant wait to get back!!
Just arrived back from carretta beach aparthotel.there for 1wk. what an excellent time we had, rooms very clean & well looked after,house staff were very friendly & had a high standard of work, every thing we needed & more, if you have done other greek islands you will know what i mean i.e a shower curtain,a toaster,a kettle all in new condition,the hotel manager is a confident young woman who speaks perfect english & seems to know what she is doing,nothing was too much trouble for her or the staff which makes your holliday all the more relaxing,as for music from the bar, if you like dean martin & the brat pack then this is the place for you.28/09/05
Just back from two weeks in the Caretta Beach. We'd booked through Panorama Dublin for the "Caretta Bay Studios" but discovered on arrival that it is one and the same as the Caretta Beach (brochure is a bit misleading!) The complex consists of four/five blocks of apartments and separate studios. All the studios seem to be around the "quiet pool" which is smaller then the main pool but just as nice. Plenty of sunbeds & parasols & a nice relaxed atmosphere. Plenty of lilos, rubber rings & balls etc to entertain yourself in the pool too! The studios are pretty basic but very clean so what more do you really want?! Kettle, toaster, 2 ring cooker etc are all provided free. Air conditioning is payable locally but would recommend it as it was difficult some nights to sleep because of the heat & if you left the doors open, the flies always seemed to get in despite the fly screen!! The floors are washed, beds made & bins emptied every day. The towels & bed linen are changed every third day. The whole complex was kept spotless and all the staff very friendly. We didn't go to any of the evenings organised within the complex so don't know if they were any good. The location is perfect, kind of rural with chickens & turkeys etc wandering around the roads and fields & you'd be woken up to Cockerels every morning (quaint!!) but still only about 3 mins walk from the main road with all the bars and restaurants but no noise from that area can be heard in the complex. The runway for the airport looks about 3 fields away but the noise really isn't a problem. Although we had no kids with us, it seemed to be a good place for families with two kids pools (main pool area) and pool table, table tennis, volleyball net, football nets, swings etc and they put on a kids movie a couple of times a week but I don't think there is a kids club as such there. We really enjoyed staying there and would have no problem recommending it to anyone and will definitely go back!!
why can i not see the pictures i posted
Just home from the Caretta Beach hotel. Once again we had a great holiday,3rd year there,cannot thank the owners and new manager Serena enough for making our stay so enjoyable,household staff were so good to us so thank you all,beds made every day and changed 3 times a week. The bar staff,what can I say, they were as always,great guys,Tassos x 2, Speros and all the others,looked after us so well. Our rep Tony was brill,always around if needed,always had time for a friendly chat,he is the best rep so far and hope he will be there for a good few seasons. Thanks to everyone at this family run hotel for our best year so far,see you next year.
Hi,
Can anyone tell me to they have Safety Deposit Boxes in the Caretta Bay Studios? Or do they have them in the Caretta Beach and people in the Caretta Bay can use them?! Thanks!
Just home from the Caretta Beach Hotel after a 2 week holiday. We were a family of 2 adults and a 13 and 11 year old. We had a great holiday i Zakinthos which I would recommend to any family. As far as the Caretta Beach is concerned, the owner Marina, and the manageress Serena are great hosts who make the extra effort to make you feel you are important to them and hence very comfortable in the Hotel.