Caretta Beach Holiday Village

Nice family run hotel, rooms were basic but clean, kitchen area could do with a table or bar counter, our toaster and kettle were both faulty when we arrived but were replaced with brand new ones on request. The BBQ and Pizza nights were really very good value for money and well worth it, very nice manageress took time to ensure we were enjoying our holiday and tried to address any issues we may have had. The only bad thing was the barmen???  they seemed more interested in playing their Rave/Garage music as loud as they could for their own personal enjoyment - same rubbish, same songs every night! This was mentioned to the manageress who told us she was aware of previous complaints and would mention it to them but it never changed over a two week period.  That apart I would recommend this hotel for a good family holiday - just bring some ear muffs! And I do like all sorts of music but just not the same stuff every night.

 hya can anyone tell me if tom the scottish manager at the caretta beach is still there, we went to the caretta 2 years ago & everytime weve visited  zante weve always gone to see tom (etc).  we was thinking of going again next year, but would be interested to know whose there now?

brilliant hotel,been 5 times now...pity the scotch manager no longer there as the new one is a bit full of herself

I have just got back from the Caretta Beach Hotel today and i had a really good time ! Everyone was friendly and the weather was great . I would love to go back to this hotel as i had a great time

i arrived home yesterday, after 2weeks in zante, i stayed at caretta beach, the rooms were really nice alot better than some i have seen and stayed in on the island b4. we didnt really spend alot ov time at the pool as there were quite a few younger kids there but if you have little children they will defo enjoy it.

Just back from Kalamaki, stayed in Caretta Bay, loved them, pool area was great, quieter than the Caretta Beach, had to pay for a number of extras, - Air Conditioning was €35.00 for week, safe deposit box - €25.00, which I felt was a bit steep, on previous holidays this price would be considered normal however you usually get at least €10.00 back making the cost €15.00. Also as were being picked up at 4 in the morning it cost us €40.00 to hold on  to our room until 3.00am so €100.00 was spent before we even had a drink or a meal. I am not disputing that they should charge for these services but the charges were a bit exorbatant.  Anyway had a great holiday and would return to Zante.  

WHAT TIME DID HAPPY HOUR FINISH?

Could anyone please tell me how much the Air conditioning and the safety deposit boxes are in the Caretta Beach Aparthotel Going over to Kalamaki in a few weeks and want to be prepared

A lovely hotel, we were greeted by the English Manageress on arrival and shown to our room. Hotel kept very clean, nice pools and reception with mini-market and good snackbar.

caretta beach hotel was a lovely place to stay in.We stayed in room 210 and every time we came back to our room it was sparkling clean and the bathroom didn't smell as much because the bin was empty and all the beds had been made.(because the cleaners had been in).The only bad thing was that we didn't get clean towels so we had to use the same ones everyday for a whole weekand they smelt really bad.the other thing was that every night ,the people coming home from the bar would always be noisy and all you could hear every night was shouting

Stayed here last week - lovely place. We stayed in a self catering room for 2. Quite basic but more than adequate for us two. Didnt really do any cooking as food and drink so cheap!

Would like to go back next year!   

stayed at the hotel mid sep 04 for 2 weeks. The reception staff were really nice and the cleaning staff were excellent. As previous comments, bar staff (a large bald greek in particular) were most unfriendly. My 6'3 husband was often afraid to go to the bar!! We were snarled at continously. We love a good bar with a bit of craic so we took our drinking money elsewhere. Apart from that, it was nice but the area is not typical greek style in other resorts we had been such as santorini and mykonos. It is very British with the usual coronation street on the telly and pie and chips and we rarely saw any other nationality. This destination has just opened up on the mainstream Irish market, so Mr Barman, we are usually good fun loving customers in the bars who will spend a lot so you will have to change your attitude if you want the Irish to drink at your hotel. I cannot praise the other staff enough though.  

John, Thanks for your reply on the air con. We are travelling mid june with a four year old and an 18 month old.  Any tips on good reataurants for local cusine, playgrounds, places to visit in car etc would be great.  

CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF RICKY IS SINGING IN ZANTE THIS YEAR INCLUDING THE CARETTA BEACH HOTEL.NOT THE SOUL SINGER BUT THE OTHER ONE WHO IS FROM MANCHESTER.

Could anyone tell me what the Carretta BAY hotel is like and if it is situated close to the Carretta Beach hotel? I will be going to stay there in August but can not find any information about it.

m mcg...yes the 2 beds do have air con ,there is a charge for this,and the air con is upstairs and downstairs,feel free to email me for more info on this wonderful hotel if you have not been b4

Hi,

Please can someone who has stayed recently confirm whether or not the Caretta beach 2 bed apartments have air conditioning or not.

Thanks

Hi,Im coming to the Hotel on July 3rd for 2 weeks with my Family, what is this hotel like? Ive been to Kalamaki 3 times now but dont remember seeing this hotel!!!
Does it have good entertainment etc... if any 1 has any ideas etc... email me hazeljackson2000@yahoo.co.uk.

Thanx Hazel xx

hope you like the photos , got the date of you all mixed up it was may 2004 not sept 2003

we went to the caretta beach sept 2003,we found the hotel to be brilliant,very clean,we stayed in one of the duplex apartments which was plenty big enough for 5 of us, i disagree with some of the comments about the hotel being dirty and the bar staff not being polite, we had no problems at all. we have been back to zante twice since then once to laganas and once to argassi and both times we went back to visit the staff at caretta, who made us very welcome even though we wasnt staying in their hotel. thomas and the rest of the barstaff are the best people we've met in an hotel, they couldnt do enough for you and we hope to see them all soon

Hello! It's Richard the Saturday Night Soul Singer. Only just checked out this page. To Carolyn...I did leave details with reception, but they obviously got lost! email me at: richie_v@hotmail.com.

To the chaps having an online dispute (scroll down, readers!) over someone called 'Ricky'; there seems to be some confusion twixt the Karaoke man (named Ricky, who Frank is talking about) and myself (to whom Huw is referring). If I'd been singing in Zakynthos for ten years, I'd have been 12 when I started, so that's not me.

Now, while I accept Huw's comments, I would just like to say that I have indeed both sung with a band and penned my own tunes...but as much as I'd love to go out there and sing MY songs, 99% of holidaymakers would rather sing/tap their feet/dance to something they're familiar with. Nor is it financially viable to employ a band...even if it was, where would they stand? I was pretty restricted by myself up there when people were dancing! Anyway, negative or positive, thanks for the feedback.

Hi, we stayed at Caretta Beach early Oct 04 for 2 weeks, there was a singer every saturday night who was brilliant!! (sang lots of soul) he said he would leave his details with Yiannis (barman), however I was unable to get them, does anyone know his name and number, as I would like to hire him if he's in the uk and available for parties.

Cheers!

We stayed at the Caretta from 16th September for 2 weeks, the receptionists were friendly and helpful, the maids kept the apartments very clean and the weather for the most part was brilliant, we certainly did not have TVs in our rooms, nor did we expect them. On the down side the bar staff were unfriendly and mostly unhelpful, the poolside is very slippery for adults and children alike, although kept clean. I would not recommend this hotel to families with children as there are no activities for children when the weather is bad, or even if it's good, surely a film or two when the weather is bad shouldn't be that difficult? The noise from the bar at night kept even a 22 month old from sleeping - the music when we were there was turned up at 10.00pm and not turned down until almost 1.00am most evenings! The people of Kalamaki were very friendly but we won't be going back to the Caretta, nor will quite a few other people staying there with young children at the same time as us!

me and my family have just returned from a 2 week stay at the caretta bach apartments we were in the a block and i have got to say our cleaner was the best ever she came every day we were there changed the bedding washed the floors and left new towels she was fantastic the hotel was very good the pools are great maybe a bit on the cold side gives you a wee shock at first the receptionist is very helpful as well but i do have some bad points there no tv in some rooms but there is in others you cant hire any either but if the sun is out you dont need one but we had 5 days of bad weather theres tv downstairs but they dont put nothing on except one day when lots of reps came for a drink they then put on 3 movies but other then that they were not intrested and some of the bar staff are quite inpolite at times all in all i would not go back to the caretta beach also they dont advetise very well if they have anything going on only on a small bit of paper by the bar if your lucky but one good praise is if you get down to breakfast between 9 and 11 there breakfast is under 3 euros and the best in kalamaki

I would like to add to my coments made about the hotel in October 2003. I did find the hotel to be dirty, The maids didn't clean the room once during the week my family spent there. Raw sewage poored up through the floors several days in a row. We tried several times to contact the reps office, but they always said Jodie would help us out, but after waiting most mornings for her to show up, we just gave up! Kalamakie is a nice place to visit and the locals are very friendly and the beach is great.There are some wonderfull tavernas and bars. Maybe we were just unlucky? I have been to several Greek islands for my holiday's and yes it can be a bit basic, but thats ok. But I do expect my room to be cleaned and I do not expect to wade through sewage every morning. I think perhaps that if the Airtours rep had done her job a bit better and actually did the cleaniness checks she is supposed to do, then maybe we could have had a great holiday at the Caretta Beach Hotel. Maybe the cleaniness is usually better and maybe we were just unlucky to find long black hairs in our food? Maybe the hotel was having a bit of an "off" week? But when you have worked hard all year to pay for your one and only holiday that year, it surly is not too much to ask to have a clean room and "hairless" food and a bathroom that dosn't pump out sewage and even if you are unfortunate to have all these problems, wouldn't it be nice if the holiday rep actually did their job, turned up when they said they would and sorted the problems out. After all, Thats her job! Although my family were unhappy with the hotel and the Airtours rep, we still managed to make the most of our holiday. As I said before, maybe we were just unlucky?

fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE CARETTA BEACH IS SO NICE MY MUMMY AND DADDY (CHRISTINE & GARETH ) KEEP LEAVING ME !!!!!! ITS A LOVELY HOTEL AND ALL OF THE FAMILY ARE LOVELY MARINA TAKIS AND THE BOYS ARE GOOD FUN!!!!!

We stayed at Carretta beach in July 2004. there were 4 of us in the party, myself, my husband and our two children aged 7 & 15. We all found the apartments very clean and the staff helpful.
The rooms were spotlessly cleaned every day & towels & beds changed every other day. An added advantage to us was that we had 2 balconies as well as 2 bedrooms, so we could sit out in peace & quiet while the children slept in the downstairs room without disturbing them! The two pools are also an advantage.....we started off our holiday visiting the main pool area, but after a few days moved to the smaller of the two. The reason for this was that our youngest could get into the pool without fear of being bashed by the water polo players! The nets were placed in the shallow end of the main pool, so as you can imagine, the older kids & ADULTS showed no RESPECT for the younger children as they dived for the ball. Other that that moan(I have to add Thomas did take note of the complaint and after a few days took down the nets) we had a wonderful time. We have already booked up again for next year...........so see you all in July 2005.
Carole, Martin, Craig & Hollie room B207

ANGEL THIS SITE IS FOR PEOPLE TO SAY WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THE CARETTA BEACH BUT TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING.NOT JUST HOW CLEAN THE ROOM WAS ETC.NOW H.E. HAD AN OPINION ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS AT THE CARETTA.ONE ITEM I DISAGREED ABOUT SO GAVE MY OPINION ABOUT THIS.HE HAS NOW RESPONDED TO THIS AND PUT HIS NAME TO THIS MESSAGE WHICH IS HUW.SO MY MESSAGE GOT A REACTION.AS THE SINGER RICKY IS A FRIEND THAT IS WHY I RESPONDED TO REMARKS ABOUT HIM AS I GUESS YOU WOULD IF SOMEONE MADE REMARKS ABOUT A FRIEND OF YOURS.HUW HAS EXPLAINED MORE IN HIS LAST MESSAGE SO IT IS NOW O.K.

FIRST LET ME THANK HUW FOR RESPONDING TO MY MESSAGE AND FOR LEAVING HIS NAME.I WAS IN KALAMAKI 6th TO 20th MAY ON MY OWN AND FOUND IT TO BE A NICE RESORT.I HAVE BEEN TO MOST OF THE SPANISH RESORTS AND TO KOS BUT I WILL NOT GO BACK TO THEM.I INTEND TO RETURN TO KALAMAKI THIS SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER THAT IS HOW MUCH I ENJOYED IT.AS I WAS IN A QUIETER LOCATION NEAR TO THE ESCAPE RESTAURANT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A REALY DULL HOLIDAY.BUT THE FAMILY WHO OWN THE APARTMENTS REALY LOOK AFTER YOU.I HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED AS GOOD AS THAT WITH ALL MY PREVIOUS HOLIDAYS.THIS WAS REAL GREEK.

i thort this site was 2 comment on the location quietnes an cleanliness of the apartments an 2 say if u had a good time or not an wot u thort about the place not 2 slag each other off about their comments i thort every1 had a rite 2 express their own opinion but hey thats my thorts an no doubt i'll get bagged 4 wot i've just said either that or my spellin anyway hope u all hav a niceholiday wer eva u go an wot eva u do love 2 all

Frank - I'm not a coward, my name is Huw Evans and I won't give you my email address as
I get enough junk email as it is. I don't sing anywhere, however I do organise regular open
mic sessions and an annual music festival which is attended by not far off 3000 people so
yes I do credit myself with some knowledge and understanding of the music business. I
listened to Ricky for almost an hour and he has an excellent voice, unfortunately what he
does (singing to backing tapes of other peoples material) is one step up from the bottom
of the musical ladder, namely Karaoke! If Ricky could produce some original material and
or perform with live musicians then I would have far more respect for him. In fairness what
he does is cheap (financially speaking) and that seemed to be the theme for the
entertainment at Caretta Beach as well as all the other apartments I saw advertising
entertainment, so I guess Ricky is just responding to the market.

I WAS IN KALAMAKI IN MAY AND HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY.I WENT TO THE CARETTA BEACH APARTHOTEL 1 NIGHT TO SEE RICKY THE SINGER WHO IS ALSO FROM MANCHESTER.I THOUGHT HE WAS REALY GOOD AND IS A GOOD LAUGH GETTING THE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THE SINGING.RICKY HAS BEEN SINGING IN ZANTE FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS AND WORKS ALL OVER THE ISLAND.WHERE IS H.E. SINGING TO HAVE SUCH GREAT KNOWLEDGE TO SAY HOW BAD A SINGER RICKY IS.THEN AGAIN H.E. IS SUCH A COWARD THEY DONNOT EVEN LEAVE A REAL NAME ONLY INITIALS.THAT TELLS YOU HOW MUCH THAT COMMENT OF THEM IS WORTH.NOTHING.

Dave

As I stated, we failed to do our homework properly. What I do expect from a holiday in
Greece is to feel like I'm in Greece (not unreasonable surley), we were not looking for
Athens and any comparisons which we made were with other Greek islands, Skiathos being
the last Island we visited. Is it the Hotel management, the tour operators or Joe public who
insist on dumbing down the holiday experience? I fail to understand why cheap Brit
entertainment is needed when you've paid a lot of money to visit a foreign resort. What is
it us Brits (most) are afraid of? something a little different to our own unsophisticated
leisure activities and eating habits? I dont think anything I said previously was untrue and
what I said may well appeal to a lot of potential Caretta Beach customers. If you need to
stay in Kalamaki then Caretta Beach is one of the best of the bunch, just that I personally
wouldn't visit Kalamaki again. There are lots of other Greek resorts which are Greek not
Blakpool or Brighton abroad. Broaden your horizons Dave and try to experience a little
Greek life.

HAVING JUST READ H.E COMMENTS RE THE CARETTA I MUST STRONGLY DIASAGREE.YES ITS CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT AND YES IT CATERS FOR ENGLISH FOOD TASTES BUT THATS WHERE THE AGREEMENT ENDS.ITS VERY CLEAN,FRIENDLY,RELAXED APRTHOTEL GREAT FOR A BASE IN KALAMAKI AND FOR TRIPS TO THE OTHER TOWNS ETC.IF YOUR LOOKING FOR THE SIMILAR SIGHTS TO ATHENS YOUVE NOT READ YOUR BROCHURES AT ALL BUT IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A RELAXING FAMILY FRIENDLY LOCATION ID GIVE IT 10/10+ I MUST WONDER WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING FROM THERE HOLIDAYS WHEN I READ COMMENTS LIKE H.E. I'VE STAYED AT THE CARETTA AND LOVED IT, TRY IT YOURSELF,YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED

Caretta Beach is generally an excellent Aparthotel. The positivies are that it's modern, very
clean and with good facilities. The downsides are that it seems to cater only for the hard
of thinking - Kareoke twice a week, a second rate club singer singing along to backing
tracks, the inevitable live footy on the big screen (all of which goes on till at least 1.00am
- not so good with young children or those wanting a relaxing holiday) and not a Greek
meal on the menu apart from the usual Greek salad. Yes the pool side is extremely
slippery and Thomas (Who's Scottish by the way) does seem to be a big hit with the
teenage girls. We obviously didn't do our homework well enough as Kalamki was not what
we wanted, it's Blackpool with plenty of sun! I struggled to find a building older than 20
years or so; it's a purpose built holiday resort. Yes there are lots of resteraunts, but again
most are catering for Brits abroad - chips, chips and more chips. Two exceptions that I'd
recommend are "Escape" and "Zepos". Don't be fooled by the reports of a brilliant beach at
Kalamaki either, it's about 20 minutes walk from the main drag, very narrow, brown (not
golden) sand and on the couple of days we visited it was badly littered. With the exception
of a day out in the mountains by scooter and a couple of trips to the lovely town of
Zakynthos, we could have been staying at any Med resort - there's nothing Greek about
Kalamaki. A couple of other things to note: the exchange rate everywhere in Kalamaki
seemed to be exactly the same as did car and scooter hire rates. Our rep (Manos) at the
Caretta beach was only scheduled to be there briefly 3 times in the week and if your
brochure suggests you "may here some aircraft noise" - be warned - you could throw a
stone at the planes and hit them, but in fairness with two young boys this was an added
attraction. The hotel offers nothing for young children in the way of entertainment, for us
this wasnt a problem but for some families it might be.

hello Michael W from cork i said id leave u a msg on ere so ere it is thnx 4 my birthday prezzie was a great nite, tell ya family sorry 4 all the noise ha ha an i'm sorry i didnt wake u wen i left i did try but u just wouldnt wake up an i was gonna leave ya 1 of me roses, plus ya voice sounds just as sexy on the fone as it did in ya apartment c ya wen i fly over 2 cork an speak 2 ya again soon hunni
love u know who x x x

big up 2 micheal fae cork i have won 25-0!!!!! if ur ever in bonnie scotland get in touch. you o me a score u sexy irish b*****d. big up 2 gina. get in touch joanne. xxxx

can any1 help me i'm tryin 2 locate Michael very nice Irish lad who was stayin here wiv some of his family if any1 knows how i can get hold of him or knows him can u plzzz leave a msg on here thnx

hey to everyone at Caretta Beach, i had the best time of my life staying with you guys and was sooooo upset when i had to leave. spiros i totally love you and dont change my freind. thomas i think you need to take a holiday because you work to hard ( ha ha ) helen i dont no how you put up with them lot and yiannis keep doing your thing thanks again guys hopefully ill be back soon and will see you all again
love Lauren x x x x B201

We booked a late availability to Zakynthos and were taken to the Caretta Beach Hotel. We thought that the accomodation, cleanliness and facilities were excellent. We are fortunate enough to take 4 foreign holidays a year and travel all over the world. We thoroughly recommend this hotel to anyone wanting to stay in Zakinthos. Most of the Greek islands are unspoilt and not built up to lively resorts if that is what you want got Faliraki in Rhodes or Laganas in Zakinthos. If you want a nice relaxing holiday go to the Caretta Beach where thy make you feel most welcome.

A big thank you and Hello to Thomas, Helen and Mario or LUIGI xxxx
Remember us- with your KLACKERS!!!!!?????

i crave for this place,the best hotel in zante,you will have the best time of your life...freindly staff,clean,good food,cheap beer.AND CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING THE FINAL, WISH I WAS THERE FOR SUNDAY,TO CHEER ON YOU LOVELY PEOPLE

We were at caretta beach hotel in kalamaki.The staff was excellent
and the weather was perfect.The bar staff :SPIROS,HELEN,THOMAS,
YIANNIS,SAKIS was very friendly with us.The food was fantastic
and everything was clean.The rooms were great and clean.we will be returning again in september for two weeks.all the best!!!!!!!!!!

We've just got back from 2 weeks at the Caretta Beach (we also went there for a week in 2003). It's an even better place now, with a second swimming pool, more apartments, and an extended sun terrace (from 2003) - so the holiday brochures are probably out of date!

The staff are brilliant, friendly and helpful (especially Thomas). The rooms are very clean, quite spacious (5 of us, with 3 kids), have 2 balconies, although the self catering facilities are very basic. However, you would be crazy to eat in when there's loads of fantastic restaurants and cheap snack bars around.

The swimming pools are fantastic for kids (not like some of the other hotels we visited where the shallow end is dangerous for kids, e.g. Marelen). There's an abundance of sun beds (never more than 25% used while we were there despite the hotel being 2 thirds full). The snack bar food was very good; the beer cheap at times - 2 pints for 2 Euros or £1.40; and the shop was very well stocked, with the added bonus of free breakfasts once you spent a certain amount. The night time noise was acceptable (e.g. singers, music, etc.), but we didn't hear the neighbour's cockerel at 4am so much this year.

The location in Kalamaki is brilliant. Very close to the main street (200 yards) with all its restaurants and shops, etc. and an 18 minute walk (I timed it)(with 3 young kids) to the beach. Probably only 15 minutes if you don't have kids stuggling to walk in flip-flops! There are closer hotels to the beach, but then their customers had longer walks to the restaurants and night life in the evening. The beach is fantastic - good for sandcastles, shallow waters so you can walk out a fair distance - even to the turtles with your camera - and I've got the piccies to prove it! It is close to the airport but this makes it an added attraction - watching the planes come in and take off. We were a bit peeved we didn't get a balcony overlooking the end of the runway this year! If you don't like planes, then there's only about 20 on the busiest day.

However, a couple of warnings if you've booked with MyTravel (Airtours, Manos, etc.) - (1) don't book any of their excursions (a rip off compared to the deals you can pick up in the main street and very poor service. We booked Kefolina and Olympia at €140 (£100) per trip, but the bus never turned up as it had been cancelled a couple of days before - but no-one told us. However, the couple waiting with us did not get a refund, as their rep insisted the trip did run - lies! (2) the reps try to sell you pre-booked seats for the flight back - don't fall for it. They suggest that you might not get to sit next to your kids on the way back unless you give them €8 per person! Quite a few were scared into paying up.

All-in-all, we had a fantastic holiday, and will be returning yet again in 2005.

P.S. If you've never been to Zakynthos before, please beware, the airport is a shocker (long, cramped waits).

just got back from the caretta ,anyone going will truly enjoy,happy hour 4-6 two pints for 2 euro ,staff brilliant especially yiannis,the man is a good laugh and treats you like his best mate,bar and shop prices very good ,never felt like i was ripped off once,they even have a free pizza night for the guest,the manager thomas,is also very freindly and helpful,and the owner shakes your hand every time you pass him,everyone really freindly and stayed in the hotel most nights as did a lot of the other guest,apartments very clean and spacious ,theres actually 2 pool areas with bars,one with music and lively atmosphere and the other for a quiet life away from the kids ,we went with two young kids and they loved it too

Hey is any1(17/18 yr olds)going ta Caretta Beach on the 5th of June this Year?

WE WENT TO THE CARETTA BEach in july 2003 and it woz boiling. it hit the 40s nearly everyday.we met some peolple there called claire,stuart and daniel.they were a laugh. the staff are brill, dennis is a good little helper. would come again without a doubt. but we are going to kefallonia this year. any who goes there will enjoy, take my word for it!!!!!!!!!! oh yes the only thing that woz a problem woz gettin hit with a ball when you are on a sunbed

WE BOTH ENJOYED OUR SUMMER AT THE CARETTA BEACH AND CANT WAIT FOR THIS YEAR.AS THOMAS IS BEING THE MANAGER AGAIN. IF YOU ARE FRIENDLY THEN THE CARETTA BEACH IS PERFECT BECAUSE ALL THE STAFF ARE VERY WELCOMING.KALAMAKI IS BEAUTIFUL WITH LOTS OF NICE RESTURANTS ESPECIALLY THE PANDESIA.
WE MET LOTS OF NICE PEOPLE LAST YEAR AND WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO BEING APART OF MANY PEOPLES HOLIDAYS THIS YEAR.
CANT WAIT TO BE WITH OUR ZANTE FAMILY AGAIN.
SEE YOU ALL SOON XX

holly r u that girl who went in 2002 ? ? n ur bro sed me n jess were slappers? n it was his 18th while we were ther i think????????? weird im 18 now, write back if u get this luv simone x

I was the holiday rep at the Caretta Beach for Airtours for summer 2003! The hotel is one of the best in Kalamaki and is ideal for families with children and teenagers. There is plenty to do for all the family and the beach is not that far away from the hotel. The hotel is family run and they are fabulous to work with and to be with!
Some people who have been there for a holiday all ready and have posted things on the net about the hotel being not clean is a lot of bull!!!!
Every month i did health and safety checks and cleanleness and they were always top grade!
What people foget is that Greece in general is very basic and is not the same like places like maybe spain.
I might be the rep for summer 2004 for Airtours at the Caretta as i am going back because i loved it so much there so i look forward to meeting some new faces!!!!
Jodi Rutter
Airtours

i just want some information about the caretta beach as we r going there next year

Just returned from a week at Caretta Beach Hotel.With my mother and my teenage daughter. It was the worst hotel that we have ever stayed at. The first three days there we had raw sewage pump up through the bathroom floor.The maids didn't clean the room once.They didn't evan bother to empty the bin in the bathroom. We moved room on the fourth day and had a very noisy generator making a racket every night.The patio doors which lead out on to the balconie continually got jammed shut. We had breakfast at the hotel snack bar but it was full of long black hairs. We saw cats wandering in and out of the kitchen. Although Kalamaki itself is a nice enough place to have a holiday I would definatly NOT recomend the Caretta Beach hotel. Don't beleive the holiday brochure either the self catering rooms are not really equiped for cooking and the hotel jaquzzi doesn't work, the swimming pool area is also very slippery and as for the beach being only fifteen minutes walk away it actually takes a good thirty minutes.

i had a terrific time at the caretta beach hotel. i dint think theyd be much for me 2 do but i really enjoyed hangin out at the bar and talkin 2 all the lovely barmen!!! speshly Tasos and Spearos who are such a laugh! will definately go back if i get the chance. the airport was quite close to the hotel but i enjoyed myself so much at the hotel it never bothered me.anyone whos going soon say hi 2 Tasos and all the other barmen, not forgetting thomas and helen! and dont forget happy hour!
have fun u guys!

If anyone has been recently can you tell me how Spiros is! Caretta Beach is great i would love to go back :)

The 2 bed apt cost €14 per night for air con, the single rooms are €7. The hotel is ideal for families, except for the world renowned slippy floor, all day long you hear the shouts of, "don't run...walk". The hotel could do with a childrens focus, the only disco started at 21:45 and despite asking for an earlier start for the young ones to join, no joy. This hotel could really increase its takings during the Summer months if only they looked at who actually stayed their. We had a really nice time thoug, recommend hiring a car and touring, especially to Gourakis, whi was lovely, also with real Greek Tavernas...with no bright flashing lights!

Have just returned back to work from Caretta Beach. Air conditioning cost 7 euros per night. It is a must. I was there with 2 children (1 aged 4 and 1 aged 2). If you are taking young children please get them some cheap plastic shoes for around the pool area as my two kids kept slipping. Thanks to Maria the cleaner, she is great. Not a lot for very young children to do on the complex during day - except swim. Not a problem for me at least I could sunbath. We went in June and the weather was towards 40 degrees. Would definately return there.

Can anyone confirm the costs of the air-conditioning at the Caretta Beach. I have heard tales of teh fact that there is no air conditioning and when I rang the Hotel they told me there was and it cost around €90 for 4 nights?

Any help appreciated

I am the rep at the Caretta beach this year for Direct Holidays. It is a fantastic place to stay. The manager Thomas is fab as are all the staff. Look forward to seeing you soon, Becca

Hi

Please send me your prices via e-mail for one bedroomed apartments for august this year.

Thanks.

Lorraine Kinnear

How much is a one bedroom apartment for 4 people staying from 1st August 2003 to 14th August 2003 (14 nights)

Thanks.

Lorraine Kinnear

Hi, the carreta is just fantastic! Superb rooms, food, pool, views, entertainment but most of all just lovely barmen!!!! it's an unforgetable experience staying here and I definately loved the whole holiday thanks to all @ caretta not forgetting Thomas the great rep!
lots of love to everyone there.
(quietness is the only thing that wasn't excellent but for saying the aparthotel is situated near an airport it wasn't too bad at all)

We had a good hoilday in August 2002.It was my childrens first time in Greece, Charlotte,Connor had a good time, although she slipped over next to the pool cutting her foot open (her fault she was kicking a ball at my son)Kalamaki village very nice great places to eat, Beach a little far to walk to but Ok when you arraived. Airport not a problem for use as we live close to major airports in south of UK. Could anybody help we are trying to re-book for 2003 but unable to find tour operator covering Caretta beach not in Airtours brouchers or JMC?

we stayed here in september, cos the cronulla was full. it was ok as somewhere to base ourselves, not impressed by the really, really slippy pool area, yes there are notices, but most of our party took some nasty falls, other than that it was clean, the bar was fine, won the quiz, (had to jump in the pool at midnight in order to claim our prize, which was a laugh) the shop was a little more expensive than the local supermarkets but not as you would notice, nice people, great holiday (as always) but will book earlier next time as the cronulla is still our favorite.

The place itself was quite attractive, but the fact that if you want anything you've got to hire it annoyed me. 28 quid for 2 weeks to hire one fan was a little on the steep side in my opinion,as one could be bought for that price in the UK, and if you needed an iron, make that £3 per day. As there was no air-con a fan was an absolute necessity. Noise wasn't a problem as we had an appt on the side facing the main drag.If you accept that there is a very thin line between a Greek businessmen and an out and out thief, you'll like this place ;-). Kalamaki itself was absolutely ideal for us, with a 5 year old daughter.Loads of really nice places to eat and drink, and no-one minds who's in their pool, so swimming's a free for all - very important if you're 5.

Who is going at the beginning of September??

Just returned from a two week stay at the Caretta Beach Hotel/Apts.The rooms were clean and tidy and a reasonable size but the self catering facilities were poor for a new complex,glad we ate out.No air-conditioning in the rooms which was needed due to the heat at night.The pool area was good apart from the breaking of glasses and bottles on the tiled floor on a regular basis,the pool bar serves the drinks in glass containers instead of plastic ones!The tiles around the pool are very slippy so be careful especially with young children.We didn't really use the bar at night because it wasn't our kind of entertainment that they were providing i.e bingo,quizzes and karaoke with a singer who wouldn't let you sing if you wanted to!This area was also noisy till the early hours of the morning (03:30 hrs on Sat night), which forced us into asking for a move after the first week from our pool view apt. to one away and at the back of the complex.Yes it is very close to the airport but the aircraft noise never really bothered us during our stay.Overall the complex is good and close to the main road for access to Kalamaki and it's restaurants and shops.The beach is about a 15/20 minute stroll away.

hey guys!! hope every1s ok n gettin lovely n tanned out there!! jus wanted 2 say a big thank u 2 all the staff at the caretta beach 4 makin r holiday such a gd 1 2 rememba, ur all fantastic!! hello 2 matt cath n dave if ur all still there n hope ur still havin a lovely stay hopefully c u guys nxt yr as wer planin 2 pay a return visit!! loadza louv k8&charlie xx

Hello to all my buddies at the Caretta Beach, we had an excellent time, the staff were really nice, spiros, tasoss, yannis they was funny and a good laugh. we hope to see u guys next year 4 another good holiday take care and see u all nexy year, hello to Thomas love Charlotte& Kate.xxxx

we had a lovely time. staff very helpful. food good. drink good, fun good. go to down under bar for a good night out. sugar reef restaurant one of the best to eat from. antonios pool bar the place to go during the daY all welcome. hire a car at the german hotel( forget the name towards the beach) it is the best value.hope to see all next year. love lynda

I have read some of the reviews about the Caretta Beach before booking, and I must admit that the clowns posting here had fooled me. They must all be working for JMC or the hotel. Here are the real facts behind our recent stay at the hotel: 1. The hotel is not located anywhere near the beach. To get there, you have a 12-15 minute walk across the main road, and then down a side road. 2. The airport runway is within spitting distance of the hotel. In fact, the planes land and take off so near to the hotel, you can read the registration numbers on the planes with a small pair of binoculars. 3. The self-catering facilities are basic, and I mean, basic, pronounced with a capital "F". It consists of a small sink, a cheap fridge that doesn't chill anything and a portable 2-ring cooker. No grill, no microwave, nothing. And if you did try to cook, the smoke will stink out the apartment as there is no extractor fan and the "kitchenette" is situated right in the middle of the apartment. So we didn't even bother to try cooking. 4. There is no air-conditioning and you have to make do with standing fans, which you have to rent seperately. 5. The JMC representative tried to offer us a car hire, with a "free" upgrade to an air-conditioned car. This worked out to cost EUR 450 for 5 days. We walked down the street and rented the SAME car for EUR 140 for the same period. Also, all the tours offered by JMC are at incredibly inflated prices. Just walk down Kalamaki (Spring Tours in particular) and get better tours at a quarter or less of what JMC wants to charge. Apart from the "introduction" (read "sales") meeting one 5-second chat about departure times, we had no contact with the JMC rep at all. 6. Staff are supposed to be friendly, according to the reviews I read. Not true, although the cleaning staff are quite pleasant and they do try to keep the place clean. 7. This is an important point here. The place is tiled with some fake marble tiles that are lethal when wet, hence the number of signs around the place about this. Do not ignore them, as the tiles are deadly. I was being careful and still managed to slip and nearly broke my arm just outside my apartment. 8. The place is noisy almost every night. But the aircraft noise mercifully drowns out some of the crap music they keep playing. If you have sensitive kids like me, just forget about them sleeping before 0100 or so, especially if you get an apartment near the pool or the bar. We paid well over £2,300 to JMC for what was classed as a luxury 7 nights holiday, and left with the firm view that we will NEVER use JMC again, nor even go near the Caretta Beach. There are much better hotels and accomodation and the reason why we chose JMC in the first place was because we liked to travel but had no time to plan our trip this time, and so we chose a package. The last time we did this, it was with Virgin to the Algarve and that worked out well, and so we thought it would be the same with JMC. Wrong, wrong, wrong! A few last things. The JMC flight was over 2 hours late taking off. We arrived Monday morning around 0800 for a 7 night stay but had to pay extra for Sunday night (pickup time was 0245 Monday morning) because the first Monday was counted as 2 nights as we checked in before 12 noon. Maybe this is standard procedure but is another example of how the place keeps trying to rip you off. On the plus side, there is a supermarket in the hotel at reasonable prices (compared to the UK), but it's much cheaper to just walk up the road and buy your stuff at other local supermarkets. Oh, there is a restaurant affliated with the hotel that offered 10% discount to residents but we never tried it as the menu looked so bad. I should add now that Kalamaki itself is great, and so is the rest of Zante. We will come again for sure, but will definitely stay somewhere else.

I have just come back from caretta beach, spiros, tasos and yiannis were very funny and friendly. The apartments were nice but very basic. The rep Thomas was very funny! Met lots of new friends and would certainly go back!! Thanks 2 JMC!!!

we were at caretta a few weeks back!was great,i met a pretty girl holly now i miss her lots+lots+lots!the barman yiannis,tasos+spiros were very friendly with everyone,theo was the best gardener!barbara+michaela were excellent.the hotel is brilliant!we come back again in october!caretta all the best!!!!!!!!

just to say spiros i miss you lots and lots!!!!!hope to see you again soon babe, lots of love holly xxxxxxxxxxxx

we are just back fron Caretta Beach Hotel and wish we were still there, had the best holiday ever and would definitly go back.the hotel is brilliant with very friendly staff, Thomas the JMC rep was great, a fellow scot!the barmen Spiros, Tasos&Yanis were great fun&totaly mad, we miss them!hopfully see ya next year.

excellent hotel, would recomend it!

The hotel was very nice and everyone was very friendly, especially Spiros and Tasos, they were great! Yianas was very amusing, most of the time! Apartment lovely,snack bar excellent, pool was great, cleaners delightful and Spiros special milkshakes very good!!!! Made lots of great friends and would definetly go back again soon!

We had 2 weeks at Caretta Beach and I can't think of a bad thing to say. We didn't find the airport a problem at all - since the runway is close by we did wonder if it would be a problem but we really didn't notice it. The rooms were spotless and the cleaning ladies delightful.Savella at reception couldn't do enough to help us. We loved all the music at the bar - tassos, spiros and Yiannis were just excellent!We literally spent 2 weeks in luxury round the pool during the day and lounging around the bar and pool at night - what more could you ask for? And Yiannis makes the most wonderful cocktails. We were really impressed with the snack bar too - you can get good old spag bol and burgers as well as fresh cooked Greek specialities - the kokinisto is fabulous. There's even a mini market in the reception area and when we couldn't find baby food the owner ordered it in for us. This place deserves an award. We'll definately be back.

Looking at a lot of previous comments I wondered if I stayed at the same hotel! Loud music was blasted out at 20 decibels all day long - possibly to try and drown out the fact that the hotel is next door to the islands' airport runway ! Yiannis the barman runs hot and cold he can be great - but also he can be very miserable at times, reception will not do a visa encashment so remember to take travellers cheques with you - we ran out of money and the JMC rep Tony was the most unhelpful holiday rep I have ever come across, coupled with CRAP excursions I am extremely glad that I have heard that JMC will have the misfortune of losing this hotel contract to Air Tours next year. NO I will not return to this hotel, NO I will not return to Kalamaki, NO I will not be stupid enough to rely on JMC to provide a nice holiday for me EVER again, YES I will return to the lovely island of Zakynthos, we took a trip to Tsilivi when we were there (leaving JMC outside the equation), and I think this is where I would head for - not so tacky and aimless as Kalamaki/Laganas. PS if you are unfortunate enough to be reading this with a holiday already booked to go to Caretta Appartments, here are a couple of tips - take ear muffs/travellers cheques and enough money to get a taxi around the island - do not rely on Excursions from JMC, if you want to go to Athens beware that it can be up to 7 hours in a coach and JMC will choose toilet stops that provide free food for the driver and courier - not toilet stops that are fit for use (personal experience). ENJOY !!

Big thanks again to yannis,spike,tas,nikos,tony,and all the crew. this is now the 2nd time in less then a year ive been there and its got to be the best place on the island everybodys friendly as always see you again in september.rooms superb,food good,and everybody just has a mad laugh. P

Sorry that last comment should have read excellent

We stayed at Caretta last September. This June we returned to Zante but were unable to book at the Caretta. We went back to visit Yiannis, our very friendly barman who recognised us straight away even after 8 months. We love the place and are intending to return in September of this year for a fortnight. Brilliant

We Were at Caretta a few weeks back and despite a couple of cloudy days we had a pretty good time. Its a family run hotel and they've obviously caught on to the idea that marketing their entertainments makes better business and it works! Why doesn't the brochure detail the entertainments program? Spike and Tas were a credit to the hotel and it was a real bonus to have English PR staff who don't work for jmc and who were able to give unbiased and accurate information about the hotel and Zakynthos. Well Done Caretta Beach!

This place is fantastic. Excellent entertainment ,very friendly staff.The lady at reception was great and actually all the staff were really lovely but I have to agree that Yianni was a bit slimy and probably a druggy. We hired a car for a day and travelled the island it was a dream day and we will definately come back next year with our children. We didn't expect to find so much going on for families and the staff really did a fantastic job at getting everyone involved and making everyone feel at home. We missed the clown show but heard it was fabulous so we're hoping to see it when we come back next year. Thanks everyone - especially Michaela - she's not thick just really good fun.

We've just returned from the best holiday we've ever had. The hotel was perfect in every respect apart from the runway next door and the very odd barman who basically frightened the children and was miserable. His choice of music was totally inappropriate for a family hotel - what a shame that one person can so spoil a holiday. However the daytime bar staff were exceptional - I'd employ them any time.The highlight of the week was the clown show - we never expected to see such a professional and imaginative show in Zakynthos - well done all concerned. We actually caught the show again at the Exotica Hotel because the children so loved it.

This place was FANTASTIC. if you have children this is the place to take them. OK there were alot of children running around on thir own and it was a bit of a pain but there on holiday to. The bar was a bit to loud at Night time and we had the apartment by reception/bar so guess what we did had another drink so we could go to sleep. All staff were very very helpull and frendly. The room were clean. What more do people want.WE do not normaly go on package holidays as we just get flights but we needed something for the 2 children we took with us (husbands)This place was fantastic do not be put off what other people have wrote. We would go back again. Thanks JMC for a fab holiday

rooms basic but clean, not a place for couples or people wanting a quiet holiday due to very noisey bar and the amount of children left unsup**vised by parents to run up and down corridors. the hotel rules are not followed i.e. wet feet on marble stairs to bar making them very slippy, adults only relaxing pool used by children on airbeds.anybody taking children should not use the play area as it is used by the local animals as a toilet as observed on a number of occations. have be to kalamaki three times and would not use this place again

We were really looking forward to our stay, especially as last seasons reviews suggested that the barman Yianni was a real laugh, however, he obviously had a personality transplant over the winter, as all we got was a grumpy git who only smiled once...when we bought him a drink! The entertainment girl Michaela was a bit thick and tried to con us..we paid for a bbq with "free wine"...but they forgot to mention that the wine tasted like vinegar and was only free until about 10pm...she tried to pretend it had run out, but then misteriously several more karafes appeared when we refused to let it drop...mix it with sprite and it tastes fine!!...all that aside however, we had a great week...the kids loved the pool and all the games machines..pool, pinball, etc...with fantastic weather like we had and all that beer it was impossible not to enjoy ourselves...the daytime staff were great and the little barman spiros played excellent music during the day...

Stayed at Caretta for first 2 weeks in May. Rooms are basic but clean. Staff are friendly and helpful. Pool was nice and the hotel was in a good location. There was some noise up until about 12ish, but it was kids running around whilst their parents were in the bar. However, this wasn't a problem. This is a very good base for families and I would consider going back to this hotel. In actual fact, my parents, sister and her kids are there now!

The hotel itself is ok, but for my dad it was terrible! We were supposed to have a ground floor apartment and we ended up upstairs. We had to travel two flights of stairs before we could get to our room. But even worse my dad would of had to travel 3 flights because the double bed was upstairs. The reason why my dad found it terrible was because he has a really bad heart and could not travel up so many flights of stairs without having an attack. My dad tried to be calm but as we looked around the apartment we found the sixth bed would not come out from underneath the single bed and we had 1 wardrobe between 6 of us. When the next morning came we found there was only 3 breakfast bowls between 6 of us. It was also very noisy during the night. STAY AWAY otherwise you will be the same.

Avoid this place like the plague unless you like smelly bins and unhelpful surly staff and reps.

I'll being staying at the Caretta Beach for 2 weeks as from 6th May...We'll see you there!

I am staying at the Caretta Beach for two weeks from 09 May. I'm guessing it will be fairly quiet - has anyone been at this time of the year ? - Is anyone else going to be there at the same time this year?

We have just returned from Caretta Beach.Had a lovely time , hotel perfect for us.Near runway , but not a problem with noise.Barman is Mad , and was responsible for several bad heads.Sings greek songs until early hours , by request..Rep.wendy excelent, very helpful and bubbly.Will return definatley.

A nice family run hotel, with reasonably good facilities, a nice pool and bar. The barman was indeed a nutcase, and liked to talk about himself a lot!! One complaint though, and it was a real problem. When people leave the hotel and have to vacate their rooms at midday, they are offered to keep their rooms for an extra charge. All fair so far, but, if you happen to be in one of the adjacent rooms, you will be woken up by the cleaners in the middle of the night. We were woken at 3am on two nights, and at 5am on another night. The noise travels through the hotel structure. They are incredibly noisy, and did not listen to our requests to work quietly. Not funny.

Lovely relaxing holiday in an ideal location. Easy walking distance to beach, main street, shops and tavernas. We would recommend Mickaelos taverna, Diaz taverna. Stay away from the Guru indian restaurant which was very poor and expensive. At Caretta beach hotel Yianis the barman is a real character who loved to sing karaoke (badly) and was good fun.

JUST GOT BACK! "AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT" YANNIS IS SUBERB BLOKE IF U GO JUST ASK HIM ABOUT RICKY AND LISA AND HE WILL TELL U SOME STORYS. 10 OUT 10 SEE U NEXT YEAR YANNIS. ANY QUESTIONS JUST E-MAIL US ON RICKY@WOLSTENCROFT50.FSNET.CO.UK

I thought i saw the sexiest TURTLE in Kalamaki,till i found out ,it was our Jmc rep.(Wendy).Excellent holiday at Caretta Beach Apartments,Kalamaki.Top marks to all the crew @ Caretta Beach.

Hotel was excellent we would go again! good location for most things, although you do need to get some form of transport if you are going to travel the island. Only one downside was the crazy barman, he loved to sing, in broken English up until 03.00 somedays.If you have small kids or like to sleep, ask for a room away from the poolside. Rooms were excelent, rep left you alone but was there if you needed. EXCELLENT ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY THERE...

just got back 22/06/01 great hotel,good for families,barman, called yannis is a sound guy,but crazy,definitely recomend it to anybody, met some great people,ian,sharon,max,holly,trevor,elaine,laura,mark,liza& elly.good tavernas nearby and good location for beach.chris,hil&ryan.

Came back 8th June 2001. A good family run hotel. Staff friendly and always willing to help. Requests dealt with promptly. Very clean, but very basic cooking facilities. However lots of good value restaurants nearby. Hotel has a good snack bar and well stocked onsite 24hr minimarket. Close to end of runway but no real problems due to restricted night flights. JMC rep pleasant and helpful (more mature than most reps). Good sized pool compared to others we saw. Would recommend it for young families as Kalimaki is quieter than Laganas.

we had great fun(just came back)we found the family run hotel to be great;clean and easy to move around; the self cate;are a bit basic(eat out)the bar meals are cheap, yanis the bar barman is mental-----go enjoy

We just came back from a week at the Caretta Beach. The staff were excellent, the place itself was great. We have a four year old and never had a problem. She even liked the food over there. Would definately go back.

Me & my family stayed here in the last week in june for two weeks. The hotel was nice and the staff were very pleasant, it was ideal as it was short walking distance to the beach and not far from the airport. The only problems we had was with JMC as we were 24 hrs delayed on the way out because after 14 hours delay they loaded the plane and when were called to board the flight we were then told that the luggage was being unloaded and we may not be going on holiday. They gave us lots of conflicting reasons why but when we collected our luggage and went back to the check in desk for an explanation they loaded our plane with other people and then sent the plane to Turkey. So is is not the hotel it is JMC that are the ones to blame for most if not all of the problems

Not that pleased to be honest, but mainly upset with JMC more than anything else, the hotel was brand new when we visited so I was expecting some mishaps, but there where just a couple too many, and the JMC where about as useful as duffel coats in Kalamki

are there any pictures?

PLEASE CAN I HAVE INFORMATION ON THE CARETTA BEACH APARTMENTS IN KALAMAKI

We stayed here in late May 2000 just after it was opened, staff were very friendly. 10-15 min walk to some nice beaches, 5 mins from good shops, bars and restaurants. Although near airport, noise was never a problem. Excellent location for a family holiday if with younger kids. Older teens would find it too quiet compared with Laganas. Main pool and kids pool good. Rooms pleasant. Would go again!