DESTINATIONS TRIED & TESTED GREECE & CYPRUS
chic yet informal, and the freshwater fun pool, new infinity pool, and the three golden-sand beaches are well-maintained. The relaxed spa with 10 treatment rooms uses Anne Semonin products.
w SANI BEACH CLUB These 205 rooms and suites housed in low-rise bungalows are a five-minute drive from the rest of the facilities, but house the only private pools in Sani Resort in 10 top-tier Junior Suite Pool units. All rooms have light and contemporary furnishings and outdoor patios. There are four bars and three restaurants, including an adult-only cocktail bar and refined tavern-style dining at Ouzerie. A sizeable private beach, 380sq m pool and an eight- room spa with a couple’s suite round out the facilities.
w PORTO SANI VILLAGE With its enormous lagoon pool – arguably the best on resort – and laid- back vibe, Porto Sani Village comprises 109 ground and first-floor suites – including a new top tier of three- bedroom family suites – all with serene, minimalist decor. Though the property doesn’t have its own beach, guests have access to Sani Asterias Suites’ peaceful beach and Bousulas beach at Sani Beach Hotel. The earthy-chic spa has eight treatment rooms and an inviting indoor pool with Jacuzzi. Poolside Sea Breeze bar serves brunch cocktails, including a winning combination of Greek wine, sugar and
lime, and its three restaurants include Byblos, which offers a €75 Caviar Experience tasting menu.
w SANI ASTERIA SUITES This gated 48-suite option has easy beach access and a small-scale, exclusive feel that may appeal to honeymooners. Some units have marina views; all have elegant, neutral furnishings and Jacuzzi tubs. There is an 800sq m pool, and guests have access to three beaches, one private. There’s no spa, but in-room treatments can be arranged, and guests can use Porto Sani Village’s spa and fitness centre.
TRIED & TESTED: ABOVE: Porto Sani Village Costa Navarino
Move over Mary Berry, I’ve got a new culinary idol. Well, two, to be precise. Ana and Loula, the local ladies who host cooking classes for guests of Costa Navarino resort, have a twinkle in their eyes even as we arrive for our evening lesson. They’ve got more than just recipes up their sleeves, it seems. What starts with rustling up a few simple dishes – cinnamon-dusted pasta from scratch, and Greek salad overflowing with olives and feta – soon turns into a fun-filled evening of local culture, as we finish dinner with a glass of ouzo and a rousing round of Greek dancing in the yard outside. It hardly matters that we don’t speak the same language: sitting in a stone-
built cottage surrounded by bunches of drying herbs and a spell-binding view across the serene Navarino Bay, it’s the sense of Greek hospitality that speaks volumes. With two Starwood hotels and a championship golf course to its name, you’d be forgiven for expecting Costa Navarino – the luxury development in mainland region the Peloponnese – to be just another identikit resort, but that’s emphatically not the case. Unlike some large-scale
developments, which could be transplanted from one country to another with no discernible difference, here, there’s a real sense of connection to the community. From regional foods and locally-made toiletries to a list of excursions led by characters
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Sani Holidays offers a week at Sani Beach
Hotel from £389 half-board, including Sani Dine Around, easyJet flights from Gatwick to Thessaloniki, taxes and baggage.
Departures from Manchester
start at £459, and airport transfers from £45 return.
LEFT: Sani Resort eco-reserve BELOW: Sani Beach Hotel
saniholidays.com Cyplon
offers a week in a superior garden- view room at The Westin Costa
Navarino from £4,499 for a family of four staying half-board in the summer holidays, with BA flights to Kalamata and private transfers, departing on August 11.
cyplon.co.uk 62
travelweekly.co.uk 10 December 2015
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