Greece Travel: Traveler's Reviews
Hotel Aphrodite in Vatera Beach, Lesvos

Dear everyone,

thanks for a really great stay at your hotel.

we had a great time in Vatera and Lesvos and will certainly

recommend you to everyone we know.

The weather here is as usual raining and cold and we are already

 wishing we were back on the beach.

ah well maybe soon.

have a busy season.

 

Mike and family

To all of the wonderful staff of the Aphrodite,

We made it home safe and sound.  We enjoyed Samos.  It too is a beautiful
and unique place, however our favorite place is Vatera Beach and the
Aphrodite Hotel.  Someone ask me what was my favorite part of the trip.
Even though we had seen some spectacular sights in your wonderful country,
I had to admit my favorite part of this trip were the morning walks I took
along the Vatera Beach Road.  The sparkling blue sea, quiet beach and
lovely wild flowers gave my mind a sense of peace and tranquility I hope to
hold onto forever.  Thank you for your kindness and patience.  We hope to
return!

John, I checked Matt Barat's web site and he still mentioned the Aphrodite
Hotel--it is on the second web page--after the one we were looking at
together.

Hope you have a wonderful summer season.  Please give our love to Irene.
She was so good to us.

Jane Bowles and Francis Daunt

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Dear Mr. Barrett,

Based on your research and presentation on your site, with advice and help of Dina from Fantasy Travel we spent nearly 3 weeks at Aphrodite Hotel VATERA in LESVOS.

We are back and very happy with the experience. It is indeed VERY adapted to children and family needs, the facilities are minimal, though sufficient to keep interested over a 2-3 week period, although by the end my kids got bored with the limited selection - however that is much more than the other hotels that had nothing. Many parents come from other hotels to have kids play at this one. Staying at this hotel does not make a requirement to drive the kids around to search for some entertainment.

The food was very good and the service very personal by the members of the owner's family. The key to their success is the unusual and rather rare situation that a large family is in charge of all aspects 24/7 of the hotel and facilities.

As to the facilities, although no luxury, they are very clean and in good standing, quite alright for normal expectations. The immediate connection between accommodation, restaurant and terrace, beach and kids facilities , in a rather complete and tight integration is extremely favorable to families with children since it offers the unique possibility that both kids and parents run their preferred activities in close proximity such that parents can enjoy their time in the comfort of being able to supervise the kids rather easily and directly.

The area is trully pleasnat and relaxing because while being not crowded at all and  it has many authentic and genuine traditional features and from simple old village of VRISA to deserted beaches at both ends of VATERA beach, quiet vacation villas lined up the shore and rather good quality facilities of minimal variety in the vicinity. It is much more to our taste than the crowded north touristic areas of around PETRA.

Things of interest to be brought to your attention you may or not know about, you may even have them on your site but I admit that i did not review all your pages:

At MOLIVOS, 5 km up the mountain at the entrance of the village VAFIOS, there is a restaurant run for the past 21 years by the owner who actually serves at the table serving unbelievable tasty local food specialties from sun dried tomatoes pate, to oven cooked lamb and many many many other with local herbs and preparation method, bottles the wine under its own label s which make the taste rather unique . It even bottles its own wine under the restaurant label TAVERNA VAFIOS which, the white variety I would consider the best I had in many years  - http://www.taverna-vafios.gr/ - price for 3 adults and 2 kids who eat more than necessary and 2 bottles of wine was 100 Euro - at the upper end but I could not consider it expensive at top of the season. There is another one (Taverna Petrino) which copied this same concept but it was not opened at 04:00 P.M. possibly would have opened later like many in Greece after 06:00 P.M. but we were gone by then.

Check MOLYVOS CASTLE at 08:00P.M. just a sunset  - the atmosphere at top of the hill, views through medieval architectural arches over the tiny port at bottom of hill and the hill carpeted with red ceramic roofs that continue with silvery water.

For fish, your suggestion of AKROTIRI at old VRISA Village port was very good BUT I strongly suggest an alternative of same and even better caliber, "O GRIGORIS" in Nifida on the shore of the large gulf (5 km left down hill from POLICHNITOS which is itself 5 km from VATERA) (check the scan attached) where besides exceptional fresh fish it has English speaking personnel (which Akrotiri does not) who delivers and exceptional courteous and prompt service. Probably the fastest serving anywhere and we tried more than 10 restaurants.

In VATERA, if tired of Greek food, OASIS Restaurant (500 m West of Aprodites hotel) has an Italian cuisine of a an upper middle quality - which we were quite happy with  and a courteous and prompt family service.

Between VATERA and PLOMARI there is a small village MELINDA  with 2 restaurants fish style, good like Akrotiri. Of the 20 km of road from VATERA, 7 km are on stone serpentine road, not comfortable but safe  driving. The MELINDA restaurants are on  white marble pebble beach quite attractive, rather elegant in appearance due to the appearance of the marble shiny surfaces of the pebbles, a huge beach many km but interrupted by cliffs every few hundred meters.

From MELINDA one must take the new road to PLOMARI at about 07:30 P.M to 08:00 P.M. to catch the sunset across the sea with VATERA beach entirely visible as a huge curve bordering the sea and 4 high hills rising nearly vertical on a stepped arrangement from the water - quite a spectacular view.

Thank you for all your recommendations.

Best Regards,

Adrian Grigoriu

Hi Matt, after reading your story about Lesvos Greece my husband and me went there for a week last month (September 2004). 

We stayed at the Hotel Aphrodite on Vatera Beach, and had a great time. The food is fantastic, John, Maria, George and Georgina  (the owners) were great, the service not from this world, very clean studio's. 

We can recommend this hotel to everybody. 

Thanks for your tip, keep writing.

Freddie and Anke Wiggins
Las Vegas, USA

I just wanted to write to you and say "Thank You" from my wife and I and our son for a wonderful stay and your hotel, and for a great trip overall, that you helped us put together.  The ferry came off without a hitch, the car rental was perfect, despite the number of times we changed plans.

Again than you very much, and I look forward to the next time we come and discover the rest of your beautiful island.

Thank you again
-Kirk and Family