Tassos Apartments and Bungalows - Acharavi - Corfu

I have no idea who first said “You get what you pay for in life”, but I would imagine that they had somewhere like the Tassos Apartments in Acharavi mind.

That is not to be taken as necessarily a bad thing, if you want five star luxury then Greece is not the sort of country that immediately springs to mind. Anywhere that you have to leave toilet paper in the bin rather than flush it away is always going to leave you wanting a little better!

At one time there is no doubt that these apartments were, if not exactly the bee’s knees, then something fairly close to them. And there is nothing wrong with them now that a fair degree of TLC (and a big amount of Euro’s) would not put right.

They are reasonably well equipped. A cooker (if you really must cook while you are supposed to be on holiday), a kettle (ours did not work after two days, but hey ho), a fridge & enough plates, cups, glasses & such to keep you going for those lazy hazy days of sunshine. They also have a safety deposit box which will cost you 5 Euros a week.

The shower/toilet was a typically Greek affair which means that having a shower ensures that everywhere gets soaked. This comes in handy of course if you are lazy & want to wash while you are on the loo. Every cloud has to have a silver lining!

Air con, although the Tassos apartments are not the hottest in the world thanks to the high ceilings, is something that I really would recommend. It costs 5 Euros a day & will mean that you can keep your doors shut & not be eaten to pieces by the growing Mosquito problem in Crete. In previous years the government has taken to spraying the fields & such at the start of the season but the green lobby has managed to put a stop to this.

The biggest gripe, accommodation wise, is the lack of cleaning. There was a clearly resident cobweb in the bathroom, sheets & towels were changed only once a week which, although not ideal, is something that you can live with. Well you have no choice!

The pool area is nice, although in need of a tidy up, with a bar equipped with great staff & plenty of food & drink! There are plenty of sunbeds, although I would suggest that you pay the one euro a day for a cushion as they do get a bit painful after a while otherwise!

There is a supermarket within two minutes to stock up the fridge, with the beach a similar distance away. Two sunbeds & an umbrella there will set you back 5-6 Euros which is not bad compared to some Spanish resorts. There are plenty of restaurants, both on the sea front & on the main road which is a 5 minute walk in the opposite direction. I would strongly recommend you try the Maistro, which is virtually on the beach. Fantastic food, great staff & very reasonable prices. A really enjoyable Greek night each Tuesday (not something I usually go for but this one does stand out) & certainly the best place to sit & watch the sun set.

Resort wise, Acharavi is not bad. Plenty of shops (selling all the usual fayre), cashpoints in abundance, & more bars than you need to keep you well oiled on those barmy nights. I started this by saying that you get what you pay for, & that should not put you off. If you want spick & span in Crete then the Tassos apartments are not really the place for you, but if you are looking for somewhere cheap, quiet & relaxing to do nothing but live the Greek lifestyle then you will love it.

I would certainly return if that helps you decide!