Porto Carras is considered to be one of the few luxurious resorts in Halkidiki, Greece. Built on a large territory right next to the village on Neos Marmaras and 20 km from Porto Koufo, Porto Carras resort consists of two hotels – Meliton and Sithonia and a marine where water vessels and yachts are parked.
I had the chance to stay in this resort during the second week of July. A short description of it’s facilities, attractions and features is present below in the form of several categories:
Porto Carras Beach
The first thing that I came to notice about the beach in the resort was how overcrowded with sunbeds and umbrellas it was. The beach was completely organized and had 4 rows of sun beds and there were practically only a few metres between each umbrella. The water was not that clear and the sand was rather uncomfortable to walk in: it felt like mud. There are several bars located on the beach in which you could get an alcoholic, non-alcoholic drink, slushy and ice cream. As the hotel had both All-inclusive and non All-inclusive packages, the second would have to pay for the drinks and snacks. As I was staying on a yacht, I had to pay for the beverages which were poorly made for the price (13 euros). Wine costed 5 euros for a bottle of 500ml which we later found in a regular supermarket at a price of 1.30 euros. The ice cream in the bar costed 2.50 euros but tasted amazing and was totally worth the price.
Surroundings
The Porto Carras hotel is situated in a large complex and if coming from the main road, there is a security guard which does not let other than guests come in without paying a fee of 2.50 per person. However, on the other side of the complex there is no fence and you can directly exit to the second road which leads to the nearby village. So any given person may enter and exit without being charged or checked whether he is a hotel guest. One night I was coming back from the village by foot using this road as it is quicker and a stray dog followed me all the way to the hotel. It entered without any trouble and peed on the grass and trees on the territory of the resort.
Another thing that I came to notice was that the complex at night was very dark and poorly lighted. As it is built on an enormous territory, the hotel should be fully lit so that it doesn’t promote discomfort in its guests. That was not the case. Only the areas strictly near the two buildings were lit and once you decide to walk to the marine, for instance, where many restaurants and bars are located, you have to go through darkness and hostility as the rest of the resort consists of green areas such as parks and small gardens.
Porto Carras Marine
In my opinion, the marine itself was the most lively place in the entire resort. The yachts illuminated the area making it friendly and safe. There was a movie screening every night at the outdoor cinema of the hotel which was located at the marine. There were also supermarkets and gift shops and bars. The bar which was located there was very modern and plays music at night. The quality of the beverages was really good and the prices were similar to those on the beach. A glass of champagne costed 9 euros and a standard cocktail was around 13 euros.
Facilities
The hotel is equipped with various facilities such as two pools, water sports, tennis court, basketball and football field.
In conclusion, Porto Carras resort does provide luxury and class but is in need of renovation if it wants to continue to attract tourists and sustain its position as one on the few luxurious hotels in the area.