Aeriko Hotel & Apartments

Nestling against the slopes of St George's hill overlooking the sweeping sandy beach of Karfas, this delightful little hotel and its separate apartment building stand amidst wonderfully mature grounds full of shady pines, gnarled olive trees, slender cypresses, flowering oleander and colourful geraniums. Although the beach and the start of the resort centre are barely 300 metres away, the steep hillside setting does make Aeriko unsuitable for those with walking difficulties, but for everyone else it ensures that each room and apartment enjoys panoramic sea views from its balcony or terrace.

The hotel building stands at the lower level of the grounds and has been designed to blend harmoniously into its surrounding, with ample use of natural stone and the traditional Chiot colours of yellow and terracotta. It comprises just six rooms for two to three people, each comfortably furnished and very prettily decorated. In addition to the usual amenities, such as air-conditioning, minibars, flat-screen TVs, safety deposit boxes, telephones and hairdryers in the en-suite shower rooms, each room is also provided with a mini-PC for accessing the internet.

The apartments, known as "7 Anemi" (seven winds), are located at the top of the site, so the views from here are even more spectacular. Renovated in 2008, they are just as attractively furnished as the hotel rooms, and offer the same equipment, except that they do not have PCs, however free wi-fi is available for those bringing their own laptops. Each has a bedroom and a small separate kitchen-diner with a fridge and a two-ring hob.

Although Karfas is undoubtedly one of the best beaches on the island, with fine, gently shaving sand, there is also a swimming pool at the Aeriko, embedded in a terrace roughly half-way between the two buildings - perfect for an early morning swim, a refreshing dip after a day out, or simply whiling away whole days for those loath to tear themselves away from the lovely garden setting.

A continental buffet breakfast with fresh juices, yoghurts and homemade preserves is included in the price of the hotel rooms, and is served on the terrace or in the café-bar, which is also a popular spot for meeting your fellow guests in the evening. As the largest beach resort on Chios, Karfas offers a good selection of restaurants and tavernas within easy walking distance, and there are also a few bars for those who enjoy a little nightlife now and then, but compared to resorts on most of the better-known Greek islands, the atmosphere remains pleasantly laid-back. For a change of scenery, Chios Town is just 6 km away and served by a fairly regular bus service, whilst the traditional village of Thymiana in the citrus-growing region of Kampos lies just 2 km inland from here.