Pansion Porto Tsi Ostrias

Lovely family, very hospitable, helpful & friendly & several times we were gifted grapes, freshly laid eggs, figs & home-made sweet treats made from grapes. Apar**ents were cleaned regularly & clean sheets & towels were changed several times a week, (although there was a large thread under one bed for nearly a week). I was a bit disconcerted to find there were no mattress protectors :(, but ample toiletries, toilet rolls & complementary shower gel, shampoo & soap were provided. Hot water was plentiful apart from the day of our departure. Apar**ents are old & a little tired - the kitchen units looked as if the doors would benefit from a good wipe-down & there was something sprayed up the outside of the bathroom door. I'd suggest that the inclusion of a sharp knife (the serrated knife provided struggled to cut a peach), cutting board, a waste bin in the kitchen, tea towel & a washing up bowl would be useful additions as neither the sink or basin plugs fitted. In a country so keen to conserve water this seems a bit of an anomaly. We were on the second floor & despite the treacherous metal fire escape-type steps we had a lovely view of the sea & surrounding countryside in a very peaceful location. A light outside the front door would also be extremely helpful when returning after dark as the single bare bulb either end of the landing is not much use if your apar**ent is halfway along. The beach is described as pebbly - cobbly would be a more accurate description & VERY uncomfortable to sit on. To be honest the beach was a bit of a disappoin**ent with the first section being little more than an extension of the car park & was littered with discarded cigarette ends & vape 'toys'. As this was our first holiday since the pandemic we expected prices to have risen, but were shocked that they were charging 20 euros a day for a pair of sunbeds without either umbrella or table. There is very little shade on the beach; some trees by the waters edge but this necessitates sitting on the tiered cobbles as it's too unstable to put a sunbed there & one section where there were some thatched straw umbrellas but these aren't moveable to get shade & the sunbeds are too close together to move them into the shade. These were also on the back row right beside the wooden walkway where people were thumping up & down all day so not the most relaxing spot too sit.

Nice family owned hotel close to the beach. We stayed for 2 nights, okay for a short stay. The hotel was old but clean. We ate out for dinner, but this lovely family served the best breakfast during our stay in Zakynthos. Lots of variety greek specialities both days. So deliscious! After all, we had a lovely stay, thanks to this nice family. Great tip for hikers: Theres a untraditional route up in the mountain away from the mainroad to Keri lighthouse. Its a walk in about 1 hour. Its a nice walk with a great view above Keri Limni and even more breathtaking when you reach Keri.