"This is 3rd time back, and when we arrived (as with last time as well), we were remembered by all the staff, such as the cleaners, the owner (Bessie) and the pool bar staff.
When you arrive in Skiathos airport, if you book as a package holiday, you get a transfer down to the port which is only about 5-10 minutes, so not too long. After a couple of hours to relax in a bar in Skiathos the rep will then pick you up at a designated place to take you to the ferry which will take you to Alonnisos. This ferry takes between 1 - 2 hours depending which ferry you get. It stops off at Skopelos first, which is where they filmed Mamma Mia. Once in Alonnisos, it is easy enough to book a ferry for the day to go back to Skopelos to do a Mamma Mia tour if you want. You can speak to someone in Albedo Travel who are based just on the marina they’ll be able to advise on this along with any other questions you have when you are in Alonnisos. For the first time booking, I’d recommend booking as a package holiday but once see how it works, you may feel more confident to book it separately.
Once you’re at the hotel, you’ll be greeted by Bessie the owner who will take the tourist tax, which for Paradise Hotel is €5 per room per night. We stayed in room 209, which honestly has one of the best sea views from the hotel. For the best sea views, you’ll want rooms 201 - 210. The rooms are traditional Greek and are basic but the views that you get are better than any 5 star hotel in my opinion.
The pool area is lovely with comfortable sun beds and you don’t have to reserve the beds which is amazing. If you ask reception, they’ll provide you with towels for the sun beds. The pool bar bas a great snack selection and is reasonably priced. Bar staff - Elaina throughout the day and Chris throughout the evening are lovely and would remember your order if you get the same drink every time. The bar is open from around 10.30am and food is served to about 4 or 5pm ish.
Breakfast is nice and traditional Greek, so don’t expect a full English 😂. You get food such as yogurt, toast, cake, omelette, fresh watermelon and a small selection of pastries. You get to sit outside with amazing views of the sea. Because it is quite a small breakfast area, if you are sociable, you get speaking to the other guests, and is actually a way we found good recommendations of what to do on the island, such as good restaurants or beaches to go to. If you don’t want to speak to other people, that’s fine. Also, there are always enough seats, in and out of the sun. There is no queuing for food.
It’s a short walk down to the main port of Patitri. Bessie will let you know the way on arrival. The island itself can be quite steep, especially if you’ve got mobility issues, so do keep that in mind, but most people should be fine. The port is stunning with a couple bars, a few supermarkets and restaurants. We’ve tried all the restaurants on the front now, and all of them are stunning. For 2 people, we end up usually spending about €35 - €40 euro’s for a main and a drink each. The supermarket on the front is good. Again they remembered us. A 6 pack or 1.5 litre water from here is €2.20 and the staff are very friendly. They sell all the essentials.
A visit to the old town is a must. Usually there’s a bus that runs which is €1.80 each way. A taxi is €10 each way if you’d prefer. We use Spiros taxi’s who are based on the front, and whenever we use them, we’ll arrange a pick up time. The beaches are all amazing. There’s a bus which takes you to a beach every day. Pick up for this is either 9:45am or 10:15 depending on the beach and pickup from the beach is around 4pm. Chrisi Milia is the only sandy beach but all beaches are absolutely stunning!
I would 100% recommend a visit to Alonnisos, and a stay at Paradise hotel. For us, there’s just something special about this small family run hotel in Alonnisos that we struggle to find at other places."
