Call me a snob but before having children I viewed the prospect of going ‘all-inclusive’ as an admission of failure. Why visit another country and then confine yourself to one place, thus seeing none of said country bar the often short few miles between airport and hotel? Hardly the essence of travel.
After having children, however, I quickly realised that ‘the essence of travel’ is largely dependent on personal circumstances. And personal circumstances being what they were, the all-inclusive experience suddenly became far more appealing.
Yet my pre-parental qualms have never completely gone away. As a family, we’ve been to two archetypal all-inclusive resorts in recent years and had a lovely time, but several things still stuck in my craw: the environmental wastefulness of the model, the encouraged gluttony, the banality of the ‘entertainment’, and the wristbands. Yes, the wristbands – I want to feel like I am holiday not out on day release.
These qualms were to the forefront of my mind when my family and I arose at an indecently early hour to start our journey to the Parga Beach Resort in Epirus, Greece for seven days of unbridled all-inclusivity.
Would the hotel confirm my qualms or confound them? Read on to find out, as well to discover why Epirus is the most underrated part of Greece…
Getting there
The nearest airport to the hotel is Preveza and we flew out on Jet2 from Stansted. The flight time is approximately three hours, which is just about manageable with a restless two-year-old in tow. Thanks to the Europa League final, Stansted was unusually busy but the delightful pay-off of travelling to a relatively small airport like Preveza is the speed at which you can get in and out.
From Preveza, it’s an hour transfer to the resort. Happily, we were taken there by the hotel’s own minibus, meaning we avoided the “is this our hotel?” lottery attendant on the multistop transfer.
First impressions
I had made the conscious decision not to research the Epirus region before we left as I wanted everything to be a surprise. The surprise I received was a pleasant one. Whereas in Crete (the location of our previous Greek holidays), the landscape is dry and dusty, in Epirus you are greeted by mountains carpeted in trees, lush fields housing a network of streams and lakes, and, of course, the azure blue sea and sandy beaches so beloved of the Brit abroad.
© Heinz TrollAs we approached the hotel, my excitement only grew. Like the picture postcard villages of the Amalfi Coast, Parga is built into mountains rising from the sea. At its apex is an old castle which must have been practically impregnable in times gone by such is its height and position on a rugged promontory. Out to sea on this occasion, though, I saw not an invading flotilla but a series of moored fishing boats and an extremely plush cruise ship.
Musings on thwarted historical sieges were soon set aside as we pulled into the resort. Just outside the entrance, an orange tree orchard harbours the promise of future freshly squeezed juices. Just inside, the oranges give way to olives and an abundance of flowers. Indeed, the hotel almost feels like it is a feature of a gorgeous garden, rather than the gorgeous garden being a feature of the hotel! It’s a seamless entwining which continues across the entire premises, and allowed us immediately to relax.
© HEINZ TROLLRooms with a local flourish
With the hotel owner a preeminent local architect by trade, it is unsurprising that such attention has been given to the hotel's design, and this attentiveness was just as evident when we entered our room. A locally handcrafted wooden table was the centrepiece, while the walls were adorned with handmade woven artwork, also created by local artisans.
Such artisanal touches may not be at the top of the priority list for families when assessing the merits of a hotel room, but they added a sense of culture and identity so often lacking at all-inclusive resorts which can feel purposely designed to disconnect you from your surrounds.
On the more functional aspects of the room, it easily accommodated a family of four, cot included, and would comfortably house a larger family too – albeit with the handcrafted table shunted out to the quaint hedge-rowed garden that was at our disposal.
© HEINZ TROLLStorage was also plentiful and the walk-in rain shower in the roomy bathroom a delight, though families with babies may want to bear in mind the absence of a bath.
Making a splash
The room itself was located in a section of the resort built in the last two years with the express purpose of attracting young families. This meant we were a mere 20 or so beach-towel lengths away from the Kitron pool which was perhaps one of the nicest family pool areas I have ever lounged and splashed around in.
The pool isn't large but it’s perfect for children up to about 8 years old, and our two-year-old was able to sit at one end of the pool while our seven-year-old dived for sinkies at the other.
Located right next to the Kokona terrace and restaurant, as a bonus throughout the day we were treated to an appetite-whetting gastronomic aroma and the occasional blast from the huge wood-fired Dutch oven.
Thoughtful entertainment for children
The adjacent kids club (ages 4-12) also supplied sporadic blasts of laughter and cries from happy children. Our oldest went twice across the course of the holiday and on each occasion she had a lovely time. Booked via an online system, it is run with reassuring professionalism and the activities seemed more structured and creative than in some all-inclusive kids clubs she has attended. In addition, the hotel supplies private nannies and evening babysitting for children from newborn to 12 years old.
On the one day it rained, we were able to retreat to the resort’s subterranean games room in a huge space replete with table football and tennis, soft play and an array of board games. I learnt swiftly that after growing a couple of inches since her last foray into ping pong, our daughter will probably beat me in a year or two.
For those looking to maintain their bodies while on holiday, next to the games room is a gym with a reasonable amount of equipment. And for those wanting an extra spot of pampering, the spa is housed in the same complex – though perhaps the hotel may want to consider moving the spa to a part of the hotel which feels more luxurious.
© HEINZ TROLLA sustainable approach
An extension of the festival ethos I had come to expect at an all-inclusive is the wristband, visibly segmenting holidaymakers into the category of their stay. Not so at the Parga Beach Resort, and this was something I greatly appreciated. In practice it meant that unless you were paying particularly close attention, it was impossible to tell who was full or half board, or bed and breakfast only. It also meant that everything felt a little less industrial.
If you opt to stay all-inclusive, you are of course entitled to eat and drink all you can, but it didn’t really feel like anyone was doing this. Having more mindfulness over what you are consuming may sound a little drab when on holiday but the hotel self-evidently places quality over quantity.
If smashing plates screams Greece, then sandy beaches and clear seas are more gentle motifs – and patrons of the Parga Beach Resort are treated to both in bucket (and spade) loads
It’s an approach which also means it can claim to be a sustainable, environmentally conscious establishment. The resort has been both certificated and acclaimed for its eco credentials, and it’s not hard to see why.
Drinks by the pool and beach were served in reusable plastic containers, and the food both at breakfast and dinner in the main buffet restaurants was plentiful without being wasteful. It was extremely tasty too. My personal highlights were the salads and the desserts. The former a technicoloured tapestry of freshness and flavour; the latter a Greek godly combination of pastries, cakes and fruits.
As I type, my salivary glands are stirring at the memory of a delicious iced baklava, while my wife’s culinary highlight was a pizza with apricots as part of the topping, freshly baked in the Dutch oven. Apricots and cheese aren’t a combination I had previously seen as natural bedfellows but I can now safely say they are so well matched they should probably make things official.
Talking of culinary combinations, the watermelon, feta and pine nut salad we ordered several times left us all wondering why on earth we hadn’t thought to toss these ingredients together before? Though not officially a Greek salad, it is a salad that screams Greece and the Parga Beach Resort makes a manifest effort to feel Greek.
Its main celebration of Greek culture comes at the weekly Greek night held at the Kokona terrace and restaurant. There’s no set menu just plate after plate of rustic Greek food, accompanied by live Greek music from a guitarist whose fingers must have been Teflon coated, with three dancers occasionally popping up to wow diners with their moves. The coup de grace was the mandatory plate smashing which family members young and old embraced with gusto – though I felt a touch sorry for the staff tasked with the resulting clean-up job!
WATCH: It's all Greek to me
Paradise at Parga
If smashing plates screams Greece, then sandy beaches and clear seas are more gentle motifs – and patrons of the Parga Beach Resort are treated to both in bucket (and spade) loads.
A tree-lined path subtly slopes through the resort to the seafront, taking in the obligatory kids playground en route. As the view opens you can’t help but gawp at the aforementioned castle and pretty resort of Parga away to the distance on the left. More proximal pleasure awaits on the beach itself which meets the sea on a most gradual decline, ideal for the purposes of swimming safely with young families!
WATCH: The path to the beach
Also on the front are two restaurants – including the main buffet restaurant – and a bar which serves up perfect beach food from 11 in the morning to 11 at night. I would highly recommend the turkey club sandwich.
Breaking the force field
It is an abundance of convenience which exerts such a strong gravitational force around families staying in all-inclusive resorts. Happily on this holiday we did break through the force field twice.
First time round we didn’t venture far. Just a stone’s throw down the beach you will find a water taxi which operates on a somewhat abstract timetable. Looking back I think of it as delightfully whimsical, though at the time I’m not sure we found the unpredictability delightful.
Our destination was the town of Parga itself, and to get there the water taxi rounds the castle-bearing promontory. It’s a scenic and enjoyable ride, and Parga doesn’t disappoint at journey’s end. Full of character, a pleasant couple of hours can be spent ambling it’s labyrinthine alleyways and cobbled streets, stopping off, of course, for a Greek yoghurt, beer, baklava or whatever else takes your fancy. If we had been pram-free, we would definitely have attempted the stepped ascent to the castle itself, but that will have to wait for another time.
WATCH: Parga by water taxi
Souli searching
Our next excursion was a little more adventurous. Taking place on the last day of our holiday, it was the undisputed highlight of our time in Epirus, and the perfect way to round off the trip.
We didn’t actually know what to expect when we made our way to reception for the pick-up – and while the hotel may want to consider providing more preparatory information on its trips, our lack of prior knowledge made what was to come all the more pleasurable.
Waiting for us was Georgios, founder of Epirus Adventures and our charismatic, kind and fun host for the day ahead. Our children certainly loved him, to the extent my youngest was soon keener to be carried by him than me!
Our first port of call was Nekromanteion, a Hellenic archaeological site. Here we descended into what was once known as the portal to the underworld, a place where Ancient Greeks would flock to have their futures divined by the dead.
There was nothing deathly about our next port of call, albeit the source of the Acheron Springs is also underground. It’s easy to overstate things in retrospect but the springs were easily one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited: crystal clear water you can walk through (if you have the right footwear, we didn’t) and drink, shadowed by the steep alpine Souli mountains.
Next we headed into the mountains to witness the majesty of the Souli area. It’s the sort of place that requires a poem or piece of music to do it justice – and sadly I haven’t had time to compose either for the purposes of this feature. It also requires a driver with a good head for heights as the sinuous mountain road made all of us feel a little on edge, quite literally. Thankfully Georgios was just the man for the job.
WATCH: Magnificent solitude
After seeing Kiafa castle and the Kougi-Agia Paraskevi monastery, we drove into Souli village, populated by about 10 people yet home, it transpired, to one of the best restaurants we have ever eaten in: Ksenonas Souliou.
Run by two brothers, Fotis and Filippos, all the restaurant's dairy products and meat are derived from animals owned by the siblings – and it shows. The lamb chops we feasted on were, by a country mile, the nicest chops I have ever eaten.
In a state of culinary bliss, Georgios drove us back to the hotel to the accompaniment of some of his favourite Greek music. We bade him a fond farewell and there was still time for my daughter and I to enjoy a cool evening swim in the sea before bed.
The perfect balance
At the outset I queried if Parga Beach Resort would confound my expectations of an all-inclusive hotel. I can now categorically say it did.
What appealed so strongly was the complete absence of gangs of hyper hotel reps running around putting on pool games etc. which give such vacations the feeling of holiday camps not holidays. However, I acknowledge that this is just my personal preference, and, for many families, the carnival atmosphere of the all-inclusive is an integral part of its appeal. Yet if, like me, you are seeking a combination of the convenience of an all-inclusive with the spirit and feel of a more organic hotel, then the Parga Beach Resort will not disappoint.
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FYI, our travel journalism is written and edited by our expert writers to inspire readers. Hotel reviews have been independently reviewed by our expert writers who are usually hosted on a complimentary basis, but this never affects our review process.
