This rental is for 2 adjoining apartments located on the top floor of a villa on the edge of a quiet seaside village about 7 mins walk from a sandy beach and the village centre. Simply furnished, the property offers sea views, balconies to relax on and a large, shady, enclosed garden surrounded by olive groves. Come and discover an area of Greece popular with Greeks but largely untouched by foreign tourism and experience real Greek hospitality. AMA 00000096183 This rental is located on the second floor of the villa. The accommodation is approx. 84 sq.m. and can sleep up to 9 people in total. There are two twin bedrooms with air conditioning, two bathrooms with full bath with shower attachment and two open plan living/ dining areas with double sofa beds and well equipped kitchen area (not airconditioned but with ceiling fan). One large and four small balconies help to make the most of the wonderful sun! Please note this furnished accommodation is offered for rent by a private owner on a self-catering basis only and does not offer a cleaning service during your stay or any other additional services. The Garden: The garden is fully enclosed and has extensive lawned areas as well as flower borders. There is plenty of shade from the olive and other trees and a barbeque for your use. Chose whether you eat on the balconies or in the garden itself! There are childrens swings and a slide in the garden and sometimes you may be lucky enough to see the wild tortoises which come into the garden. The Village and Surrounding Area + Getting there! TheVillage: You will find a warm welcome in Amaliapolis where the Greek concept of filoxenia (hospitality towards strangers) is still adhered to. Amaliapolis is popular with holidaying Greek families in late July and August but has very few foreign tourists. The beach is within walking distance of the villa and is sandy and gently sloping - making it very suitable for young children. There is a choice of cafes and tavernas, with excellent fish, some of which stay open all year. The main square is a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by and the fishing boats as they come and go. The village also has two bakeries and a general stores, which also doubles as a butchers. It also has a childrens playground, 5-a-side football pitch and basketball court near the beach, with a beach volleyball court in summer. In the next village there is a larger supermarket (15 mins drive away). You can experience the real Greece here, largely untouched by mass market tourism. The Surrounding Area: Beaches: as well as the village beach (walking distance), there are several other nice sandy beaches within a 30 minute drive of the villa. In summer there are daily boat trips to Skiathos from a nearby village. Archaeology: the area of Magnesia is also rich in archaeological sites including Ancient Thebes, Prehistoric Dimini,Sesklo and Dimitras. Volos has an excellent archaeological museum. Shopping: the nearest town is Almyros which has banks and other amenities all only 20 mins drive away. Volos, from whence Jason and the Argonauts are said to have set sail, is a bustling small city with a wide range of shops, restaurants and ferry links to nearby islands such as Skiathos, Alonissos and Skopelos. Excursions: the Pelion Peninsula is also within driving distance with beautiful scenery, historic mountain villages and seaside resorts - a good day trip. In winter there is even a ski resort on the peninsula! Further afield you can visit classical Delphi (approx.120km), the Byzantine monasteries of Meteora (approx.180km) or the Hellenistic/Roman site of ancient Dion (approx. 170km). Getting there: There are flights to Volos Airport (23km) April-October by Air-Niki, Condor and Easyjet, or fly to Athens or Thessaloniki both of which have a large choice of scheduled, budget (Easyjet and Aegean) or charter flights. Then drive, all motorway until the last 15km, or take a long distance bus to Almyros/Volos. Use of a hire car is recommended to make the most of this beautiful area but we can also arrange for the local taxi or minibus service to meet flights/ take you on excursions. When to visit: Spring and early summer(April, May, June) are excellent times to explore Greece - the weather is generally sunny but it is not too hot, but warm enough to swim in May and June. In Springtime the hills are covered in beautiful wild flowers and there is plentiful birdlife if you are into ornithology! Likewise September and October are great months - the sea is still very warm after the summer but the air temperature is more pleasant after the July/August heat. The winter months can also offer clear, sunny days to lift the spirits.