Sunvil Holidays launches unrivalled 2015 Greece brochure

– Biggest and best brochure yet features over 300 handpicked properties across over more than 40 islands and the mainland –

18 December 2014

Expert independent operator to Greece, Sunvil Holidays, has launched its 2015 real Greece brochure, featuring an enticing and varied range of holidays to the more authentic parts of this captivating country. The 2015 programme is arguably the best – and certainly the most comprehensive – Greece offering in the UK. 

New for 2015 are eight scenic Cycladic isles, from popular Ios to remote Amorgos; friendly, little-known Ammouliani (Halkidiki’s ‘secret island’); the emerald isle of Thassos, blessed with a wonderful blend of golden beaches and forested mountains, plus a bigger emphasis on soft walking from resort base, and no fewer than 50 new properties.

For those looking for an unusual twin-centre option, it is now possible to partner Greece with Albania, a beguiling and historic land that is opening up to tourism more than ever before. Built on a Roman port and set in a beautiful bay, Saranda is the intriguing starting point for a range of private excursions or a six-day cultural tour of the south, highlights of which include the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage sites of Butrint, Gjirokaster and Berat. Twin-centres with Kusadasi and Akyaka on Turkey’s Aegean coast are also possible.

Dudley der Parthog, Programme Director, comments: “We’re now in our 40^th year of operating to Greece and firmly believe that our programme is one of the best in the business, with an unrivalled mixture of flexible holidays that are honestly described and carefully selected. Our aim is to offer attractive alternatives to the larger holiday companies, backed up by high levels of customer service and product knowledge that is second-to-none.

“We are more than capable of offering complex tailor-made options and our programme reflects all that is great about Greece: traditional, working villages that retain their authentic flavour; delicious food; beautiful, mountainous island interiors; a wealth of ancient sites on the mainland, and small – often owner-managed – characterful apartments and an increasing number of boutique-style hotels.”

NEW FOR 2015

The Western Cyclades, page 203

For laid-back cool and fewer visitors, look no further:

• Milos, a firm favourite of the Athenians, offers striking geology that ranges from bleached, smooth moonscape and hidden lagoons to colourful rock formations and towering sea stacks
• Folegandros, fashionable Santorini’s lesser-known neighbour, boasts whitewashed villages, pristine beaches and dramatic cliffs that turn a fiery red at sunset
• Sifnos: an upmarket isle with an impressive cuisine-and-restaurant scene – its signature dish is a delicious chickpea soup and a gastronomy festival is held annually in September

Prices are from £723 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Heathrow), all transfers and seven nights’ self-catering accommodation at the Anemos Studios on Andros.

The Small Cyclades, page 213
Clustered together south of Naxos, the Small Cyclades and Amorgos will appeal to seasoned travellers wishing to get off the beaten track. Sunvil Holidays has handpicked a trio of isles, each with its own character:

• Amorgos, one of the most remote and yet most beautiful of all Greece’s islands which remains one of the least known or visited of the Cyclades
• Koufonissia offers white sand, gently shelving beaches, and turquoise waters
• Schinoussa boasts deserted beaches, a tranquil main village and some wonderful panoramic views across nine other islands.

Prices are from £664 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Heathrow), all transfers and seven nights’ self-catering accommodation at Villa Ostria on Koufonissia.

Antiparos & Ios, Eastern Cyclades, page 194

Fashionable Antiparos, just a 10 minute ferry-hop from Paros, is postcard pretty and surely the bougainvillea capital of Greece! Celeb-spotting is a popular summer pastime on this tiny island. Further south, Ios, once a party island, now holds appeal for all ages with a friendly little port (Gialos), pretty traditional main village (Chora) and some of the finest beaches in the Cyclades – Blue Flag Milopotas is regularly voted one of the top ten in Europe. Sunvil Holidays offers a hotel in Gialos, with its many traditional tavernas and sandy beach.  Prices from £612 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Gatwick), all transfers and seven nights’ B&B accommodation at the friendly, family-run Homer’s Inn.

Ammouliani, Halkidiki, page 111

Not many people know that Halkidiki has a secret island…Sunvil Holidays will be the first British operator to offer holidays to pretty Ammouliani, just off the top of Athos’ western flank. This tiny isle boasts a string of superb white-sand beaches and a peaceful village with a handful of tavernas (and a population of just 542). From Ammouliani, it is possible to arrange a reflective stay in a monastery on Mount Athos – men only! Prices are from £658 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Gatwick), all transfers and seven nights’ B&B accommodation at the Kastalia Hotel. Sunvil can arrange the permit required for monastery stays. Maximum stay three nights; each night stayed has to be at a different monastery. Applying for and obtaining the relevant permit is time-consuming and complicated, hence a £65 admin fee applies.

Thassos, North Aegean, page 35
A refreshing combination of pine, chestnut and olive trees, mountain villages and long stretches of sandy beach, Macedonia’s only island is one of Greece’s greenest and most northerly. Ancient sites, a lush interior criss-crossed with mule and goat trails – perfect for walkers – plus a lively sardine festival and lofty cliffside Byzantine monasteries make it a unique and interesting Greek isle ripe for exploration. Prices start at £579 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Gatwick), all transfers and seven nights’ B&B accommodation at the beachside Akti Hotel in Pefkari.

Southern Albania, page 247
A visit here offers a fascinating insight to a country that was closed to the world for much of the 20^th century. A long coastline, washed by the Ionian and Adriatic, hides some gorgeous beaches, and there are ancient treasures aplenty, including impressive Greco-Roman city Butrint and medieval Gjirokaster.  A seven-night stay at Brilant Hotel in central Saranda costs from £777 pp (two sharing), including B&B accommodation, flights (Gatwick to Preveza) and transfers. A six-day private cultural tour of southern Albania costs from £1,478 pp (two sharing) including seven nights’ B&B accommodation, flights (Gatwick to Preveza), transfers, six lunches, entrance fees, private guide and driver.

There are over 50 new properties in the brochure, with highlights that include an alluring boutique hotel on the charming island of Skopelos, an historic converted tower house above the sea in Mani, south Peloponnese, and an adults-only all-suite hotel on Halkidiki.

The brochure lead-in price is £528 pp (including early booking discount if booked before 28 February) for seven nights’ self-catering accommodation at the Villa Olga in Aghios Gordis, Corfu, including return flights (Gatwick) and transfers, based on five sharing in May.

Early booking offers include reductions of up to £100 per room, studio or apartment, per week, on most departure dates for bookings made by 28 February 2015. (Note: the discount varies according to departure date and applies to flight-inclusive holidays only – max. discount £200.)

To request the new Sunvil Holidays real Greece brochure, call 020 8758 4747 or visit www.sunvil.co.uk for a pdf copy downloadable by island/section. To speak to an expert, call 020 8758 4758.                                                                                                                                             

Notes to editors:

(1) For an overview of the Sunvil real Greece programme, see below.  

(2) Sunvil Holidays offers complete peace of mind. Unlike the potential risks of booking a holiday DIY-style on the web, your money is 100% safe, guaranteed by the company’s bonds with the Civil Aviation Authority and ABTA. And, as Sunvil acts as the principal and not merely as an agent for its suppliers, the company takes full responsibility for every aspect of its holidays and customer welfare.

(3) Sunvil has pioneered many specialist destinations in its 45-year history and has been at the forefront of environmental initiatives and Sustainable Tourism for nearly 30 years. Sunvil consistently promotes owner-managed hotels and local tourism enterprises across all destinations in which it operates. Sunvil also uses local suppliers and representatives wherever possible and encourages its suppliers, through many initiatives, to protect and treasure their local environment.

(4) Sunvil is proud to be a founder member of AITO, with its Quality Charter and Sustainable Tourism initiatives (www.aito.com).

(5) Sunvil’s Chairman Noel Josephides is also chair of The Travel Foundation (www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk).

An overview of Sunvil’s Real Greece 2015 programme

Over 40 islands, the mainland, Turkey’s Aegean coast and southern Albania: Alonissos, Ammouliani (new), Amorgos, Andros, Antiparos (new), Astypalea, Corfu, Crete, Folegandros (new), Halki, Hydra, Ikaria, Ios (omitted from index) (new), Ithaca, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kassos, Kastellorizo, Kefalonia, Koufonissia (new), Lefkas, Lemnos, Leros, Lipsi, Meganissi, Milos (new), Naxos, Nissyros, Paros, Patmos, Paxos, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini, Schinoussa (new), Sifnos (new), Skiathos, Skopelos, Spetses, Symi, Telendos, Thassos (new), Tilos.

Mainland areas of Parga, Sivota, Epirus, Halkidiki, the Pelion and the Peloponnese (including Tolon and Nafplion in the north and Stoupa and Kardamyli in the south), Kusadasi and Akyaka in Turkey, and southern Albania (new).

Completely flexible, ‘Hidden Greece’ mainland fly-drive itineraries to northern and central Greece, The Pelion with its manor houses, Epirus and the Peloponnese, including the monasteries at Meteora, classical sites such as Delphi and Olympia and the Vikos Gorge, plus itineraries incorporating boutique properties in the Peloponnese.

Multi-centre holidays combining Samos & Kusadasi (Turkey), Rhodes/Tilos/Symi/Halki/Karpathos with Akyaka (Turkey), Skiathos/Skopelos/Alonissos, Patmos/Samos/Ikaria, Corfu & Paxos, Kefalonia & Ithaca,  Lefkas/Parga/Sivota, Naxos/Ios/Paros/Antiparos/Santorini, Sifnos/Milos/Folegandros, north & south Crete and many more.

Painting holidays on Alonissos, Lemnos and Samos.

Sea kayaking and guided, full-day walks on Alonissos with the author of a local walking guide. Guided walks are also available locally in Nafplion (south Peloponnese), Ithaca, Skopelos and Tilos. Self-guided walks in many locations, including the Pelion, Kardamyli/Stoupa in Mani (south Peloponnese) and Parga, plus Alonissos, Skopelos and Skiathos.

Flotilla, bare-boat charter and learn-to-sail holidays in the Ionian Sea (from Lefkas).

Pre-bookable motorboat hire and watersports, including learn to windsurf, dinghy sail and waterski (from Lemnos and Tolon – family tuition in Tolon from 10 euros per hour) and free windsurfing, dinghy sailing or motorboat hire for all Tolon clients. Free loan of bicycles and canoes also available in Tolon (north Peloponnese).

City breaks to Athens and Thessaloniki and island cruises from Piraeus.

Tailor-made holidays for odd durations, unusual combinations and non-standard arrangements, all created on a bespoke basis with expert guidance and advice.

Cultural trips with private guides available on request.

Ends

Press: For high-res photography, more information on Sunvil’s real Greece programme or to discuss commissioned press trips, please contact Sarah Belcher at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email s.belcher@travelpr.co.uk.