From April until November

Double room €120-240 per night (breakfast included)

En-suite bathroom (shower)
Telephone
Television
Refrigerator
Air conditioning
Hairdryer
Safe

Terraces
Outdoor swimming pool
Facial treatments, massage and Shiatsu
Computer room
Babysitting

Orloff resort is situated near the old port of Spetses, at walking distance from some of the nicest cafés and restaurants on the island. It is a reasonably quiet location, though in the garden you get some noise from passing mopeds. There’s a small, organised beach further down the road (about five minutes on foot).

Every day several hydrofoils leave from Piraeus for Spetses. The boat ride takes roughly two hours, but if you prefer to travel by conventional ferryboat (less choppy!) you should count double the time. The Orloff Resort is located at about five minutes’ walk from the waterfront at the Old Harbour. If you inform the hotel which boat you arrive on, you will be met at the port.

This small, pinewood-covered island just off the coast of the Peloponnese has not really been discovered by any of the major tour operators, nor is it a place where the island hopping summer crowds go. It attracts mainly well-bred Athenians appreciating the laid-back and refined atmosphere on the island.

The little ‘town’ of Spetses is among the prettiest in Greece; it is famous for its elegant 18th and 19th century mansions, idyllic gardens and pebble-mosaic courtyards. There are nice little boutiques and art shops, and some good places to eat. The most charming spot is the old harbour (Palio Limani). It can look a little sleepy during the day (except in August when the harbour fills up with sailing boats and yachts), but at night it comes to life and you will find some great places to go for a drink.

The use of cars is restricted on Spetses – only a few local residents have permits. There are a handful taxis but most people go around on mopeds or bicycles. There are plenty of places where you can rent them; you will find bicycles in all sizes, even for very young children. Spetses is indeed a great island for families. Children will enjoy roaming about in the little alleyways of the town, riding a horse-drawn carriage and taking a water taxi or caique to the beach. There are a several nice beaches (some organised with umbrellas and the lot, others more quiet and with trees for shade), and lots of small coves.

In the early 1950s, author John Fowles worked as an English teacher on Spetses, which he later chose as the setting for his brilliant novel The Magus. Bring a copy with you – it is the perfect book to read on Spetses.