CAMPSITES IN GREECE

REVIEWED BY MARGARET WILLIAMSON FOR THE ACSI WEBSITE

Updated December 2019

ACSI is a Dutch organisation which inspects and publicises about 10,000 campsites throughout Europe. Its website provides easy free access to potential campsites through a clickable map, lists and a search engine. Among very much else, the information on each entry includes opening dates, co-ordinates, typical price, Google map, instructions for access, photographs and reviews from previous campers.

The ACSI low season discount scheme, covering 3,401 of the sites in 21 countries, requires you to buy an annual membership card (current price about £17) which comes with a map and 2-volume guide to participating sites. In 2019 campsites in the scheme offered a pitch for a motorhome or caravan, two people, 1 hot shower each and an electrical hook-up for 20, 18, 16, 14 or 12 Euros (depending on the site).

The ACSI Home Page: http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/

The ACSI Camping Card Scheme: http://www.campingcard.co.uk/gb/en/europe/

Margaret regularly writes reviews of ACSI sites and here are some from our journeys through Greece. They are all in the Peloponnese unless otherwise indicated.

* Those with an asterisk are open all year, the others are seasonal.

*IONION BEACH CAMPING, GLYFA (March 2014)

This is our favourite campsite in Greece and excellent value with the ACSI Card. Well maintained facilities with heated toilet/shower block. Owned and run by the friendly and hard-working resident Family Fligos. They keep the site, gardens and trees in good order and make improvements every year, such as the new barbecue area. Generous marked pitches, some along the sea front. Furnished apartments also available all year. The restaurant, beach bar, shop and superb swimming pool are open from Easter for the summer.

GYTHION BAY CAMPING, GYTHION (May 2014)

A long site between road and beach, with many pitches under low olive trees only suitable for tents. Very few open spaces for taller vehicles. Beware overhanging branches above the paths. New modern toilets and showers are an improvement. Free WiFi in a specific area rarely worked. The new ornamental pool looks splendid but is not the right shape or depth for swimming and no-one was using it. The restaurant was closed except for one evening, when a French convoy filled it. Closed in winter.
Read the correspondence Margaret had with Gythion Bay Camping on this website:

http://www.magbaztravels.com/content/view/1541/30

CASTLE VIEW CAMPING, MYSTRA, SPARTA (June 2014)

Small grassy campsite under shady trees. Swimming pool empty in June. Small restaurant open. Toilet facilities adequate, though there was a smell of gas from the boiler when taking a shower. The 'free WiFi by Reception' scarcely worked at all.
The site is overpriced because of its proximity to medieval Mystra, with a view of the castle. The owner tried to charge us an extra 4 euros per day above what was quoted and only backed down when we threatened to leave. After that he remained unfriendly and unhelpful and we soon moved to the simpler (but friendlier) Camping Paleologio site nearby.

CAMPING KATO ALISSOS, PATRAS (April 2018)

Friendly reception at this small campsite, convenient for Patras. It was Easter Monday and we received a gift of red-dyed eggs and traditional biscuits. Restaurant not yet open.
Pitches among citrus and olive trees. Facilities are basic but clean. Free WiFi worked on most of the site.
There are 59 steps down to a pebble beach, not very inviting, but a good view over the bay.
Reasonably priced with ACSI Card.

*CAMPING INTERSTATION, STYLIDA, NORTHERN GREECE (April 2018) 

A large seaside campsite that is 'open all year' but really has no suitable facilities for the low season. The toilets and showers were sordid and draughty, the water tepid, the restaurant closed. No other campers present, so at least it was quiet! No WiFi or internet at all.
The lone guardian was friendly, spoke a little German and did his best to demonstrate how the 'free' shower tokens worked.
Just one night to break a journey was more than enough on this neglected and overpriced site.

CAMPING ARION, PLATAMONAS, NORTHERN GREECE (April 2018)

One of several seasonal campsites by the sandy Panteleimonas Beach. Several shops and cafes along the access lane, mostly closed. The site is mainly permanent caravans, with a few touring pitches.
The facilities were basic with solar-heated water, but a new toilet/shower block is under construction.
Free WiFi only worked by the reception/bar.
Overpriced, given the meagre facilities at the time of our visit.

CAMP PALOUKI, AMALIADA (May 2018)

Well tended little campsite by a fine beach, just off the New National Road near Amaliada. Very helpful staff, speaking German and English. Good facilities and laundry, all very clean. Bread available to order.
The campsite restaurant was excellent - one of the best meals we have had in Greece and very reasonably priced. Site fees also reasonable, with ACSI Card. Recommended.

CAMPING THOLO BEACH, ZACHARO (May 2018)

You can camp among the trees and take a short walk to an unpleasant dirty beach.
The bar serves food from mid-May onwards (not during our stay).
The free WiFi works well sitting by the bar, but not throughout the site.
The toilets and showers are extremely old and basic, dirty and uninviting. Long overdue for demolition! We never saw any evidence of cleaning.
An old top-loading washing machine is available.
OK if you like basic camping and have your own facilities. We enjoyed cycling the lanes into and around Zaccharo and, more strenuously, uphill to Nea Figalia.

CAMPING ERODIOS, GIALOVA (May 2018)

A large modern site with direct access to a sandy beach and a view of Pylos across Navarino Bay. Very good clean facilities, including kitchens with hot plates, fridges and chilled drinking water on tap.
Well stocked shop and popular restaurant, with good take-away pizza as well.
Free WiFi worked throughout the site.
The pitches are too narrow and close together, laid out in rows like a car park, with trees making entry and exit quite difficult.
The price is high for a short stay but does reflect the quality of the facilities, which are way above the usual Greek standard. Popular with groups and convoys.

CAMPING ANEMOMILOS, FINIKOUNDA (May 2018)

A spacious seasonal campsite under trees, right by the long sandy beach. Popular bay for windsurfing, with a Water Sports Centre just along the lane. Two small restaurants on the same lane.
There are 5 campsites around the small fishing port/holiday village of Finikounda but Anemomilos (meaning Windmill) is the nearest, a 10-minute walk or short cycle ride from the centre. Plenty of cafe/bars and eating places in the village, as well as a couple of small supermarkets and a pharmacy.
The campsite facilities are dated but clean, and there are coin-operated washing machines.
Free WiFi works only at the Reception, with little provision for sitting there to use it.
Very popular in summer, quiet in the shoulder season. ACSI discount price applies outside July/August.

*CAMPING PALEOLOGIO, MYSTRAS, SPARTA (May 2018) 

We have stayed here many times, in all seasons. The owner is extremely friendly and speaks excellent English. The site is well placed for visiting Mystras or Sparta. In summer the large free swimming pool is open. In winter you can help yourself to delicious sweet oranges on the surrounding trees.
The cafe/bar has excellent food, to eat in or take away. Free WiFi near the bar, with plenty of tables inside and out.
There are washing machines and driers, or hang your laundry out in the sun.
The toilets and showers are antiquated and long overdue for replacement, but the water is hot and there are separate washing-up and laundry sinks.
A peaceful place, though over-priced (with no discounts).

*CAMPING MANI BEACH, GYTHION (Nov 2019)

On this second visit we were very disappointed to find the site totally unsuitable for winter use. The facilities are disgusting, with a couple of toilets by Reception for the few touring campers near the beach. The main WC/shower blocks, kitchen and chemical emptying point are hidden among all the dismal (empty) static caravans, half way up the hill towards the main road. And they are not worth the walk, as there is no hot water. The new owner has obviously given up on refurbishing (as promised on our previous visit), after fitting new washbasins. The showers are primitive and the fridges etc in the grimy kitchen are turned off. Nothing seems to be maintained in winter.

The free WiFi only works inside and outside the beach restaurant/bar (closed). The guardian who turned up briefly on his motorbike to collect the money was extremely surly, with not a word of welcome or smile, though he did speak English. Some of the resident campers had noisy loose dogs.

The only reason to stop here would be to visit the port town of Gythion, a 5-km walk or cycle ride over a hill. We stayed one night and will not be back. The ACSI rate of 18 Euros is too much for the little that the site offers at this time of year. 

By the way, there is no swimming pool. The reviewer below (Ronald van Doorn) is confusing the site with Camping Gythion Bay, which does have one!

May 2018  A large site on a popular sandy beach, a couple of miles from the little port of Gythion. The sea-front pitches were crowded and noisy but there was plenty of space away from the beach. A good restaurant/bar with free WiFi and a small shop.

The new owner is in the process of refurbishing the shower/toilet blocks. The kitchens are outdated but do have gas rings, fridge and freezer for campers to use. Plenty of hot water, thanks to the sunshine! A fair price with ACSI Card discount.
Many static vans with one or two loose dogs that were an annoyance.

*CAMPING SEMELI, PLAKA BEACH, LEONIDIO (Nov 2019)

Our third stay at this excellent site, which has developed from a simple Camperstop among the family olive orchards and orange groves to become one of the top campsites in the Peloponnese. The outstanding facilities are well maintained, with constant hot water and reliable free WiFi throughout. There are open-plan pitches between the café/bar and the beach, as well as areas of shady privately hedged pitches which we prefer. Highly recommended in all seasons. A great base for climbers or (in our case) cyclists.

(May 2018) Revisiting the site (see Review of Nov 2015 below) it is just as good as before. In fact better, with the cafe/bar open in summer. The site now stays open all year, owned and run by the same friendly family team who speak perfect English.
The facilities are excellent, the free WiFi works throughout the site. Thoroughly recommended.

(Nov 2015) A delightful new campsite by Plaka Beach near Leonidio, owned and run by a very helpful family.
Officially open from 1 April to 30 November, it may stay open longer according to demand - for example, for an international climbing event over Xmas/New Year 2015/16.
The low-season price includes hook-up, good free WiFi and hot water. The facilities are excellent, clean and modern with hot showers. The kitchens have plentiful sinks, fridges and dining areas (and electric cookers to use for a small fee). There are two washing machines and lines for drying clothes. The mini-market was open and bread could be ordered. There is also a summer cafe.
The site is surrounded by lemon and mandarin trees (pick-your-own) and has direct access to Plaka Beach. Plaka village with a couple of tavernas and a small shop is a 5-minute walk from the site. We can recommend the moussaka at 'Margaret's Fish Restaurant' overlooking the harbour. And the lovely town of Leonidio with shops, post office, bank, hairdresser etc, is an easy 5-km cycle ride away (or there is plenty of parking space by the river there).
A new campsite is a rare find in Greece (in fact unique in our recent experience) and we can thoroughly recommend this one.

*CAMPING THINES, FINIKOUNDA (March 2019)

A small family-run campsite, opposite the beach, half a mile west of Finikounda and its shops and tavernas. We have known the site since 2003 and it has improved over the years, though the pitches are small, with little privacy, and larger vehicles find it difficult to manoeuvre around the many trees.
There are washing machines, clean hot showers, a good kitchen with free use of fridge, freezer and electric hot plates, and free WiFi throughout. It is the best all-year site in Finikounda, with long-stay winter discount and a common room with wood-burning fire.
The small taverna/bar serving very good home-cooked meals (eat in or take away) is open on Friday evenings in winter. It was good to see the younger generation of the owners' friendly family now involved in running the site.

*CAMPING DREPANOS, IGOUMENITSA, NORTHERN GREECE (Oct 2019)

Definitely our last stay on this campsite, despite its wonderful position, reasonable facilities and free WiFi. It is badly let down by the arrogant and surly manager, who acts like the owner but does nothing to manage the few pitches available between the many permanent caravans and forgets that touring campers are also his paying guests.

This manager would not allow a friend of ours (an Italian cycle-tourist on his way down via Croatia, Montenegro and Albania to the Igoumenitsa ferry) to enter the site to join us for an hour. Our friend had the courtesy to announce himself at Reception, only to be told that visitors were 'forbidden'. When I challenged this, saying that our German neighbours in a static caravan had visitors who drove in by car the same day, the manager claimed that their visitors 'work here', which was clearly untrue. Discrimination against cyclists? We left next day and will not return. 

There is plenty of space along the nearby waterfront (Drepanos Beach) to park freely overnight before or after taking the Igoumenitsa ferry, so there is no reason to tolerate and pay for such treatment.

Previously, the same manager tried to forbid me to feed kittens on the site, although the campsite dog roams around at will causing more of a nuisance.

(April 2018) What a change on our return, after 3 years. We came for a night and stayed over a week! The refurbishment of the toilet/shower blocks was actually finished during our stay and they are excellent, with plenty of hot water and cleaned every day. Free WiFi worked over much of the site. Shop and restaurant opened on 1st May. Washing machine available. Staff very helpful.

The site is ideally placed on a good long beach. Convenient for ferries to Italy, or just across to Corfu. Easy cycle path (5 km) into the town and port of Igoumenitsa, with plenty of cafes and shops. Price with ACSI Card very reasonable.  

(April 2015) Very disappointed with this 'recently refurbished' site (ACSI Camping Card book 2015). Refurbishing the toilet/shower blocks meant whitewashing the outside walls, and that is all. Inside the toilets were dirty, some Turkish-style, some without seats, no paper, wet floors strewn with leaves and debris. I wouldn't even think of using the showers. The outdoor laundry and wash-up sinks had only cold water and were half full of rubbish and grimy water.
Free WiFi and an electric hook-up were the only usable facilities. This site should not be open in winter if this is all it can offer. Shop and restaurant closed until 1 May.
The sea-front pitches were all taken up with tatty old permanent caravans covered in plastic sheeting that flapped in the wind. The rest of the site was soft grass, muddy after rain. We parked on the roadway for one night and won't be returning.

*CAMPING VRACHOS, KASTRAKI, KALAMBAKA, NORTHERN GREECE (October 2019)

Still only 2 campsites open in Kalambaka beyond September, with Vrachos marginally preferable to the smaller site higher up. We returned in order to cycle round the circuit past the six Meteora Monasteries. Finding them swamped by enormous coaches, plus lines of cars parked along the approach road at each entrance, we were glad that we had visited them many years ago before their exploitation for mass tourism. Do not expect a peaceful or spiritual experience despite the amazing setting.

The campsite itself was busy, with many small tents and very few places for motorhomes. The new toilet/shower block is an improvement, though chilly (open windows and doors; no heating) and again we had to ask for the boiler to be put on for a hot shower. WiFi is only available at the Reception/Cafe, which was open for a basic menu from 6 pm. ACSI Card rate applied (cash, no receipt). The 'free gift' on leaving was a small postcard of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem!

(Nov 2014) There are only 2 campsites open at Meteora/Kalambaka in winter. This is the best, though still a poor choice.
Only a small part of the site was open and the two new toilet & shower blocks were locked. There were just 2 old toilets and 2 small grubby showers open for the few winter campers. We had to ask for the boiler to be lit for a shower and there was no other hot water.
A loose dog ran round the site barking most of the time.
The WiFi only worked at the restaurant, which was not serving food, though there were places to eat nearby.
Only the proximity to the Meteora Monasteries can explain the price.

*CAMPING HELLAS, KATO GATZEA, PILION PENINSULA, NORTHERN GREECE (Oct 2019)

In an olive grove, terraced down to the sea, 11 miles southeast of Volos (immediately before the larger Camping Sikia). Family-owned and run, the site has good facilities including washing machines. Reliable free WiFi throughout. In late October we got a pitch right on the shore of the bay by a narrow shingle beach.
A new toilet/shower building is almost ready but there are no locks on the shower cubicle doors or the outer door. There is also no provision to hang towels or clothes inside the new small cubicles, which means that campers have to undress and dress in the public area and leave their belongings there. Privacy, personal safety and security are surely more important than modern smoked glass doors?

It is a short walk along a footpath into Kato Gatzea village, with tavernas, a bakery, pharmacy and mini-market. The site's exit drive runs steeply uphill onto the busy main road, with blind corners in each direction – a road that is totally unsuitable and unsafe for cycling.

The campsite restaurant/bar was open, though no longer serving meals. ACSI Card  rate applied.

Advised to phone ahead in mid-winter, when there are very few campers due to the colder weather, though it was warm enough for sea-bathing in late October.

*CAMPING IRIA BEACH, IRIA BEACH (Nov 2019)

Owned and run by resident English-speaking family. The name is misleading, as the beach lies across a road and down a short lane. In winter it is not a pleasant place to stay. The site is neglected, the swimming pool and café/bar are closed, the paths are muddy and there are very few accessible pitches for tourers. It was difficult to manoeuvre between the many trees, with little space among the static caravans and the few German-speaking winter residents. WiFi internet is free by Reception but does not reach the pitches. ACSI Card rate applies but is still overpriced.

*CAMPING TRITON II, DREPANO, NAFPLIO (Nov 2019)

A second visit to this well laid out campsite, opposite a wide beach. The positive comments in my earlier review (see below) still apply. The stray dogs have gone and the cats on the site are fed and cause no nuisance.

The level pitches are spacious and private, separated by high hedges, with tall trees for shade. The free WiFi throughout the site was reliable most of the time.

The facilities include a token-operated washing machine and drier, as well as a large kitchen with free use of gas rings, fridges and freezer. One complaint: the modern self-contained bathrooms are only for Women, while the Men have a more dismal and basic toilet/shower block.

The restaurant/bar is closed in winter but it is a short walk (less than 1 km) into Drepano village, with shops and places to eat, or a 4 km cycle ride to the resort of Tolo. The site is also a good base for visiting Nafplio and Argos, as well as the ancient sites at Mycenae, Tiryns and Epidavros. Recommended for a winter stay, when long-term discounts apply.

(March 2015)  An excellent campsite for winter use, with well drained tarmac paths. The level hard-standing pitches, each with tap and hook-up, are open to sun and light, as the summer shades have been removed. Excellent clean facilities, with constant hot water, include modern bathrooms, each with a WC, shower, basin and mirror. The large kitchen has fridges, a freezer, a gas range and a sheltered BBQ area. The laundry has a good fast washing machine, a drier and deep sinks. The welcoming owner speaks English and German. There is a good discount for staying a month, and longer-term rates are even better. Free WiFi throughout the site. The village of Drepano is an easy one-mile walk or cycle ride away. There are more restaurants and shops (including Lidl) in Nafplio, less than 5 miles. Further afield, visit ancient Argos, Mycenae and Epidavros. And there is a beach right opposite the campsite, along which you can walk to the little resort of Tolo. The only negative is the number of stray cats and dogs around the site, unfortunately encouraged by other campers feeding them.

CAMPING KALOGRIA, STOUPA (Dec 2019)

A site set among olives and eucalyptus trees, a 5- minute walk from the small resort of Stoupa. Quiet but still open in December, with the olive harvest underway, though the shop and cafe were closed. Facilities old but clean, with hot water. Free WiFi on pitches near Reception. Super paved foot/cycle path for 5 km along the coast to the next fishing village at Ag Nikolaos. Two supermarkets nearby on the main road, with post office and places to eat in Stoupa.