Review: Traditional Apartments Alexandra, Kastellorizo, Greece

March 13, 2021July 21, 2023 Koen 0 Comments

In this review, we will stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra on the island of Kastellorizo in Greece.

Kastellorizo

After a great journey on the night boat from Astypalea to Kastellorizo, it was a short walk from the dock to my accommodation for the next two nights.

I had booked a two night stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra, a small pension inside a typical Kastellorizian house, for which I paid 58 euro per night.

Most of the accommodation options on Kastellorizo are self-catering apartments, small pensions and Airbnb rentals, with there only being two or three hotels on the small island of around 500 inhabitants.

At the front door, I was met by the welcoming elderly lady who runs the pension.

She briefly showed me around the facilities of the apartment and handed me the keys.

night boat greece kastellorizo — *The Blue Star Ferries ship which took me from Astypalea to Kastellorizo. ©Paliparan*

night boat greece — *Disembarking the Blue Star Chios at the Port of Kastellorizo. ©Paliparan*

Apartments Alexandra

The first thing you will notice at Apartments Alexandra is the unique, Italianesque architecture of the house.

Most of the houses on Kastellorizo all have pastel-coloured facades, high ceilings and breathe a certain atmosphere of turn-of-the-century life.

These houses used to be the mansions of relatively wealthy traders and sea captains, and it clearly shows in the architecture on the island.

Even the newly built houses are all made in the same style, thereby retaining the traditional character of the island.

megisti — *The gorgeous Kastellorizo waterfront with its fine, stately mansions. ©Paliparan*

traditional apartments alexandra kastellorizo — *Alexandra Traditional Apartments (or Alexandra Guesthouse as it is also called) is located in a small side street just a stone throw away from the Kastellorizo waterfront. ©Paliparan*

A look at the apartment

My apartment was located on the first floor of the building and consisted out of multiple rooms.

When you enter the apartment, you arrive in the main bed and living room.

At the right side there is a cosy seating corner with a couple of chairs and a one-person bed which doubles as a sofa. On the left you will find a double bed.

With the high ceilings, mirror, curtains and some decorations, it did look both traditional and classy at the same time.

My apartment did however have modern-day amenities such as air-conditioning and a TV.

The WiFi internet connection was fast and reliable too, and there were plenty of power sockets throughout the entire apartment.

kastellorizo apartment — *Climbing the stairs to my apartment. ©Paliparan*

traditional apartments alexandra kastellorizo apartment accomodation — *The living room at Traditional Apartments Alexandra. ©Paliparan*

Kitchen

If you turn left around the corner through an arched opening you will arrive in the kitchen of the apartment, which was much more spacious and better equipped than I expected.

It has a dining table which seats four, a microwave oven, sink, fridge and two pits if you want do some cooking.

Although I didn’t really use the kitchen for cooking (one of the main points of coming to Greece is dining out!) it was for sure nice to have a large kitchen, if only to make some coffee and to prepare some breakfast in the morning.

Bathroom

The bathroom of my apartment was quite large too, although it wasn’t the best-equipped ever.

That was especially visible when it comes to the shower, which had no shower curtain and a small shower head with poor water pressure.

Needless to say, it also makes the bathroom prone to flooding after you take a shower!

This is a however a wider issue among many Greek apartments and pensions, and it is certainly something you should expect at the bulk of accommodation options, including those on the island of Kastellorizo.

bathroom accommodation — *The bathroom at Traditional Apartments Alexandra. ©Paliparan*

Apartment view

The apartment itself has multiple windows, as well as two large wooden doors leading to a small balcony, from where you have some decent views over the nearby streets and mountain right behind the house.

On Kastellorizo, the most expensive apartments are of course those which are located directly on the waterfront.

If you want to have a cheaper apartment, you will most likely end up with an apartment with a similar town or mountain view.

apartment view — *Apartment view. ©Paliparan*

Terrace

One of the great aspects of the apartment is the fact that is also featured a lovely terrace, although it is not directly connected to the apartment itself.

Instead, you have to get out of the living room into the main corridor and staircase and head through another door, which leads to the large terrace.

It features a big wooden table with a couple of chairs and panoramic views over the streets and mountain forested with Kastellorizo’s ubiquitous pine trees.

The terrace made for a great place to eat breakfast in the morning or to drink a glass of wine in the afternoon.

apartment kastellorizo accommodation traditional apartments alexandra — *The large terrace at Traditional Apartments Alexandra had fine views over Kastellorizo town. ©Paliparan*

terrace view — *View from the terrace. ©Paliparan*

view terrace megisti — *View from the terrace. ©Paliparan*

terrace view traditional apartments alexandra — *View from the terrace. ©Paliparan*

kastellorizo apartment pension accommodation — *View from the terrace. ©Paliparan*

kastellorizo apartment breakfast — *The terrace was an excellent place to drink some coffee and eat a fresh pastry from the nearby bakery in the morning. ©Paliparan*

wine greece — *The terrace was an equally fine spot for a glass of wine. ©Paliparan*

Location

Granted, due to its compact size and small population, there isn’t really a bad location for an apartment on the island of Kastellorizo as most accommodation options are just a few feet away from the waterfront and the local shops and taverns.

That was certainly the case with Traditional Apartments Alexandra, as the waterfront was only 30 metres away.

To reach the port where the ferry docks, it is a leisurely 10 minute walk, so you don’t really need to use the sole island taxi for this short distance either.

As you are smack in the middle of town, you have the local supermarket and bakery just a few feet away from the building as well.

Conclusion

I had a great stay at Traditional Apartments Alexandra, which certainly lived up to expectations.

It was clean, cosy and nicely decorated, providing a comfortable base from where to explore Kastellorizo.

The apartment was value for money and had all the facilities you require, whether it is reliable internet, a fully equipped kitchen, and some pleasant seating areas to have a meal or drink.

The only negative was the bathroom, although given how common such a shower with weak water pressure and flooding is in Greek apartments and studios, it was something which I more or less have come to expect when travelling in the country.

Overall you certainly cannot go wrong by staying at Traditional Apartments Alexandra or one of the many similar self-service apartments and studios on the island.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘A Dodecanese Dream: Summer Island Hopping in Greece‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Back in the Skies – My First International Flight in the Age of Corona
2. Review: Kimon Hotel, Athens, Greece
3. Exploring Plaka: Through the Winding Streets of the Old Town of Athens
4. Climbing up the Acropolis: Visiting Athens’ Most Famous Sight
5. Review: Skyserv Melina Merkouri Lounge Athens Airport
6. Review: Sky Express Athens to Naxos (ATR 42)
7. Review: Studios Zafiri, Naxos Town, Greece
8. Naxos Town: The Gorgeous Historic Heart of the Cyclades
9. Review: Blue Star Ferries Naxos to Astypalea
10. Review: Belvedere Studios, Astypalea Town, Greece
11. Astypalea Town: The Unknown Crown Jewel of the Aegean Sea
12. Astypalea Island Guide: Exploring the Butterfly of the Aegean
13. On a Night Boat in Greece – Astypalea to Kastellorizo With Blue Star Ferries
14. Review: Traditional Apartments Alexandra, Kastellorizo, Greece (current chapter)
15. Kastellorizo: A Look Around Greece’s Easternmost Island
16. Hiking on Kastellorizo: Two Sunset Hikes Detailed
17. Review: Olympic Air Kastellorizo to Rhodes (Dash 8-100)
18. Guide: How to Travel From Rhodes to Halki by Ferry
19. Review: Dorothea Apartments, Halki, Greece
20. Halki Town: Eating, Swimming & Relaxing in Beautiful Emborios
21. A Hike to Horio: Exploring Halki’s Old Abandoned Capital
22. Guide: The Best Beaches on the Island of Halki
23. Review: Hermes Hotel, Rhodes Town, Greece
24. A Visit to the Delightful Old Town of Rhodes
25. Review: Aegean Airlines Domestic Flight Rhodes to Athens
26. End of a Dream Holiday in Greece: One Last Day in Athens