Arillas Forum

Welcome to Arillas => The beach => Topic started by: Tanaka on August 24, 2014, 09:45:52 AM

Title: arillas 2014
Post by: Tanaka on August 24, 2014, 09:45:52 AM
Arillas 2014: Crowded & dirty beach, (plastic, cigarettes...) rude greek people & thieves. Where is the place I loved the last 3 years??? :-/
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Ray and Sally on August 24, 2014, 11:09:01 AM
My wife and I have just read this post and we are sitting here totally confused. We came back from a fantastic two weeks in Arillas just a week ago and all twelve of us in our group had a superb holiday, not one of us experienced any of the things you mention. The beach was cleaned every morning, the Greek people were very friendly and welcoming as they always are, and as for thieves, we have been visiting the Greek islands for twelve years now including six visits to Corfu and we have never ever seen or heard of anything like that.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Rachel B on August 24, 2014, 11:12:46 AM
That's funny, I experienced nothing of the sort in my 2 weeks there very recently.

Tanaka, maybe you can elaborate?!  2 sentences, I feel, is not enough to explain what you have experienced and where exactly

Rachel
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Ray and Sally on August 24, 2014, 11:14:17 AM
Could you be confusing those Greek people with Italians?
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Vaughan & Angie on August 24, 2014, 11:18:27 AM
We arrive in Arillas on 8 September, ordinarily reading a post like that would have us deeply troubled.  But, after 6 prior visits to a clean and crime free village, we are not bothered one jot.  As for crowded, well done Arillas for attracting so many followers.  We cannot wait.

V&A
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Tanaka on August 24, 2014, 12:45:18 PM
Maybe they clean  beach in the morning (But i've never seen it clean), but at noon arrives greek for two hours and they dirt everything (I'm italian and I speak greek: I know the differences)...oh, if you don't mind of  cigarettes and plastic stoves all around, the beach is clean  :-(
I  come in greece 2or3 times at year (my sister live there) since 11years and the last 3 in arillas: never felt so bad like now.
For the thieves: forced a blind of the studio in daytime and throw everything around: Arillas were the first place in  greece (after 11 years!!!) Where i felt unsafe.
 Today in ag georgios... at least the beach is clean....
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: jackson on August 24, 2014, 03:07:15 PM
Do not get this at all I'm totally sceptical about this.I have been coming to arillas since 1997 no problems WHATSOEVER,I notice that this is only the fourth post they have submitted and I'm sorry I just don't believe this is true.I have friends there as I write and they have said that it is as good as allways and that is good enough for me!
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: ness44 on August 24, 2014, 04:15:16 PM
Which studios Did you stay at?
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Val n Bill on August 24, 2014, 05:55:49 PM

Although your English is good......it is not spoken like any Italian that I know.
You say you are Italian and speak Greek but I for one doubt that you are speaking the truth.

I have been coming to Arillas at different times of the year since 2002 and have never found the beach at any time of the day as you have described it.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Chris12 on August 24, 2014, 06:01:14 PM
We have been coming to arillas now for 6 years and we have not found the beach or area to be dirty so I don't believe this is true either. This is the safest place we have found on any of our holidays.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: justphil on August 24, 2014, 06:30:53 PM
I can only speak from experience of the 11 months I have spent in Arillas. Some flaws, yes. But to describe it as rude, dirty and criminal does not compute in my book. Everyone has bad experiences wherever they go. But on average, Arillas provides much less of these than anywhere else. I have been all over the world, but in older age now I choose Arillas for exactly those reasons. It is welcoming, clean, and safe.

Phil
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Eggy on August 24, 2014, 07:41:22 PM
Yer know , Guys........

Recently Wegg dug up some super spuds and we store them for many meals.

Just occasionally we get one that looks a little mouldy and sits around all the others, that are waiting to be enjoyed, but hoping to put that little maggot into our enjoyment
(It's a dodgy spud. It offends us. So we remove it and ignore it)

It ends up where it should belong, to create extra compost for next year.
We forget about it........... and
........... our potato "plantation" continues as we expect it to be.

Negg



Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: JohnTheRef&Dot on August 24, 2014, 08:41:59 PM
Opinion noted Takana... Can you be sure that your Hosts (the Greek people) were the cause of what seems to be a break in at your apartment's (Kokkinos) ?.
The beach is a major part of the attraction of Arillas and to my knowledge is kept clean and as tidy as possible.
Perhaps you have come across an area where someone had left something that was not acceptable, however this cannot be the responsibility of the people of Arillas.
The people of Arillas do their utmost to ensure the beach and surrounding area is as tidy as possible.
People who show little respect for the areas they have frequented may well be the problem in this case.
Most places in the world have problems with litter that is unacceptable and if you were at home I'm sure you would find something that causes you concern. It is easy to jump up and shout about something you find unacceptable but give your hosts a chance to put thing right. It's not possible to be litter police 24/7.
Hope you enjoy your stay in Arillas 
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Paul D on August 24, 2014, 08:49:05 PM
Agree, John. Give the opportunity to make it right.

Those of us who have been, know there are some small, minor niggles and irritations.  What can people expect, though? That can happen anywhere. Nowhere is perfect.
 Tanaka has a view and we should respect that. We all must call it as we see it. Speak as you find....but what did you enjoy Tanaka?

              Paul
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: sharonF on August 24, 2014, 10:26:54 PM

(It's a dodgy spud. It offends us. So we remove it and ignore it)

It ends up where it should belong, to create extra compost for next year.
We forget about it........... and
........... our potato "plantation" continues as we expect it to be.

Negg

enough said, ignore this post for the "dodgy spud" it is meant as.  The more posts on it the more it is seen, leave it to rot, obviously posted by someone trying to upset people.

Sharon x


Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Tanaka on August 28, 2014, 10:15:06 AM
Here I am,
Past days I was on trip around Arillas and then on my way home.
First of all, I'm sorry for my didactic phrases, but I was writing on a mobile and it's not all that conmfort.

Jackson, it's I write very little on this forum but I read a lot, my first post is about 2wo years ago, when I totally fell in love with Arillas... and one of that post was in the Italian forum (Val n Bill: my english is very far to be so good, don't know wich kind of italian do you met since now... maybe they were greek...)

JohnTheRef&Dot: you got the point.I know that it's impossible to keep all, always clean; but I've loved Arillas becaus it was really clean and with very few people...this year I've found too much people, too much umbrellas on the beach and too much close each others (I know there's the far, free (nudist?) beaches, but on holidays I don't want to bring my own suncharis and umbrellas, I don't want to walk away from bars, *I don't want so many people around me and I don't want cigarettes buts around me*. Arillas in 2012 and 2013 has ALL the things that I want, but this year no, now Arillas its a cute greek village, no more a unique paradise.
This year we stayed at the Bakery Apartments (near Rainbow/Marvel): basically they have just one big defetct: the renter/owner doesn't live there; so, when you are on the beach, the house its empty with nobody to take a look. So someone forced a bad-closed blind and get in our room. I think (and it is ONLY my thought) that was someone (tourist or not) that well-known the house (and the blind that you cannot properly close) beacause from the road you cannot see almost nothing of the house.
In the end, I know that tourist can dirt a little the beach and Arillas people do their best to keep it clean; but when on a beach you see people (with the ashtray attached on their umbrella!!!) that smoked a cigarette, make a hole in the sand, put the butt in and cover it... and they speak greek!!! Even if they (maybe) also are tourist in Arillas, let me feel very downhearted :(

Paul D: I love the sea, always clean and clear, I love the sunsets and, only past two years, I've love the quiet, equipped, beach that made me feel ultra-relaxed (but this year no, I think just because umbrellas where too close and always you have someone yelling around).
Of course, I love many others things but you can find them all over the greece. I spend all my holydays in Greece since 2003, my sister live in Athens and I'm at her house 2 o 3 times a-year... I' can really say that I love Greece and the greek mood... )
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Paul D on August 28, 2014, 02:05:22 PM
Thanks for your reply, Tanaka.   I understand that you DO love Arillas and only want it to be, peaceful, restful, place to visit. That is what we all want.

   Yammas,   Paul
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Val n Bill on August 28, 2014, 02:10:43 PM

Tanaka, I apologise, writing in English and getting the phrasing right is a lot more difficult that speaking English. This I know from my many friends, I do applaud you because I myself could never write a letter in fluent Italian, perhaps I was just angry at your criticism of Arillas.

I still can not agree about your description of the beach though. This is because I myself have never found the beach in Arillas as you describe it. Yes people do leave litter, but your description and criticism seemed to me to be in the extreme.

I do hope that this topic will act as a reminder to anyone who HAS left litter on the beach to take their rubbish and put it in the many bins that have been provided along the beach front. 

The beach is a little wider this year and many of the tavernas have invested in their own nice sunbeds, this means that more visitors can use the beach in comfort.

The people of Arillas have invested large amounts of money and their own time this year to make Arillas as beautiful as it is. The village will only keep attracting visitors if it is well kept. The economic crisis that Greece is suffering has great impact on the islands and no government money means that lots of holiday resorts are suffering a downward spiral. The people of Arillas are doing their very best to stop the effect of this crisis ruining their village. 

I am very sorry that your holiday has been traumatised by the person who forced their way into your apartment, that must have been horrible to find. Please ask the owners to report this to the local police, and I do hope that you will keep returning to Arillas even though this year was not as wonderful as you expected to be.

Val x





Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Jo Wissett on August 28, 2014, 04:16:18 PM
This year I wholeheartedly found the beach to be absolutely spotless and the sunbed attendants were constantly raking the sand and ensuring any litter was picked up. Yes the main beach to the right of the jetty was very busy. Much more so than previous years and I didn't feel there was enough room for those who wanted to bring a mat. This is one of the reasons we head to the North beach, especially in the morning it is blissfully deserted.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: dimitris on August 28, 2014, 07:58:34 PM
Dear Tana Ka,
Thank you for being with us in our online community.
This is a web-site created from the people that love Arillas and like to be returning back year after year.....

You comments are much appreciated but....   What are you trying to achieve with this?   You have also been copying and pasting exactly  the same words on  the Arillas “facebook” profile?...

I live in Arillas and I know that the weeks you were visiting have been the busiest for the last 10 years!  The reason for this is explained at the previous posts...

I find your complains very  negative and much aggressive towards the community of Arillas.
Calling: rude and thieves  some kind of folk without determining, is something that can only bring others to the wrong conclusion that in Arillas you only meet thieves and rude people.

To be honest, Greeks and Italians are the loudest folk I know ( in the restaurants, beach, apartments etc) but it does not mean they are rude. It's their culture.

I personally do not lock my car or my motorbike, I have my windsurfing gear near the beach of Arillas without any locks or any king of security , I leave the doors open in my house, restaurant and storage house during the day ALL YEAR ROUND  ( please do not tell the thieves)
IF there had been any issues with such type of crime in Arillas we all cooperate with the police and deal with it directly.

By the way was there anything stolen in your apartment or you just had the impression that someone broke in?

If you feel unsafe in Arillas then what are you doing when you are in Italy?
Last time I crossed you country with an old Renault  I was peeing with one leg in the car as I did not want to leave it alone......

I would feel much better if the thieves broke in to my house once and take some money away than someone polluting my village's reputation resulting to a large loss of business.

That's for now...... 


Oh ! If there is anything good you can say about Arillas we would like to hear that too!!  ;)







Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: alex on August 28, 2014, 08:22:34 PM
well said, arillas has been my 2nd home since 2000, my 1st ever trip abroad, i fell in love with the area and people, from when i 1st came the village has got cleaner and cleaner,. eg. no dogs wandering around, the beach is cleared EVERY DAY. everybody welcomes you back like a long lost relative.
i have brought my sons over who also fell ion love with the area, and next year they are bringing there own families too.
the other year my husband hurt his leg and we was ran back and picked up from our apartment every night. thats how true the people of arillas are.
my 2nd trip to arillas someone tried to make out that they had been broken into, which was sus straight away, it turned out it was an insurance scam or trying to get everyone to do a whip round for them, funny how they didnt want to report it to the police.
keep up the good work in arillas we love the village and people of arillas you all do a brillient job.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: jackson on August 28, 2014, 09:27:35 PM
Dimitris i'm with you 100% as I said before never had a problem arillas is great and so are the people full stop!
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: kevin.g on August 28, 2014, 09:35:45 PM
Well said boss , see you next year as usual yiammas
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: dylan on August 28, 2014, 09:59:13 PM
Good for you Dimitris! constructive criticism is fine, and helps everyone improve, pasting and copying on to facebook, seems excessive! I suppose everyone has to have their five minutes of fame, or is it infamy? My English is not to good! My Italian is non-existent I'm afraid!

Arillas may not be perfection, but its the nearest I have ever seen! and I have been searching long enough!
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: sharonF on August 28, 2014, 10:19:23 PM
Very well said Dimitris, especially like "peeing with one leg in my car" :D

There is and never will be, anywhere I would rather go abroad than Arillas, hoping to get back next year

Sharon x
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: dylan on August 28, 2014, 10:36:04 PM
these negative comments are also on the Arillas Beach Facebook site!
I wonder where else! will keep searching!
Nice pic of Tana Ka, as well, you are a big lad, for your age!
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Eggy on August 28, 2014, 10:50:54 PM
Tanaka

Come back to Arillas and tell me before you arrive. Sit with me for an afternoon and then all will be fine.

Your ears will be in pain and your body will say "No More Alcohol" , but together we will make everything OK and when Arillias Forum friends walk past we will drag them off the street to join in our conversation.

I am a nice "Egg" really. (Unless a brand new Mercedes comes towards me in the middle of the road!)

Be well all

Negg

Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Chris G on August 29, 2014, 12:20:26 AM
That old saying just about covers this topic, "you can please some of the people some of time but not all of the people all of the time". Arillas as far as we are concerned pleases 100% of the time roll on next summer.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: suzy61 on August 29, 2014, 12:29:49 AM
Very well said, Chris G...couldn't agree more! It certainly pleases us 100% all of the time!

Suzy x
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Tanaka on August 29, 2014, 10:16:53 AM
Dimitris, the facts is that three people discover Arillas in 2012 and love it so much; they return in 2013 and love it more; they return also in 2014 (with more 2 people) and find it really worsened.
Top of all we get thief in our room. "Thief" it means drowers overturned, clothes and things throwed all around, window opened, all lights on... and a wallet full of money, passport, driving license, credit cards, etc disappeared. It's not a my impression, it's.a.wallet.stolen. From the closed house!!!
What I'm trying to achieve in writing on THIS forum? (I could write in many other places, even only in Italian and Arillas will get only a damage... and it's not my intention)
First of all to discover if I was lucky the past 2wo years (and Arillas is always like this year) or if 2014 is only the first year of a brand new touristic course or if we was only so much unlucky... I was trying to give voice to all the things that this year I've don't liked in Arillas (in addition of the theft)... maybe someone like you have the occasion to talk to Arillas citizens and bring the voice also of the tourist that don't return year after year (why? Maybe for them Arillas is not so well).
Instead of it, what I get? People who tells me liar; people who offend me as italian; people who says I'm in searching of fame; people that's trying chasing in my life; people that minimize things I've seen. *to me* cigarette's butts on the beach means a DIRTY beach (even if they're few) and people who put them in the sand it's RUDE people. This year I've found too much of them to let me say the beach was clean. stop.
Are you afraid that just ONE post of people unsatisfacted of his holydays could corrupt your perfect forum? Well delete it... I'll not follow the discussion no more.
I'm gonna to delete also all the post in facebook.
P.S. Negg. I thank for your offer: writing this post (from a mobile: that's why cut and paste) in 2 or 3 different places it was specially made for talk, live!, with someone when I was in Arillas... sorry, It's 2wo days that I'm back home.
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Karen/Colin on August 29, 2014, 01:25:03 PM
Oh dear something has really upset this lady this year,it seems that the whole holiday was a cataolgue of disasters!. Was the 'theft' reported to the police?
Karen
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Truth on August 29, 2014, 03:54:28 PM
I KNOW I will upset the whole forum posting this but I really feel for Tanaka here.
I just think that Tanaka's very upset with being robbed to be honest and I have a feeling we all would be! Then logic sometimes goes out of the window and perhaps things are posted in "inappropriate" places and people start taking things personally?
I have tried to say before on here in the past (I think), its ok saying that you don't need to lock your doors in Arillas and you can walk safely at night alone as a single woman in Arillas etc etc BUT at the end of the day anyone can walk into Arillas at any time and commit a crime.
It could be a fellow holidaymaker (from any country) , a refugee , a vagrant ANYONE at all.........
I have had disagreements before about this subject matter when I used to go to Anaxos every year in (Lesvos), and the same was said about there , how NOTHING could possibly go wrong. Well it did when a lady and her husband were "approached" in a violent manner by some Albanians on scooters and basically asked to hand over their money.
I am just trying to even the argument up a bit here thats all, theres not a place on the planet where you can be 100% sure of your personal safety and that of your belongings .............
That all said we will be returning as a family of 8 (ranging from 19 months to 78!) next year so I think that explains our feelings towards the place. I feel as safe as I do anywhere in Arillas .......
I may be playing Devils Advocate here and end up regretting this post BUT its posted now

  
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Eggy on August 29, 2014, 04:43:56 PM
Good post. Carl you are a Devil indeed and a better advocate.
(And I thought Advocate was a yellow eggy drink!)

Never be complacent on holiday. I seem to remember an advert, once, which said.......

........"Even thieves go on holiday!!"

Negg
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Truth on August 29, 2014, 06:12:51 PM
Its a HORRIBLE drink mate !!!!!  lol
Thanks for the post  :-)
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Dai on August 29, 2014, 06:28:46 PM
Good post Truth. I and no doubt many other users of this forum know locals and Brits with properties in Arillas who have been broken into or had something stolen. Also I think if you have something stolen while you are on holidays the extra inconvenience makes it seem worse.

Having said that I do feel safer and much less likely to be a victim of crime while in Arillas than when at home, or in most other places.

As for Arillas being dirty I suppose it's a matter of degrees. My pet hate is the amount of abandoned brollies and mats left to rot on the beach, together with the cigarette butts left on the beach which must be worse in August though I'm certain this is despite not because of the locals who do work hard to keep Arillas clean. Bladdy tourists!
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Truth on August 30, 2014, 10:19:02 AM
Cheers Dai.
It's impossible to keep a beach entirely clean when you have debris being washed up from sea constantly but Arillas is as clean a beach I have seen.
Pefkos beach was mainly made up of fag butts with a bit of sand mixed in ! Lol
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Erja on August 31, 2014, 10:01:11 AM
Pefkos beach was mainly made up of fag butts with a bit of sand mixed in ! Lol

:D :D :D
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: pussinflipflops on August 31, 2014, 10:35:01 PM
Beach is clean..water Clear as a bell....whole village super smart...however........

Today on the beach next to me was a Greek Mother with 2 Young kids who spent most of the day on her mobile loudly chainsmokeing..and yep....in the sand the butts went...someone who should have known better. !!  Its not just foreigners who create mess.

Go on..shoot me for saying it.  (I'll be under the brolly over there)
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Eggy on September 03, 2014, 10:39:51 PM
who spent most of the day on her mobile loudly chain smoking

You are very lucky. I Have yet to see a "chain smoking" mobile phone! (Loud or quiet)

Negg
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: Truth on September 04, 2014, 03:24:18 PM
Brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :-)
Title: Re: arillas 2014
Post by: GaryS on September 04, 2014, 06:25:38 PM
News of a break-in is terrible, but I can't comment. Were the police informed? Not sure if I missed the earlier reply to that.

As for the busy bit. This year was the first time we have visited in August (normally late June) and we didn't really see it was any more crowded. Yes I noticed the sunbeds were shoe-horned in around the pier area which isn't to my taste, but we thought the beach was as clean as we have ever seen it and the water lovely.

Again, a break-in is terrible, but how many times have you heard on the news someone saying "you don't expect that around here" Things can happen anywhere people are.

Gary