Frequently Asked Questions

Beach Club Information

Coronavirus FAQs

For more FAQ’s dealing specifically with Covid-19 travel restrictions, quarantine or self-isolation, see more

Is there Wi-Fi at the Beach Club?

There is free Wi-Fi available in the public areas (bar/restaurant and lounges) of all Beach Clubs. Signal strength and connection speed can vary with limited access in hotel rooms.

Do I need to bring a towel?

We do provide a towel and a mid-week towel change for guests. However, these are not beach towels and these can be rented locally, subject to availability.

How large are our Beach Clubs & what are the facilities?

The Surf Hotel Beach Club, Vassiliki: This is a modest size hotel-style beach club which is private to our British clients and run exclusively by us. Its grounds lead straight down to the sea (100 metres away) where our water sports centre is located. We have 82 beds in total (38 bedrooms) which are a mix of twin/double, triple and quad family rooms.

Facilities: hotel grounds, hotel reception, swimming pool, sun loungers, pool bar, Sky Bar lounge, dedicated Kids Club area, Wi-Fi in public areas, our water sports centre and bikes.

Leda Beach Club, Horto-Pelion: A larger villa-style Beach Club where accommodation is spread across smaller apartments which are dotted around beautiful and extensive grounds with trees, shrubbery and lawns. It makes for a more private and peaceful holiday where one can get lost in the grounds. Its grounds lead straight down to the sea (100 metres away) where our water sports centre is located close by.

Ocean Elements has a 50-60 bed share of a 140-bed complex which is run by Greek owners and houses guests from other Tour Operators from Germany, Italy, France and Greece.

Facilities: Extensive gardens, hotel reception, swimming pool, crazy / mini golf, tennis court, sun loungers on the beach and around pool, a Beach bar, Ambrosia restaurant, on-site Taverna, a Yoga house, Jacuzzi and sauna room, mini gym, dedicated Kids Club area, Wi-Fi in public areas, our water sports centre and bikes.

Nautica Bay Beach Club, Porto Heli: A large hotel style Beach Club where accommodation is spread across extensive grounds, most with direct sea views. Its grounds lead straight down to the sea (150 metres away) which is accessed by crossing over a small road directly in front of the hotel.

There you will find a private beach, sun loungers and our water sports centre. Ocean Elements has a 60-70 bed share of a 220-bed hotel complex which is run by Greek owners and houses guests from other Tour Operators from Germany, Italy, France and Greece.

Facilities: Extensive gardens (lawned), hotel reception, swimming pool, crazy / mini golf, two tennis courts, sun loungers on the beach and around pool, a Beach bar, hotel restaurant restaurants, on-site snack bar (beach bar), dedicated Kids Club area, Wi-Fi in public areas, our water sports centre and bikes.

What essentials should I pack?

Do bring sun cream and insect repellent
Do bring a day bag
Do bring a sun hat and shades
Do bring shorts and T-shirts you don’t mind getting wet
Do bring any special bike saddles or Spd’s and our mechanic will fit them for you (closed toed shoes esential for biking)
Do bring any special biking or dinghy clothing you like to wear No need for wetsuits
Do bring a good book, essential for chilling!
Do bring a beach towel

Are they true beachfront hotels?

Yes, all our hotels and Beach Clubs are true beachfront hotels, in that their grounds lead directly down to the beach where our water sports centres are located. For Nautica Bay and Surf Hotel, there is a small road and promenade (respectively) between the hotel and the beach, but the hotel grounds continue on the other side of the road and promenade and are private for hotel guests.

I have a bar voucher included with my booking, how do I use it?

The staff in the resort will be aware that you have you have a voucher and will allocate it to your room tab. The vouchers are for personal consumption only and can be used to purchase the following: draft beer, house wine by the glass, local spirits and mixers, soft drinks, hot non-alcoholic drinks, all lunches and ice cream by the scoop. Please make sure you inform the staff you intend to use the bar voucher when ordering otherwise you may be charged for your order.

Do our bedrooms get cleaned?

Guest rooms are cleaned daily, with a mid-week towel and bed sheet change in some resorts. Rooms will have air-conditioning, small fridge, tea/coffee facilities (Surf Hotel and Leda) with satellite TV and a few English language channels.

What are the Checkout times for our Beach Clubs?

Leda - 12:00 with no late checkout available, however, guests may leave their luggage in reception.
Porto Heli - 12:00 with no late checkout available, however, guests may leave their luggage in reception.
Surf hotel - 13:00 with late checkout available for a limited number of guests. Local charge applicable. Please speak to reception on your arrival.
Akti beach - 12:00 with late checkout available. Local charge applicable and subject to the date of your stay. Please speak to reception on your arrival.

Travel And Booking Information

How long is the transfer?

The transfer is done by coach, car or minibus and these are guide times, not accounting for traffic or delays:

Vassiliki: Preveza airport is 1hr 30m from Surf Hotel Beach Club
Porto Heli: Kalamata airport is 3hr to 3hr 45m from Nautica bay Beach Club (30min break)
Horto-Pelion: Volos airport is 1hr 40m from Leda Beach Club
Kos: Kos Airport is 15min from Akti Beach Club & Akti Palace Hotel

Do I need specialist Travel Insurance?

Yes, we require you to have suitable insurance cover for the travel arrangements you have booked with us and any activities that you expect to take part in. Our policy has been specially made for clients taking part in our holidays by Endsleigh. Check it out to see whether it may suit you. [more on insurance]

What is the baggage allowance on the plane?

Windsurf boards are from £60 per windsurf for up to 20kg on our charter plane, Easyjet prices from £98 per small sports equipment return, which includes the transfer in Greece (return). They will go as outsize baggage. We advise you pack your sails and boom in with your board because the maximum quota of baggage, per person, is as follows:1 piece hand (5 kilos) 1 piece hold (20 kilos) 1 piece outsize (20-32 kilo) These are provided as a guide - please ask a member of U.K office staff for specific baggage allowances.

What do I do at the arrival airport?

All guests are met in Preveza, Kalamata, Kos or Volos airport by a member of Ocean Elements staff as you come through arrivals after having collected your bags. You will be transferred to resort by private coach or minibus. Look for our uniformed staff and/or a sign with our company logo. We do not have staff at the UK departure airport. All guests are reminded to arrive 2-3 hours prior to departure in order to safely catch their outbound flight.

What deals and discounts are available?

For our latest offers visit the pages below:

Beach Club offers
Yacht offers

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept payment using: Maestro, Delta, Solo, Visa debit, Mastercard debit, Visa and Mastercard. We do not accept cheques or money transfers, unless it is for a group of 10 or more.

Can I view and make payments towards the cost of my holiday?

Yes, simply head to our ‘Client Area’ site, you will need your booking reference, departure date and lead passenger’s name to access this service. Stay Sail guests please call for further information.

How do I pay my balance and when is it due?

Your balance is due 12 weeks before your departure. With your holiday invoice you will be sent a link to our Client Area where you can pay your balance online via our secure server. It is cheaper to pay online than by phone. Pay online: no charge for debit or credit card payments.

Where are my tickets?

Charter flight e-tickets will be emailed out 2 - 3 days prior to departure, should you be flying with Easyjet your flight reference numbers will be displayed on your invoice under flight reference.

If your flight is with EasyJet, then you will have to check-in online using the EasyJet website when it opens 30 days before your departure date. Should it not be this will be emailed 2 - 3 days prior to departure.

Do I get a meal on the flight?

With all of our short haul flights to Greece - meals and drinks are not included. There is a buy on board service for snacks and drinks.

I can't find a deal or price I saw before?

All our holidays are subject to availability and prices can change at any time. When you make a search on our website for a specific holiday, our website will then check the live availability and the current price. Offers are also subject to change without notice but we will always try to warn you if a deal or offer is coming to an end.

Activities Information

Do I need a wetsuit?

Not in our view! The water in all our centres is very warm all season long, (20-26C+). We use board shorts and rash vests from early May to October. However if you are particularly susceptible to any kind of chill, or for young children - then for early and late season sailing you may prefer to bring your own suit. We do not stock wet suits at any of our centres.

Can my child learn to sail & windsurf?

Yes of course! Kids age 8-13 years generally join our Youth Squad to get dedicated and professional RYA coaching and tuition. This is a paid for as an extra and must be pre-booked before departure. Children age 14 above can join our adult teaching groups for windsurfing and sailing. Kids don't have to be in Youth Squad to go sailing; children age 13 and below are welcome to sail with a parent or guardian.

Kids in our Kids Clubs (age 4-13) can get taster sessions and accompanied sailing joyrides with our instructors. All water sports for children is limited to participant numbers and available kit, but we will aim to introduce all Kids Clubs participants to the water more than a few times during their week, whether it’s paddling, Sup’s, kayaks or dinghy rides.

I don’t want lessons or activities - do I get a discount?

All our activities have been priced into the base holiday package and due to our already very competitive prices, we cannot offer any further discounts.

Is there a safety boat?

We run a beach or tower lookout for all guests at all times. Our safety boat ratios are very high, meaning there is always a boat ready to provide assistance if required. We simply ask that all water users stay within our designated sailing area.

Which Centres are good for windsurfing?

All our resorts offer windsurfing. The Surf Hotel Beach Club in Vassiliki has the best pro-level equipment and the best range of instruction (beginner to advanced). Free daily shore based lessons are available. Vass’ also has the strongest wind which starts calm in the morning (ideal for beginners) and slowly builds to a strong breeze by mid-afternoon (up to Force 6/7) – so everyone’s catered for!The Leda Club in Horto Pelion also offers excellent windsurfing but doesn’t have all the latest season’s kit.

However, it will have a smaller range of last season’s pro-level boards for the experts and other advanced kit too. Free daily shore based lessons are available. There are fewer high-level instructors in Leda, but enough to help guests wanting some advanced private tuition. Like Vassiliki, Leda suits beginners, inters and expert sailors as the wind starts calm and slowly builds to a Force 4/5 by the afternoon.The Nautica bay Beach Club in Porto Heli offers fun beginner and intermediate level windsurfing.

It doesn’t have the latest kit, however it has a good range of high-level intermediate boards, a full range of large sails and lots of beginner boards. Porto Heli suits beginners, intermediates and high-level intermediates who can get planing most days. The wind starts calm in the morning and slowly builds to a Force 3/4 by the afternoon.

Can I go Free Sailing whenever I choose?

If you can already sail or windsurf (equivalent to RYA Level 1) then there’s no need to join a lesson unless you want to. Simply choose a board or boat and let the beach staff know before you head out onto the water. The beach is open from 9.30 to 18.00 each day and will only close if wind conditions are too strong, which is rare.

Can I go sailing on arrival day?

Yes, you can, and many guests do just that. Our early morning flights often mean you will be in resort soon after lunch, so unless there are travel delays and so long as conditions allow, you should be able to sail, windsurf or paddle about on Sups soon after you arrive – usually soon after our beach safety briefing.

What are the hotel beaches like?

Surf Hotel, Vassiliki Beach: The beach in Vassiliki is shingle and stone with a more sandy section at the far end. Once you enter the water there is lovely soft sand beneath your feet and waist deep crystal clear water for some distance out to the sandbar, which helps make windsurfing and sailing easier, safer and great for beginners and kids. Vassiliki has some of the cleanest waters in Europe and the beach gently shelves to allow easy water sports and safe swimming for all ages. We have a garden which fronts onto the beach and free-use of sun loungers. We recommend taking a Sup, kayak or bike (or just walk a short way) to visit a nearby sandy patch of beach close to our centre.

Nautica Bay, Porto Heli Beach: Our hotel beach in Porto Heli is quite exclusive and in a quieter part of the bay which is ideal for bathing and water sports as it never gets too busy.

Our water sports centre (like all our centres) is by the waterfront and completely exclusive for our guests and our attentive beach staff are always on hand to help you get going on our great range of boats, boards and beach toys. The beach is very sandy and has a large supply of sun loungers for you to use and there’s a beach bar so you can chill with a cool drink whilst you watch the action on the water. On entering the water there is generally soft sand beneath your feet; Porto Heli is a natural bay which allows safe and secure swimming and water sports for all ages.

The hotel is less than 50m from the beach and waterfront and you’ll have to cross a narrow B-road to access the beach but this does not impinge upon the set up in any way. Leda, Pelion Beach: Our Leda Beach Club fronts directly onto the beach and like all centres our water sports centre is exclusive to guests. The beach is sand mixed with shingle and quite stony. Leda has some of the cleanest waters in Europe and the beach is stunningly beautiful! It allows easy access to water sports and safe swimming with coves, rocky outcrops and inlets dotted around to enable great snorkelling or paddling in kayaks or Sups.

There is a beach bar close by so you can relax on a sun lounger with a cool drink as you come and go from the action on the water.

Can anyone use the windsurf or sailing dinghy kit?

In order to take a boat or board out on your own, we will ask that you have at least some experience sailing dinghies or windsurfing and can perform basic manoeuvres. Our staff will assess this on arrival. If you do not then we can teach you the basics in one of our lessons or for sailing we can even take you out on a skippered sailing demo.

What extra excursions are on offer?

Our resorts offer many great excursions, including wine tours, boat trips, island hopping, yacht trips, car and moped hire, water skiing, SCUBA Diving, Guided walking and bike rides. Some of these may require a local charge and they can be arranged on arrival with Ocean Elements staff.

Can I sail anywhere I like?

We have a dedicated sailing area (for safety reasons) and we ask that guests stick to it. Our sailing area should be plenty big enough for downwind spinnaker runs and windsurf blasts. You will be advised of the sailing area on arrival which is usually marked with big yellow outer distance markers (ODM’s).

What do I need to wear to take part in activities?

You will need a pair of trainers to take part in many of the fitness sessions on offer. Mountain bikers must wear closed-toe shoes (e.g. trainers - not flip-flops) and a shirt or T-shirt to cover their upper body.

Can I use the windsurf, dinghies, Sups & beach kit whenever I like?

Yes of course you can. Simply come down to the waterfront during beach opening hours (9.30 to 6 pm) and choose a boat or pick a windsurf board, SUP or kayak from our racks and our beach staff will help you rig up and get going.

If the piece of equipment you’d like to take out is being used for a lesson, simply check with the Beach Senior when it will be back in and they will do their best to keep it rigged and ready for you to take straight back out. That said, there is such a great range of kit to play on in all our resorts that you’ll be spoilt for choice and not often waiting for kit to come back.

If the wind is blowing too hard, or if there is some adverse weather about (e.g. swell), then we may limit what equipment can be used. Extreme weather in our resorts is usually short lived and generally will not last for long.

What activities are included in a beach club holiday?

Dinghy sailing and windsurfing (lessons), kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, mountain biking, guided bike rides, use of tennis courts (except Vassiliki), Fitness classes for Vassiliki only and excursions, social nights and paddle cruises are all included in the price of your holiday.

Do you provide Buoyancy Aids and Helmets?

We provide buoyancy aids for all ages (adult and child) and for all water-based activities. We have a limited range of life jackets for toddlers. We provide optional helmets for sailing. We provide helmets for all mountain bikers but please remember to bring your closed toed shoes.

Do I have to follow the lesson plan?

If you can you can display an adequate degree of competency then you don’t need to join our lessons to go free-sailing. However if you choose to join any of our RYA courses (Levels 1,2,3 or 4) then you don’t need to do the whole course, after all it’s your holiday! You are free to dip in and out of our structured lessons as you choose.

What do I need to wear to take part in water sports?

For sailing, paddle sports and windsurfing, simply wear some swim shorts, a swimsuit, t-shirt or rash vest and we will supply buoyancy aids and helmets if needed. Whichever sport you take part in, we would recommend a sun hat and plenty of sun cream.We don’t supply dinghy hikers or dinghy boots so do bring your own if you would like to.

Tip: We do sell sailing gloves and rash vests or quick dry T-Shirts at our centres for very reasonable prices! However sizes can get limited, so don’t rely on our supplies.

Is private tuition for sailing and windsurfing available in resort?

Yes, these are all available and payable locally. Please speak to our instructors once you are in your chosen resort. Private Tuition prices start from £34 per hour.

Levels covered: All levels beginner to advanced modules. Perfect for those who want to focus extra time on specific skills in addition to our free lessons, or for those of you who want advanced skills taught in resorts that don’t include advanced tuition free with the package.

What lessons & courses are available & where?