Arillas, a small, appealing settlement in the middle of the bay book-ended by the capes of Arillas and Kefali, has a long beach of pebbles and firm sand, not quite as splendid as the great sweep of sand at Agios Stefanos in the next bay, but appealing nonetheless. It's an up-and-coming resort that currently strikes a good balance between a choice of facilities and lack of development. Most of the action is on the seafront to the south of the small jetty directly opposite the main access road, and 200m back along the road itself. Frogs croak merrily in the reed-filled rivulet behind the beach, while the barren rocky islets of Kravia, Gineka and Sikia out to sea are yet more on the list of places claiming to be the petrified remains of Odysseus's ship. If you're feeling active, Arillas Water Sports on the beach offers parasailing for €30 and waterskiing for €20, as well as cheaper inflatable banana and ring rides.
Eating, Drinking and Nightlife
For a resort of its size, Arillas has a reasonable selection of restaurants that provide good-value fare, the best of which are listed below. Bars are fairly laid-back most of the time and cocktail sipping is encouraged by the presence of two adjacent bars, 50m back along the access road, opposite Arillas Travel, the Coconut plays commercial disco, while the Malibu mixes in some oldies and has a startling water feature. They occasionally compete in sound system volume wars, in which case you might prefer to retire to the leafy patio garden of Whispers, 50m further inland, by the turning to Avliotes, where the leisurely happy hour is 7-10pm.