PEACEFUL COUNTRY VILLA, WITH VIEWS TO SEA, ISLANDS & HILLS

An author's home (http://www.cicerone.co.uk/1009) and much loved retreat for 20 years. The house is spacious (210 sq m) and full of light and air, with views over olive trees to fields, sea and islands beneath a huge sky. The open-plan lounge and dining rooms face west, where the sun sets behind the neighbouring island of Paros. On a clear day, many more islands ‘float’ on the horizon. French windows open onto a balcony that runs along three sides of the house.
The house is set in its own acre of land, which is planted with vines, olives, lemon and pomegranate trees among fields on the island’s south-west coastal plain. It faces W and SW to the sea, N, E and S to the hills. Two perfect sandy bays and a long, long sandy beach are 15 minutes’ walk/2 minutes' drive away. It is a peaceful, rural location, off the tourist trail, and an ideal base for exploring the whole island - we ran our walking holiday business, Walking Plus (a beach, a temple and glass of wine) from here for 16 years.
The house was originally 9 studio apartments, which we gutted and transformed into our ideal home. As one guest commented, "it's Greek, but with a delightful English touch of comfort and style". The main bathroom is big, the ensuite shower rooms enclosed and tastefully tiled. Every guest who comes has been captivated by the house, its setting and its location on the island's most beautiful and unspoilt coast.
The sun sets behind the neighbouring island of Paros, and on a clear day, many more islands ‘float’ on the horizon. Two perfect sandy bays and an impossibly long stretch of beach are a few minutes' drive away (5 minutes by bicycle), and never crowded. Two of the island's best tavernas, the Apolavsi and the Axiotissa are a few metres down the road.