Find rentals with hot tubs near Acropolis of Karystos

A little gem far enough away from the mainstream international tourist attractions but still accessible with some planning. Rightly labelled the easternmost suburb of Athens, the island of Evia is a little known gem. Ioannis is an excellent host and went out of his way to make our stay pleasurable. The house is restored to a high standard although the steps to the pool are not for those with any mobility problems. The pool overlooks the road leading up to the main square from the port of Nea-Styra and used by goods vehicles/buses etc. This will change when the new by-pass is completed as it will divert through-traffic away from the village. Stira is a village with a charming square and great for a meal out as long as you do not expect a huge variety or international wine selections! Do try the coffee shop which has a poignant family history and is a little treasure. The local butcher provides excellent produce and cut quite the largest pork chops I have seen for a memorable barbeque. Fruit from the garden included succulent pomegranates, grapes, lemons and of course figs. As always in hot climates - beware of the ants and biting insects. The port town of Nea-Stira is easily accessible but be prepared for higher prices. Mini-markets have all of the essentials and for a more comprehensive start-of-the-holiday staples purchase, definitely head out to Karystos or even better, Chalcida where in the latter you find esoteric establishments like Lidl! Do plan your days out as journeys are measured in time not by miles - a car is absolutely essential. (One way ferry ticket from Ag marina to N. Styra is 24 Euro including 2 passengers). I suggest shelling out a little extra and hiring a manual transmission diesel engine with a good low end torque as the dirt tracks found everywhere away from the main roads are steep (circa 1:3 in places) and unleaded petrol varies between E1.50 and 1.75 / litre with diesel around 1.25/litre. Check out the less accessible beaches - south and east of Karystos are pretty much deserted out of high season. The north winds often blow force 5 - 7 so be prepared for choppy surfs - excellent for wind surfing but also comes with a strong undertow. Day trips to the gorge and the Dragon houses are recommended. All in, a charming holiday for those seeking rural Greece but as always, prepare thoroughly and do take a sat-nav to avoid the trauma of getting lost in the dark up some steep narrow dirt track miles from nowhere!

The apartment is on the top floor of a 3 storey house, accessed by one and a half flights of stairs. It has 3 comfy double bedrooms, 2 large and one smaller, all with air conditioning. There is a communal bathroom off the hall and the twin room has an ensuite toilet and shower and a separate washbasin. There is another bathroom on the lower ground floor next to the well-appointed laundry room. The sitting/dining room is cosy with an extremely well equipped kitchen and leads onto a very large terrace with an spacious covered dining area. The spectacular views from this terrace raise this property above many others in which we have stayed and we found it difficult to leave in the evenings before we had witnessed another glorious sunset. Paul, the owner, speaks excellent English and provides accurate maps and directions for finding the property. He and his family are usually in Athens but stayed a couple of times in their part of the house which created no problems. It only takes 10 minutes to drive into Nea Stira where there are numerous shops, greengrocers, bakers and restaurants. Even a post office and an ATM. We looked at all the local beaches and the best is at Limionas which is a 20 minute drive from Villa Bellevue which has a sandy/pebbly beach with easy access to clear water for great swimming. There are beach beds and umbrellas belonging to the 4 tavernas. We found that as long as you gave the tavernas some custom there was no charge for the facilties. All in all, a fabulous stay in a wonderful country. September 2018

It was much easier than expected to reach the property. The whole place is charming, well mentained and has all the ammenities to feel comfortable. We highly appreciated having the option to call a handy-man (thank you Ahmed) whenever we needed. The beach is right in front of you, clean and quiet. A 10 minutes drive will get you to Nea Styra where you can do all your shoppings or enjoy a nice dinner in one of it’s tavernas. A big, warm thank you to our gentle and welcoming host, who made all these possible!