Kea, GrèceVilla Agnoula

We stayed at villa Agnoula for 11 days, and had a truly wonderful experience. From the start, we were met straight upon arrival at the ferry terminal and taken to the house. En route, we were able to stop at a supermarket to stock up on essentials. In any case, Anna had kindly left a full 6-pack of water and a vast amount of delicious local products in the house. The house sits on a NW facing bank on top of the hill, about 13-15 minutes away (by car or scooter) from the harbour. It has a stunning 180° view on the valley below, with gorgeous views of the harbour at night, and the most amazing slow-motion sunsets you could ever imagine over Markonisos. It is very close to Ioulis, the main town of the island, where you can find a bakery, a pharmacy, a medical centre, some mini-markets, and dozens of delicious restaurants. Ioulis is reachable on foot in about 35mins but I would not recommend it as it is necessary to walk on the main road. Note that a scooter is the best option for visiting Ioulis as parking can be difficult to find. In any case, a car (or a scooter) is absolutely essential to stay at the house, and in general to move around the island. There are several car and scooter rental companies on the island, but make sure to book in advance for the months of August and July. If you rent a car, opt for a 4x4 as it will allow you to reach the beaches on the eastern side. The house itself is simply stunning. It is embedded on the side of the hill, and has three huge terraces that although facing north catch the sun all day. There is a large parking upfront (shared with the neighbour) which can easily accommodate three cars and a couple of scooters. The two main terraces are accessible from large glass doors in the house, all equipped with top-quality mosquito nets. The house seats in a cluster with similar houses, but *almost* full privacy is guaranteed. Only some parts of the house above have a partial view of the main terrace and the pool, but only if the guests above are standing close to their walls. During our stay this was never a problem and we really felt private. The main terrace has a huge stone table under the shade of a treillis for lunches and dinners, a coffee table with wicker chairs close to the living room, and a wonderful "sunset aperitif" table with safari chairs on a gravel flat close to the pool. It is here that the most amazing views and sunsets can be enjoyed. The pool is very clean and the water was perfectly balanced (no chlorine smell, no sting). Pool maintenance is anyway carried out every few days. Note that the pool is very deep and f.ex. not really suitable for playing with a ball. The lower terrace can be accessed through outside stairs or directly from the bedrooms. This is the best place to catch the morning sun, and it is fitted with a low table and some loungers. The entire property is immersed in a perfectly groomed garden with local plants and essences. At night, several light switches in the garden allow you to create a wonderfully dimmed atmosphere, but there are also plenty of practical lights for moving about or eating under the treillis. The location of the switches for the garden lights can be confusing at first as some of them are scattered around the garden, whilst some are inside the house, but it is only a matter of working out what is where. Wind can be an issue, as Meltemi (the north wind) can blow very strongly in the Cyclades in august. The house is quite exposed, but it is totally windproof : all the blinds have very strong fasteners and it is essential that they be used to avoid any damage. Be advised that on very windy days it can be difficult to use the pool, as the northern wind can be quite cold and unpleasant. In total we had 3 days like that (out of 11) but we used them for amazing excursions inside the island. Inside the house is very stylishly decorated. The kitchen is fully functional with plenty of appliances and for my personal joy it even included a cappuccino maker. The only sore point was the absence of a dishwasher, but we managed the old fashioned way. Wi-Fi was performant and very solid inside the house, and even covered fairly well most of the main terrace and the pool area. The house had toilets on every floor, and two bathrooms with showers on the lower (sleeping) floor. Anna had provided plenty of top of the range toiletries that were truly amazing. There were plenty of fresh towels, and if I am not mistaken more than one hair-dryer. The house has two bedrooms, one with a double bed and a second one with a king-size bed that can be split into two singles. The house has no AC, but it is very fresh on account of being partly interred, and perfectly ventilated. We actually even covered ourselves on some nights. There is a small washing machine that works very well, a clothes drying rack, and an iron. Anna had left us a very nice welcome pack, including lovely local products, a wonderful bottle of Brachetto, and most importantly a local guide with plenty of valuable information. There was even a small library well-stocked with books, DVDs, and CDs. There were also televisions in the house, but we never made use of them. In conclusion : we had an amazing stay at villa Keanna, made all the more agreeable by Anna's taste in decorating the house and the garden. We felt truly welcome, and it is an experience that we strongly encourage anyone...