Description
Location, location, location !
Situated on its own private headland Ionian Dream Villa has drop dead gorgeous views all the way round, overlooking the sea with Zante in the distance and the beach directly below, behind is the majesty of Mount Aenos. The beach itself is a beautiful, sandy, almost private beach (never gets crowded) set between cliffs. The villa has been built with a natural stone frontage to blend in with the landscape, and offers 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms - and 2 infinity pools : a main swimming pool, and a smaller jacuzzi pool just to relax in and enjoy the views. Fully airconditioned the villa is well appointed with Miele fittings in the kitchen. While the lounge has a smart TV, DVD and free wifi. The TV has Netflix and Amazon Prime. The villa benefits from a very large balcony for alfesco dining. There is also a large patio area with built in BBQ. There is also a table tennis table and an astronomical scope - everyone talks about the amazing night skies (no light pollution) so we have a scope to spot the milky way.
Ionian Dream Villa is registered with the Greek Tourist Authority. The EOT number is 00001944427.
We have just moved to Simply Owners as we were fed up with the extortionate commissions Airbnb style platforms charge our guests and ourselves. At Simply Owners you are having the cheapest price available...with no crazy commissions going to the platforms. To be clear we pass on ALL the savings to you, our guests. At peak times this is over £500.
The villa layout is as follows :
Downstairs
Large Double Bedroom with Kingsize bed and ensuite (shower, sink, toilet) Double aspect full height patio doors with shutters look out onto the sea and swimming pool. In fact you can walk from your bed to the pool in around 10 strides.
Large Double Bedroom with King size bed. Again double aspect patio doors look straight out to the pool and the sea in the distance.
Double room with 2 single beds. This room overlooks the mountain to the rear.
Upstairs
Large open plan living space with fully fitted kitchen : built in oven, built in microwave, induction hob, dishwasher, washer/dryer, coffee machine, etc, etc.
Lounge area with comfortable sofas and large screen TV with Netflix etc. Telescope to see the night sky.
The Lounge opens out onto a very large balcony, part roofed, part open. Perfect for alfresco dining plus plenty of outdoor furniture for lounging outside.
The Terrace
Further dining areas and built in BBQ, outside shower and 2 infinity swimming pools. A deep pool and then a smaller jacuzzi pool with seating areas. Both look out to sea.
Kefalonia is a large, unspoilt Greek Island. Very pretty with lots of Greek charm and not at all crowded (even in peak season). It is a perfect place to relax in the sun.
The Beach
Koroni Beach is directly below the villa. We think it is very beautiful and perfect. It never gets crowded. To get there turn left from the villa and follow the road to the beach. Just because of the direction of the beach the evening light is amazing. So perhaps go down one evening as well as during the day.
Please look after the beach and don’t litter. They try to keep it low key but turtles do nest on the beach in the summer. Last year there were 2 successful nests on the beach ! They tend to hatch in late August/September so look out for those if you are at the villa during this month !
Kateleios
This is where you will probably eat out most. Just head back to the main road and turn right. You will reach Kateleios after 5 minutes. Drive down to the sea front and stroll along the beach front tavernas. Choosing which one takes your fancy for an evening meal is a very pleasant occupation. Many of the tavernas also offer reasonable breakfasts and lunches.
Kaminia/Mounda Beach
This is a very long strip of sand (about 4 miles long). It shelves very gently and is perfect for little tots. There is a small taverna on the beach. It is between Katelious and Skala. Again just follow the sign off the main road. Kaminia is the first stretch you reach, Mounda a little further on.
Skala
Beyond Kateleios, Skala is more of a resort – but still very nice too. The beaches here are good, and there are also some very nice restaurants, some perfect for that special occasion – or if you just want to indulge.
If you are staying a week you might not manage any more than the above, but there is still plenty more to see.
Poros
Take the coast road beyond Skala, it is very scenic and there are lots of beaches you can stop by. Poros itself is more of a real town rather than a resort, but still has character. As the sun starts to drop we would recommend the restaurant on the headland overlooking the beach.
Sami & Anti Samos Beach
With so many beaches to explore you often forget about the rest of the island. A very nice scenic drive is the trip to the port of Sami. From the villa turn left, but instead of driving straight on to Argostoli at the next fork turn right for Sami. You soon start climbing and the views are fantastic. Sami is famous for the filming of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and has a number of pleasant tavernas on the waterfront. Don't however stop for too long in Sami....you need to drive to Anti Samos beach just a mile away. A beautiful beach in a beautiful bay ! Nice beach side restaurants too...complete with sound systems if that is your thing. Often the hang-out of oligarchs yachts too.
Argostoli
At some stage you might feel the urge for a shopping expedition – in which case Argostoli is the place to go. Much more cosmopolitan than the rest of the island, it has not only large supermarkets but plenty of designer shops as well. It is worth getting your bearings. As you drive into Argostoli try and keep to the waterfront, keep going until you can find a parking spot on the right hand side. You can always get parking at the ferry terminal if you haven’t found parking by then. The main shopping street runs parallel to the waterfront - just a couple of streets behind the seafront. It is pedestrianised and unlike the rest of the streets it is paved in marble ! Everyone who is anyone promenades up and down or just hangs out in the numerous coffee shops. Walk right along this street, pass the town hall and you will eventually come to a square – there is a whole host of restaurants here – just take your pick.
Assos
Well worth a visit. This little harbour is in an incredibly beautiful setting.
Myrtos Beach
The most photographed beach on the island – although pebbly rather than sandy.
Fiskardo
At the far north of the island and a favourite with the sailing set.
Mount Aenos
Directly behind the villa is Mount Aenos. It is a very dramatic mountain and dominates the area. There is a road that almost goes to the top and the views are just amazing. If any climbs to the top from the villa let us know. We have never made it ourselves – the draw of the beach and the pool is just too much !
St Georges Castle
Worth an afternoon’s exploration. This old Venetian castle, although now ruined is worth a visit (there are also some nice cafes’ on the way up).
The Caves
There are 2 sets of caves near Sami, open for tourists. One you walk down, the other you go in a boat into an underground/sunken lake. They are both different and we couldn’t recommend one over the other. If you are exploring and are visiting Sami it is a nice thing to do.
Magic Beach (Kato Lagadi)
Have you read the book – The Beach. It’s original premise is that a group of people have heard about the most beautiful beach imaginable, but it’s location is very much a secret, and it is difficult to get to. The group then have adventures trying to find the beach.
Well on our family holiday this year we discovered such a beach in Kefalonia – it is truly very beautiful. Very few people know of it – and yes it is difficult to get to.
Drive past Skala and after around 1 mile you will see a lay by on the left hand side. Park here. The walk to the beach is down a very steep path to the right of the lay by (looking at the sea). Keep going down the path...in the height of season there will always be cars parked in the lay by...out of season you can have the beach to yourself.