Rooms

Each of the 5 villas is beautifully styled, with fresh, original touches. Some sleep 2, others are designed for up to 6 people. Sheets and towels are changed twice a week; daily cleaning is available on request.

Cricket (sleeps 6)
This 3-bedroom villa has 2 bedrooms in the main house, plus a third in the annexe overlooking the pool. Floors are big-tiled in black and white, ceilings are airy, shuttered windows are painted turquoise. We loved the salvaged boat beneath the staircase – formerly used to transport mail between Fiskardo and Ithaca. Ensuite bathrooms have white painted beams and the same checked floors; there are ladders for snowy towels.

Gecko (sleeps 6)
From the living area of 3-bedroom Gecko villa, a door leads to the main bedroom - in fresh creams, whites and blues - and another to the twin. This in turn opens to a long narrow room which, if there are just 4 of you, makes a pleasant dressing room/ reading room, with French windows opening to the pool. If there are more of you, this room can also be a twin/double.

Scorpio (sleeps 2)
Kooky 1-bedroom Scorpio has an open-plan layout. There's a big romantic bed with a dark-wood backdrop, towels in slate grey and brick red in the shower bathroom, a kitchen, and a little living area with quirky touches including an end-table fashioned from an old beehive. Best of all, however, is the stunning indoor-outdoor infinity pool that wraps around the villa; bathe as the sun sets.

Crows Nest (sleeps 2)
Having once provided the entire local village with their olive oil, this 18th-century ruin has been reinvented as a luxurious single-storey 1-bed retreat. The all-glass entrance opens onto an airy kitchen, living and dining area, but you might find yourself somewhat distracted by the mesmerizing sea views. Outside, the terrace is framed by a rustic rock garden (hiding an outdoor shower) and a shimmering infinity pool.

Esmeralda Cottage
Similar to Crows Nest, but a tad more compact, Esmeralda Cottage is an open-plan 1-bedroom arrangement that also boasts a foodie history, having originally been a small olive press producing seasonal oils. Today, there's a four-poster bed perfectly placed for soaking up the sea views, as well as a sleek, modern kitchen-dining area and a huge terrace with gas barbecue, sun loungers and an infinity pool.

Features include:

• Bluetooth sound system
• Hairdryer
• Iron
• Safe box
• Washing machine
• WiFi

Eating

Kitchens are immaculate, all you’d hope for. Most have dishwashers (not Esmeralda); all have barbecues and an indoor and outdoor dining area. You'll find a welcome bottle of wine in the fridge, and for other provisions mini markets are only a 5-minute drive away, up the hill in Maganos. If you'd rather leave the cooking to someone else, Tassos and Shari can arrange a chef to whip up a feast for you to enjoy out on the terrace.

For eating out, your nearest little taverna is on white pebbly St Jerusalim Bay, a 20-minute saunter downhill (and an unlit trek up, but you could take the car). No menu, just what’s best and freshest that morning. The fish is extraordinary, the braised pork belly is delicious, even the bread - tomato, olive and feta - is scrummy. Wash it all down with a local wine or beer. For more choice - lots of choice - there’s Fiskardo (8km) with harbourside restaurants, cool bars and boutique shops. Nowhere’s cheap on Kefalonia, especially Fiskardo, but the island does produce Greece's best wine - a legacy of the Venetians.

Fancy a lunch of delectable sun-dried octopus and juicy dolmades, spicy sausages and mouth-watering moussaka, as you shade beneath olive trees? Then hire a boat from Fiskardo and zip over to the island of Ithaca (as in Greek myth) where a steep walk up from the harbour brings you to the exceptional Polyphemus in Stavros Town. The restaurant, run by a communist chef who has covered its walls with pictures of Che Guevara (why not!), is open from May to October.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Coffee maker
• Dishwasher
• Fridge
• Full kitchen
• Hob or stove
• Kids' meals
• Microwave
• Oven
• Restaurants nearby
• Shopping service
• Toaster
• Welcome hamper

Activities

• Wander downhill to white pebbly St Jerusalim Bay, which has sun loungers, kayaks and underwater video cameras for hire
  
• Picturesque Fiskardo, where a string of pastel Venetian houses and tavernas hug the harbour and yachts are double parked on the water, is where it all happens round here. Hire a boat from Regina, near Nicolas Taverna to the north of the bay, and spend a day flitting in and out of idyllic coves
  
• Drive south along the mountain road to Kefalonia’s second resort, tiny Assos, and go paddling in warm waters beneath its fort. Drop down the zig-zagging lane to swim from the beach and eat at one of the harbour tavernas
  
• Come back up the hill and head south for a few miles to Myrtos, the most photographed beach in the Ionian archipelago, a stunning curve of white sands falling to pebbles and turquoise-blue waters. You’ll find a refreshment bar, parasols, sunbeds and a lifeguard - but watch currents on certain days. The waters, deep just 2 steps from the shore, can be fierce
  
• Alaties beach (Salty Beach) is a tiny, hidden, little-known beach with crystal-clear waters overlooked by an excellent taverna - but watch out for sea currents
  
• Dafnoudi beach is reached via a 600m path through a cypress forest. The beach is pebbly, the waters calm, the colours vary from blue to green - a utopian spot, perfect for snorkelling. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a rare Mediterranean monk seal
  
• There are stalactites and stalagmites at the cave of Drogarati, or a mystical underground lake at Melissani cave. History buffs can visit Venetian fortresses, Byzantine remains, Mycenaean tombs and Roman mosaics on day trips
  
• Tassos and Shari can arrange massages, beauty treatments and yoga classes with a local instructor

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Trekking
• Wine tasting

Kids

Cricket and Gecko are good family rentals for 6 plus a baby. Each has a safe garden and a private pool. There are good kitchens to self-cater, barbecues and washing machines. Restaurants and beaches are a short drive away.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Cricket has 1 double room and 2 twin rooms, plus space for a baby cot, though it has an open staircase so wouldn't suit toddlers and should probably be avoided with children under 10. Both of its bathrooms have a bathtub. Gecko also has 1 double and 2 twin rooms plus space for a baby cot; its bathrooms are shower only.

Cots Available

Distances:

• Airport: 60km (Kefalonia)
• Shops, including a pharmacy: 5 mins' drive

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Kefalonia Boutique Villas are set on a hillside overlooking the Ionian Sea in northern Kefalonia, 8km from the fishing village of Fiskardo.

By Air
Fly into Kefalonia (60km - served by charter flights from the UK throughout the summer), or Athens then get a connecting flight.

From The Airport
You can take a taxi, but we'd recommend hiring a car for food shopping and sightseeing. Note that taxis are expensive on Kefalonia.

By Car
See our car rental recommendations. The villas have parking.

By Boat
Kefalonia is served by ferries from Astakos (on the Greek mainland), Kyllini / Patras (Peloponnese) and neighbouring islands.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.