The Gecko

Rooms

There are 2 bedrooms at The Gecko: the Master Bedroom in the main house and the Deck Suite below the pool with a private terrace.

However, the villa is exceptionally romantic, and if you’re looking for a perfect retreat for 2, splash out and take the whole place for yourselves. The Master Bedroom is the stuff of dreams. Steps from the whitewashed sitting room lead up to a galleried bedroom where you can lie in bed and look out to sea. You get the very best of everything: Egyptian cotton, goose-down pillows, pashmina blankets, a big old armoire. Walls shine in white, windows flood the space with light, French windows open onto tiny balconies on each side. Amid all the tangible luxuries, it is the sense of space that exhilarates, with light and airy interiors. The bathroom, with fittings from Sottini, is downstairs: expect a huge bath, a walk-in shower, 2 basins, a small potted olive tree, and a Philippe Starck clear plastic chair.

External paths lead to the Deck Suite built into the side of the hill below the dining terrace. The room is stunning. French windows stretch across the front, giving long views down the hill to sea, and you can sit out on the decked terrace in blissful privacy. Inside the design follows the style of the main house: whitewashed walls, pink and purple silk cushions, exquisite linen, silky throws. An enormous shower room has his-and-her sinks and French windows onto the terrace; you can open them up or shield them with shutters. There is also a dressing room and a mini-kitchen at the back (microwave and fridge), so you can make your own breakfast or have a midnight feast.

Features include:

• Fan
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Mosquito net
• Safe box
• Washing machine
• WiFi

Eating

In the main house, an impeccable kitchen (crisp contemporary stainless-steel design, utterly faultless) comes with every conceivable gadget: a drinks fridge, a food fridge and a freezer; a double oven, halogen hob and extractor fan; a blender, a juicer and a panini maker; a dishwasher, washing machine and dryer. You’ll find a welcome hamper on arrival (bread, butter, jam, honey, beer and wine), a well-stocked honesty bar and a larder system; what’s there is yours to use, but if you finish something, you replace it before you leave (Lefkas’s market is a 15-minute drive).

If you don’t fancy self-catering, a cook can be provided either for the week or for individual meals - be sure to request in advance.

You can eat in the living space at a decidedly cool white oval table, but you’re more likely to fling open the doors and venture into the garden or sit out on the dining terrace to the side of the house with impeccable views of sea and hills. Smart wooden furniture awaits you, and at dusk soft lighting magically illuminates the paths and terraces. Head off for picnics and you’ll find hampers and rugs to take with you, or stay put at the house for a barbecue; it’s next to the hammock, so keep an eye on the cook.

If you want to eat out Tsoukalades has a few good tavernas serving good simple Greek food, including the much loved Rose Taverna at the bottom of the lane (500m). Try Sappho in the village of Agios Nikitas for great fish on the beach, or head into Lefkas town for sophisticated Greek food at El Molos (complete with bar and internet café next door) and a range of cool bars where you can dance until the early hours.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Chef on request
• Dishwasher
• Fridge
• Full kitchen
• Honesty bar
• Kitchenette
• Microwave
• Oven
• Restaurants nearby
• Welcome hamper
• Larder system

Activities

• Pretty Lefkas town is a good place to potter: the cafés, bars and shops (6 days a week) all brim with life. A causeway connects the island to the mainland
  
  
• The villa provides umbrellas and a hamper, so pack up a picnic and head down to the beach for the day. There are quiet beaches in the village, sand-and-pebble coves at Agios Nikitas, miles of sandy beach with a taverna and a cool bar below towering cliffs at Kathisma. Agios Yiannis (Mili) is popular with Greeks and for windsurfing
  
  
• Alternatively, take to the mountains of the interior, chance upon tiny unspoilt villages, walk in the hills
  
  
• Sailing is very popular around the east coast, or head south to Vasiliki for the best windsurfing in Greece; they hold the world championships here every now and then
  
  
• Wander down to the southernmost point of the island; legend has it that Sappho, tormented by the loss of a lover, threw herself off the cliffs here
  
  
• Read, listen, play: the house has an extensive library of books, CDs, DVDs, indoor and outdoor games; book a massage or practice yoga on the terrace - mats are provided

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Plantlife / flora
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Yoga

Kids

Children under 18 are not permitted.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Gecko is in the village of Tsoukalades on the Greek island of Lefkas (also called Lefkada) in the Ionian island group to the west of the Greek mainland.

By Air
The nearest airport is Preveza (25km - restricted flights) on the Greek mainland (but linked by a tunnel), which is 40 minutes away by car or taxi.

If you want to combine Lefkas with other Ionian islands, you could take a charter flight to Zakinthos or Kefalonia, both of which have reasonable ferry links to Lefkas.

At other times of year, access is by scheduled flight to Athens with domestic connections to Preveza.

By Bus
From Athens (or Thessaloniki) to Lefkas town, several services a day. The journey time is 5-6 hours, in modern, comfortable coaches.

By Car
For car hire see our car rental recommendations. If you hire a car from another island (e.g. Zakinthos, Kefalonia), you need to check you are allowed to take it on the ferry.

From Athens
It can be worth renting your car in Athens and making an interesting round trip, perhaps via the Peloponnese in one direction, and Delphi in the other. It's 400km in each direction so you might want to allow an overnight stop.

By Ferry from Italy
There are overnight ferries from Venice (our favourite), Trieste, Ancona, Bari or Brindisi. Most dock at Igoumenitsa, opposite Corfu, at about 8am. From there it is a 2-hour drive through stunning coastal scenery to The Gecko.

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

More on getting to Greece and getting around.