Decorating & Design

July 22, 2013

Seaside Villa In Greece

Nothing says vacation like sun-drenched white stucco overlooking blue water. The only problem with this Greek-island fantasy is that ‘overlooking’ part; after a day lying in the Mediterranean sun, I don’t want to hike down a hill to go for a swim. (I know — I’m very particular.) That’s why I was so excited to come across this listing on a peninsula on the Peloponnese that has both sea views and ocean frontage. Let’s jet off to Porto Heli, Greece, to take a closer look.

Here’s a view of the peninsula and main house, looking out across the Argolic Gulf to the island of Spetses. Though you can drive to the property, there’s room for at least four boats to dock at the pier, plus a helipad. There’s also an on-site Greek Orthodox chapel perfect for big fat weddings, so perhaps all those parking spots will come in handy.

Most of the ground floor of the main villa is open to the terrace around the infinity-edge pool. If you’d rather take advantage of the natural surroundings, the white-sand beaches on either side of the peninsula present a tough choice: one quiet cove versus another.

Grab a drink from the bar in the traditional wood-beamed great room before stepping out to the pool. Judging by the tiny chairs pulled up to the table at right, there’s plenty of room for everyone in the family here. In the evening, gather everyone at the 40-seat outdoor theatre for an alfresco movie screening.

Despite the listing’s boasting that this region is known as the Greek Riviera, I’m sure it gets cold and stormy at some point. Luckily, there’s not just a fireplace, but two sofas to curl up on, whether it’s chilly outside or you just need a break from the sun.

And here’s the two-bedroom “beach house” on — you guessed it — one of two private stretches of white sand. Put your guests up here or, if you’d rather fall asleep to the soft sound of waves, give them the seven-bedroom main house or five-bedroom garden villa.

What do you think? Could you deal with plucking olives from your own trees while taking in 270-degree views of the gorgeous Mediterranean?

For more traditional Mediterranean inspiration, check out our blog post on Greek style.

Photo credits:
1-5. Ploumis Sotiropoulos OE, via Christie’s Real Estate