My wife and I are just back from a lovely 10 nights at House on the Bay. We wanted an easy, relaxing time with some swimming and good food and that's what we got.
George is an excellent host. We arrived very late at night at the airport but he took the trouble to meet us and take us to the house. We had one small problem during our stay and he dealt with it immediately. He hit the perfect balance of being available, staying in touch by sending the odd message to make sure we were ok, but without ever being a nuisance.
The house itself is extremely clean. It is typically Greek. It is a very large space simply decorated. Everything worked as it should, the wifi was good and the hot water was good though the shower is weak. But what is special about the house is the terrace by the back door. The views are very good and the sea is just at your feet. It is a very private space. We loved sitting by the door enjoying the view and having a glass of wine. In the afternoon it is a real suntrap. After a good lunch it is very easy to fall asleep there!
The house is quite near the road, but once you are in the house or on the terrace you are barely aware of it. You may hear the odd motorbike or the buses going by. But the gentle sound of the waves lapping at the wall or the rocks in the bay creates a lovely soundtrack, you can always hear the sea gently moving and at times we felt we were on our own little island. You can see little fish by peering over the wall of the terrace and you may see a kingfisher fly by or a cormorant perching on a rock.
You can step from the terrace directly into the sea down some stone steps, but it is a little awkward and rocky to get in, but still manageable. But just a few minutes away there is an excellent sandy beach with a few rocks around that can be explored snorkelling. We found the bay and beach to be very clean, when snorkelling I saw no plastic in the sea - at all.
We also liked that just a few minutes from the house there were 3 good beach tavernas, a decent pizzaria and a couple of nice bars where you could get breakfast in the mornings or have cocktails in the evening. There are other restaurants nearby too. All very easy to get to.
We had a hire car but didn't use it much. There is an off-road parking space which is very handy, but it is a bit awkward to get in and out of. But this is a place where you really don't need a hire car.
Would we go to House on the Bay again? Yes.