Paradise. If you like getting away from it all, away from the normal mass of tourists that are on the popular greek islands, then this is for you. Perhaps we were more fortunate, because we had almost total privacy all week long. We saw one other person in a nearby villa - well over 500ft away, so they couldn't really see us or us them and we couldn't hear them at all. But they were only there for 2 nights. The owners house is right next door to the Mill, however, Mariaelena assured us she wouldn't be around the week we were there - and she wasn't. So we literally spent most of the week being the only two people visible on the whole peninsula. Amazing. So quiet. The only sounds you can hear while sitting by the pool were the bees buzzing on the plants and a very quiet hum of the pool pump. Nothing else. We've never stayed anywhere so quiet. No plane noise, no cars passing by, no other human sounds. It was bliss.
The villa is far bigger than it looks in the pictures. We were very surprised and pleased. It's decorated beautifully, lots of style. There was a filter coffee machine and all the essentials. Pool/Beach towels etc. plus lots of spare towels for the bathroom too. Bathroom isn't shown in the photos, as it's hard to photograph small rooms, but it's lovely. With a nice powerful shower and lots of room to put your toiletries out all week. Not some silly small shelf as some places have.
This is a really unusual property. One of a kind. Very special.
The pool is a nice size and the loungers are nice big comfortable wooden one's. We spent quite a few hours just hanging out at home. The sunsets for the first 3 days, when the weather was perfect were amazing. Watching the sunset, firstly from the pool, then from the small roof terrace is something you'd never tire of. One of the best sunset views you could get. We did have a few windy days. Clearly Kea gets strong winds. But it never once spoiled our stay.
Lots of local restaurants. The nearest beach Gialiskari, is delightful. It doesn't get sun in the morning, but we found other things to do in the mornings. But once the sun hits it after lunch, it's a delight. The sand is super soft, the beach bar serves great food and is very friendly. Beach chairs were €10 for 2. But this was the 2nd week in September, so they might be more in summer. Ioulis, the local town was spectacular. Very unusual, with lots of winding streets to explore. Favourite restaurants were Lagoudera (best greek starters ever), Magazines (superb fresh fish) & Kylix (amazing food, with a twist on the normal greek theme).
We'd very happily return to Kea. Probably not a two week holiday, but ample to do for a one week stay and just so relaxing. A bit like Paxos, but with even less tourists. Saw about 10 other English people the whole stay. All the restaurants speak English btw. and were typically welcoming as all the Greek people are.
If we really had to find any faults. The beds are quite low, which we've found a lot in Greece and the mattresses are quite firm. But then we're used to sleeping on a Tempur mattress at home, so it's not really a fair comparison. But this is a very minor thing. It didn't spoil our stay at all.