I had the most relaxing, peaceful and contented stay at this beautiful, clean house with a breathtaking view. I especially loved the little secluded spot down by the sea where I could lay out in the sun, soothed by the waves gently breaking upon the rocks, and then cool off by jumping into the sea for a refreshing swim in that gorgeous, clear water.
I loved the private, quiet house where I could cook my breakfast and have coffee on the terrace every morning looking out at the sea, or read, or just be mesmerized by the magnificent view. The sunsets were glorious each evening. It was lovely being able to hang up my bathing suit on the line to dry in the sunshine and wind, and be able to walk to town in 5 minutes to eat or pick up things at the supermarket. It was the perfect out of the way spot, yet also conveniently close to the village. Idyllic for me since I wanted to be away from people, yet not be too remote.
I took a couple of trips to other parts of the island via public bus which was easy to navigate once you have it explained by the nice people who work at the information center in town. Most everyone speaks English. I found the bus and other areas too crowded for my taste, but it was a great experience to be able to see the main city of Apollonia and walk up and down its narrow streets lined with those beautiful blue shuttered windows and doors, as well as see the churches and different beach towns and taste the cuisine.
I highly recommend going to Faros and then walking along the winding, mountain path towards Apokofto Beach and having the chickpea soup at the restaurant at the farthest end of the beach. Not only did I have a perfect view of the sea and the famous church in Chryssopigi which juts out into the sea, I had what was unequivocally the best chickpea soup I have ever tasted. And I'm not a "foodie." It was that delicious that I have to note it. The mountainous winding path to get to Apokofto Beach was also worth the exhilarating views the entire way as it's quite high up.
Katerina was a wonderfully warm and generous host. She and her son greeted me at the port and took me to the house by car. She immediately made me feel welcome and had water and a few food items when I arrived, which I appreciated since I was thirsty and tired after a long journey. She also gave me one of her pieces of pottery- she has a lovely pottery store in the village where she hand-crafts her original, artistic pieces herself. Katerina is incredibly kind, hospitable, and always available. She was the perfect hostess.
I look forward to returning to this paradise again in the future.