*Lovely* location, house, and hosts.

Maria and Alex, the couple that owns the house, are super welcoming. Maria told me the house was her final project in architecture school, which you can tell from the striking beauty of the construction. It feels very countryside but also has some unobtrusive modern features, like concrete slabs in the bathroom and kitchen or solar panels on the roof. There was a feel-good factor to know the house ran on solar power.

Alex has a small, artsy tavern in the village — mostly local crowd, good food and raki, and good vibe on nights with live music.

The village is tucked in a pine forest on the hills. Apart from the tavern, there are ten or so houses, most in ruins, an impeccably maintained church, and no other inhabitants. It's absolutely quiet apart from crickets, the bells of goats passing by, and the occasional revving of quads in distant dirt roads.

It takes about half an hour to drive to most beaches. My favourites were Agios Fokas on one end of the island or the many beaches dotting Kefalos. The more touristy mountain village of Zia is about ten minutes away.