Waking up at Villa Gaia Rock, a new luxury villa on the Greek island of Corfu, is a little like waking up between the pages of an interior design magazine. The objets d’art dotted around the master bedroom complement the overall “minimalism meets beach house” look. Outside the French doors, there are a couple of chairs and a little table turned towards the view. And behind those, there is an outdoor shower. But for the moment, the shutters are drawn and the room is dark. I slip on my sandals and wander out into the living room. There, framed by the floor-to-ceiling window and backlit by the blinding light of day, is the magnificent Ionian Sea. It is perfectly still. Even the boats are still, and the whole appears as in a painting.
I head into the galley kitchen, with its new induction hob and oven, grab a coffee from the bean-to-cup machine, and push through the doors onto the outside terrace – not forgetting my sunglasses along the way. There is a dining table, and beyond that a snug covered lounge area with stone-coloured cushions and minimalist rattan chairs arranged around a coffee table. In the corners hang speakers that you can connect to via your phone and listen to music in the warm evenings over coffee, and a chilled glass of the local kumquat liqueur. But for the moment, it is still morning, and the crickets are already up, serenading the arrival of the day and the heat it has brought with it. The cobalt sky heralds another hot day on the island.
Villa Gaia Rock is located close to the village of Nisaki, in the northeast of Corfu, carved out of the side of the hill that runs down to the water. The stone has been reclaimed for the walls of the villa, the sides of the terrace and infinity pool overlooking the olive trees in the Mediterranean garden. The effect is almost chameleon-like. When the sun sets, the sky softens and blends with the water in the pool and the motionless sea, so that only the thin sliver of land that runs passed old Corfu Town, and the hazy outline of the Albanian hills, define the horizon.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
A cosy cottage
The property also comes with a cottage, its back wall shared with the outdoor lounge area. Katerina, a furniture and interior designer, who owns the villa with her husband, explains that the idea was to give the property the sense of there being a collection of buildings, as with a village and its cosy spirit of community. The private road outside the cottage winds down the hill towards the shoreline and Villa Gaia Rock’s bigger sister property, Villa Gaia Sea, along with the jetty from where boats can be rented. Small beaches lie a couple of minutes’ walk in either direction. One is popular with locals and families, with a restaurant and bar. The other is more secluded, lying close to Villa Gaia Rock. Larger parties can rent both properties together, and in the summer months they are catered for.
For my two companions and me that meant local chef Marios was on hand to prepare a selection of Greek and Corfiot mezze dishes one evening. There was nouboulo, a traditional cured pork from the island, served with melon, a feta mousse with kumquat jam, a mixed-leaf salad in a fermented-fig and ouzo dressing, smoked aubergine and tzatziki dips, followed by a rich red wine and tomato beef pastitsada, and a velvety wine and garlic veal sofrito. Both of these dishes are so representative of Corfu. For dessert, baklava and an orange pie in filo pastry with ice cream.
Here, at the round wooden table beside the pool, with Albania and the Corfiot coastline settling down for the night, we ate by candlelight, drinking glass after cold glass of Pontiglio white wine made from the local kakotrygis grape. Meanwhile, out in the bay, a pair of dolphins threaded their way through the water.
Chris was a guest of Villa Collective. A week at Villa Gaia Rock, sleeping eight, costs from €6,000 to €18,000. See villacollective.com/villa/Gaia Rock
-
Four AI ETFs to buyIs now a good time to buy AI ETFs? We examine four AI ETFs that investors might want to add to their portfolio
-
Chase boosts easy-access interest rate - savers could earn 4.75%Chase is offering a boosted interest rate which is fixed for six months, on top of the standard variable rate
-
10 cheapest countries to visitTravel Here are the cheapest countries to visit where your money will stretch the furthest without compromising on quality
-
A South African adventureReviews From buzzy Johannesburg to big game drives, South Africa has it all, says Katie Monk
-
Indulge your wild side with a safari in deepest KentReviews Get up close to the animals at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve, says Matthew Partridge
-
Two stunning Sicilian villasReviews There is so much to see in Sicily, says Chris Carter. Villa stays allow you to take it all in.
-
Wine of the week: New Zealand’s finest “white” pinot noirReviews Act without delay to secure this enchanting Kiwi white – there is nothing like it on earth
-
Wine of the week: A work of art from ProvenceReviews This wine soars above all others with its grace, refinement and impressively long finish
-
Ellenborough Park: a winning country house hotelReviews Come to Ellenborough Park for the horse racing, stay for the fine dining, says Matthew Partridge
-
The Lygon Arms: a Cotswolds hotel full of historyReviews The Lygon Arms in Broadway is such an impressive hotel that some people never want to leave, says Matthew Partridge.
