- 40 % IN MAY Blissful Villa Panoramic Sea Views

Description from the owner

Villa Arbutus is an ecologically friendly, low-energy property in an area of outstanding beauty and tranquillity. Sitting at the top of an ancient, 1-acre olive grove, the site commands panoramic views over Vasiliki Bay and beyond to the Ionian and Cephalonia. Constructed in wood with stone floors the single storey property is split level and open to the cooling sea breeze in the afternoons. The 35 sq metre infinity pool is surrounded by stone terraces and looks out over the olives to the lighthouse on Cape Lefkas and Sappho's Leap. Villa Arbutus is the last property on the dramatic Lipsopergos peninsula - secluded and private but close to be...aches and the famous Amoussa taverna. The sunsets are theatrical. The wildlife abounds and includes dolphins, eagle owls and many migratory birds. This beautiful villa located in a stunning natural environment with a photo-voltaic power system and solar hot-water and with gas water heater back up for less sunny days. Villa Arbutus is the first low-carbon, ecologically designed house on Lefkas, perfect for a holiday with a negligible carbon footprint but where there is absolutely no compromise on style and comfort.

Set in a Mediterranean garden, the villa has a spacious, cool, high-ceilinged, airy, stone-floored living room with comfortable seats, dining table and chairs and wood stove for cooler times. The sizeable master bedroom with king-sized bed opens onto the bedroom terrace – one of the three terraces – all with sunny and shady areas. It’s great to lie in bed looking out over the pool to sea. There’s a smaller twin room and extra people could be accommodated in the living room. We also have a cot and high chair for babies and for children, board games and pool toys. Both bedrooms are supplied with mosquito nets. The kitchen and bathroom are well equipped and finished in mahogany. The dining terrace is perfect for easy breakfasts with all that delectable Greek produce, lazy lunches, cool sunset drinks or balmy evening barbecues followed, maybe, by a midnight dip. The pool terrace has sun loungers, umbrella, relaxing seats, sofa, table.The infinity pool, surrounded by lush flowers and with magnificent views out to the Ionian is the perfect place to cool and enjoy the stunning situation and a carefree holiday under the Greek sun.

Of course there are different ways to holiday.....Maybe you would like to swim, laze in the hammock, sunbathe or perhaps sit under an olive tree with your favourite music and a good book. Or, perhaps a more active holiday swimming and snorkelling in the sea at the nearby beach – perhaps followed by lunch/dinner, coffee, or a drink at the excellent and friendly taverna.

The villa is a great base for walking and cycling as the area is criss-crossed with many tracks. A good map and careful navigation make it perfectly possible to travel in safety all over the island without using the main roads. This is a great way to explore and you’re likely to encounter interesting sites, less well known locations and some magnificent views over the whole spectacular Ionian chain.

If you like beaches, Lefkas is known for some of the most superb beaches in the Mediterranean and the award winning Porto Katsiki with its golden sands and clear turquoise sea is only 30 mins by car from the villa. The Baby Beach - a really sweet little cove is 5 minutes drive, 10-15 mins walk, 1.5km. Amoussa Bay is 10 mins drive by track/road.

Vassiliki, the capital of southern Lefkas is within very easy reach of Arbutus – and is a sailing and windsurfing paradise - one of the top European windsurfer locations. With its harbours and port, Vassiliki hums in the evening with al fresco dining along the quay, many bars and night spots. It’s also possible to take cruises from here to visit the nearby islands – you might well see dolphins along the way. There are stables close to Vassiliki for anyone wanting to ride.

Of historical and archaeological aspects of Lefkas, there is plenty to see and much of it is close by.The church at Marandahori, the nearest village, houses the relics of St George. Stone artefacts and pots displayed at The Archaeological Museum of Lefkas were found at the Neolithic cave Chirospilia in Evghiras again only a short distance from Arbutus. There’s the Venetian Fort near the swing bridge joining the mainland and at Aktion the extensive ruins of Nikopolis built when Caesar defeated Antony&Cleopatra; in 31BC. For local culture, Karyia in the mountains is the lace making capital and the winery producing Lefkadan wine and offering tours and tastings are both interesting trips. The island is only 40 miles long so everything is close.

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Whether you want a restful, recuperative time, one more active and challenging or maybe a combination, if you choose to stay in this blissful and magical place you are offered the memorable holiday of your choice.

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Additional Location Information

On the dramatic Lipsopirgos peninsula at Amoussa Bay on the south coast of Lefkas, in the Ionian, opposite Vasiliki Bay. (20Deg 38' 07.87"E 38deg 35' 33.48"N - enter these coordinates in Google Earth for a precise location). The map above is approximate - the villa is 5 kilometres further south east as the crow flies.

Location Type Away from it all, Beach, Rural

Additional notes from owner

Bookings are from weekend to weekend Saturday or Sunday. Early and late in the season and for availability close to the rental date we have more flexibility. We require a 40% deposit to secure the booking and the balance is due 2 months prior to the arrival date. Also for early bookings the deposit can be paid in 2 instalments - at the time of booking and then by the end of February.
We have 1 short week in August Sunday 18 to Saturday 24. We are offering a good reduction on this week - email us for details.

What Past Guests Are Saying

Overall Rating

• Marieke
  Amsterdam

  peaceful hideout with a superb view on sea

  Left on 05/16/2013 for a stay in May 2013
  
  

  We truly enjoyed the stay in the beautiful house arbutus. Beforehand, we hoped that it would be nice (but knowing that websites can picture a different story, we weren't sure). In this case, with this villa ánd the place where it is set, reality proved to be just as great as we hoped - and in some respects even better.
  
  The setting is far away from 'people' or shops. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and the superb views on the sea. One evening, near the house, we saw a fox. At night we heard owls and bats.
  
  Everything in the house worked just fine. In our experience, the house was inside a bit more spacious than is visible on the pictures we saw.
  
  We enjoyed nice weather and we have swum almost every day in the pool (if you are actually in the water, you can still see the sea and the bay). We especially liked the many places on the terras/garden where is possible to sit on the various moments of the day (morninglight, eveningsun etc). We liked the 'lights' in the tree (which are loaded with sunlight during the day) that suddenly go on after dusk.
  
  Most important: you need a good car for the (last part of) the road, which is a rocky track. Also, I would think that this house is perhaps less ideal for people with toddlers (with the pool and the terras). Same goes for workaholics, as there is no wifi..
  
  For us, it was our first time on Lefkas. All in all, it was a wonderful experience - and the 'eco-house arbutus' added much to that.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Romantic

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• Chris & Aroha
  London

  Home from home

  Left on 10/24/2012 for a stay in September 2012
  
  

  If you're looking for somewhere a little special, this is probably it. The villa itself is in a great location and you have complete privacy while you laze by the infinity pool. There are no other villas in sight, just the olive grove and then the sea. The drive to the property is slightly tricky as the road is unsealed but nothing that an ordinary small car can't handle. If you want to hire a car, just ask the owner and she'll put in touch with a great company with great prices.
  
  If you want to stay put then you have everything you need as the owner will arrange for a food shop to be delivered before your arrival! You can walk to two very pretty and quiet beaches and also a very nice local taverna. We did manage without a car on our first stay here back in 2011, we walked everywhere and got some excellent buses further afield but I would only recommend this if you really don't mind a challenge. Hiring a car means you can pop over to Vassiliki for dinner and tour some of the more remote sights, so probably well worth it.
  
  In short this place is blissful, we liked it so much we returned this year (2012) and expect to do so again.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Romantic

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• Pelle
  Ängelholm

  This is where we want to grow old

  Left on 10/02/2012 for a stay in June 2012
  
  

  In beginning of June, my wife and I visited arbutus again, already feeling at home. It didn't disappoint this time either (see our review on Flipkey last year), in fact our love for the peninsula deepened, and in September we bought a plot nearby (www.breimer.se/honsabladet/index36eng.html). Hopefully a house of our own will be ready at the end of next year...
  
  Isn't that one of the best reviews one could write?

  

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Travelers, Romantic, Families

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• Pelle B
  Ängelholm, Sweden

  A perfect place for relaxation in splendid isolation

  Left on 11/27/2011 for a stay in September 2011
  
  

  After regular visits to greek islands since the end of the seventies, we had our first stay on Lefkas this year. And what a stay! It was a fantastic and wonderful week, described on www.breimer.se/lefkas2011, to which this lovely house contributed significantly. We enjoyed the seclusion among the olive trees, the pool and the view of the sea. And the fact that nothing else besides the sound of waves and cikadas could be heard was as bliss.
  
  It's hard to express something negative about arbutus, but the last km of the road gave us some anguish the first times we used it. But the advantage with this was that there were hardly any traffic passing the house during the whole week.
  
  A week next year is already booked!

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Travelers, Romantic, Families

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• Alexandra Meunier-Pink
  Paris, France

  The perfect location for a quiet holiday away from the crowd!

  Left on 09/05/2011 for a stay in August 2011
  
  

  My family and I very much enjoyed our two weeks in arbutus house. It is a secluded location yet very close to several beaches, shops, local bakery and tavernas.The Villa is comfortable and has everything you need. The views are fantastic. Mandy and Geoff were very helpful and the owner, Sylvie was happy to assist us with the car rental and answer any questions we might have. It was just the holiday we all needed. In the middle of the olive groves, we enjoyed the sound of the cicadas in the daytime and the crickets at night. We were there in august and did not suffer at all from the heat. The villa has been designed to collect the cool sea breeze. We would go back anytime and are very happy to recommend this villa. Just one suggestion: if you hire a car, make sure it is a jeep or equivalent since the track up to the house can be rough for a low car.

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• AllanC22
  Melbourne, Australia

  Wonderful holiday

  Left on 07/25/2011 for a stay in July 2011
  
  

  We are a family of three living in australia, and we had visited the island before. The online arrangements with the owner were very well handled and had a nice personal touch. The villa itself is indeed a 'home away from home' and there are a number of nice touches (well stocked bookshelf,perfectly sized barbeque,clear instructions and advice on local eateries and attractions)
  The property is very well maintained and the pool area is great. Everything works well and we found no fiddly irritations with things like plumbing and so forth.
  The only challenge for us was the road to the villa. We had a small Suzuki 4X4 but even with that we thought twice about trips to the beach and restaurants in the evening.
  On the whole a great holiday and the seclusion and peace is wonderful.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Friends, Romantic, Families w children

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• Chrissie Chesters
  Norwich, Norfolk

  A Rest Cure

  Left on 03/28/2011 for a stay in October 2010
  
  

  Our trip to arbutus was a last minute idea, we had hoped for a miracle cure for two very tired, very jaded individuals.
  The very first thing I remember on arrival was standing in the moonlight on the terrace looking over the bay, hearing the silence and smelling the peace. We breathed a mutual sigh of relief and contentment. We knew straight away that we had come to the right place. In the daylight the next morning, we were not disappointed. The views are stunning and the calm and quiet (and the absolute privacy) was so much more than we had hoped for.
  The weather, too, was much warmer than we felt we had the right to expect in October. We had many stunning walks, we admired the flora and fungi along with the views. We bathed in the sea - which was warm and wonderful. We bathed in the beautiful pool which was less warm but still wonderful. We ate all our meals outside on one or other of the terraces and it was certainly warm enough day and night to do so. One night we ate our supper whilst watching the most incredible storm over the other side of the Bay - a real light show.
  The villa itself is smashing - a real home from home. We are hoping to visit again very soon.
  

  

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• T McKenna
  UK

  Beautiful villa in a stunning location.

  Left on 03/11/2011 for a stay in August 2009
  
  

  We had a fantastic holiday. The setting is fabulous. Total privacy and isolation among olive trees above a beautiful bay yet a lovely little beach within walking distance. The villa itself was excellent with a huge sitting room and lovely main bedroom that opened out over the terrace. Fabulous views from the bed. The second bedroom was a little small but there was extra sleeping accommodation in the sitting room. The local taverna was excellent and we enjoyed romantic midnight swims on the way home. We also appreciated the low impact solar powered set-up. Very beautiful pool overlooking the hillside and out to sea. Our two grown up sons joined us and we had BBQ fish suppers on the terrace under solar powered lamplight. A hire car was essential for getting to and from the shops and stocking up with supplies. Overall, one of our best villa holidays.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Friends, Families w teenagers, Romantic, Families w children, Singles

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• Lisa and Simon
  London

  A perfect peaceful getaway

  Left on 03/10/2011 for a stay in July 2010
  
  

  This was a perfect holiday away from it all - so peaceful and with everything we needed right there. We enjoyed doing nothing but swimming and relaxing on the beautiful baby beach, taking walks around the peninsula, eating wonderful food in the shade of the olive groves, and sitting out playing cards under the stars. It really is a magical place.

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