Pavlo's House

Life moves at a leisurely pace on Paxos so  why hurry when there’s a view to be enjoyed like the one from Pavlo’s House? At your feet the picturesque harbour of the island’s capital, Gaios, with the comings and goings of the yachts and caiques, the green of Agios Nikolaos Island and where the blue of sky and sea meet on the eastern horizon, the darker hills and mountains of Epiros shimmering in the heat haze.

But Pavlo’s House is much more than a room, or rather rooms, with a view. Like all Ionian Island properties it is the attention to detail that makes this house an excellent choice for a family holiday.

Starting from the outside, which given the Paxos weather is where you may well spend much of your day, you can alternate between swimming in the delightful infinity pool, where the panorama is equally stunning at water level to relaxing on the private sun terrace.

Built in the age-old island tradition out of the local limestone, the interior of the villa has been laid out in such a way that the view follows you inside. Each of the three bedrooms, the double master suite and two twin bedded rooms (naturally with their own en-suite showers), open out onto terraces, whilst the airy living/dining room with its well-equipped kitchen, leads to a shaded terrace and once more on to that wonderful pool.

You may even want to explore the island. Downtown Gaios, with its maze of narrow streets that against all logic always lead to the harbour, is a short stroll away. Excellent bars and tavernas jostle for position with a surprisingly wide variety of shops. From this teeming megapolis a few minutes’ drive along the coast will reveal a series of pristine pebble beaches, or you can head towards the sunset through the famous olive groves and discover the wild and spectacular cliffs of the west coast. Or, why not take one of the many frequent caiques that will ferry you across to Paxos' tiny neighbour Antipaxos and luxuriate on the soft white sand? There’s something for everyone on this exquisite island.

When the Venetians arrived here seven centuries ago they brought with them a sense of style that has lasted ever since and is continued without compromise in Pavlo’s lovely house.

NB: The villa is reached by a steep driveway.