Villa Maria is a listed 19th century neo-classical mansion. Built by a local factory owner in 1873 at the height of Ermoupolis’ prosperity, it is a fine example of the architecture of the period. In restoring it we have preserved all the original features —wooden floors and ceilings, marble bathrooms, decorative mouldings— and used antique furniture to give it a comfortable but authentic feel.
The second floor balconies and the roof terrace have panoramic views over the town, the port and across to the neighbouring islands. Behind the villa is a courtyard with plants, built-in seating and a shaded dining area.
The villa is on a pedestrian street right in the middle of town, yet a haven of peace and quiet. It is 2 minutes walk from the main square and market, and 5 minutes walk from the Vaporia. This is the town’s ‘Little Venice’, a lido with cafes and crystal-clear water for swimming.
The villa has 8 rooms and a separate 2-bedroom single storey house that can be rented separately or in any combination.
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If you love historic homes, you will love this house! It's absolutely gorgeous, restored and refurbished with meticulous sensitivity to the period of its construction. Some of my favorite elements... read more included the high ceilings and gorgeous original windows. Great views of the Hermopoulis port from one of the bedrooms as well, and of course from the rooftop patio!
The house was incredibly cool and surprisingly quiet. Only one bedroom in this unit has A/C, but the other rooms have ceiling fans and I actually got cold at night (in June!) if the fan was left on. They do a great job of keeping the house very comfortable. And it's so quiet at night! The only noise we noticed was from the occasional cat-fight outside, and, well, you're going to find that anywhere you go on the island. 😉
The one thing you must know about this house is the STAIRS. There are a LOT of stairs to get up to the house. More than I expected. It wasn't so bad when we had nothing in our hands, but with loaded suitcases, or carrying a backpack filled with groceries, or a tired preschooler in your arms, it can be rough. Luckily, there is another -slightly longer- way to reach the house, which only has a handful of steps, so we took that route for most of our time. (You can also have a taxi drop you at either of the two nearby churches - Metamorphosis or St Nicholas, and walk the slightly shorter route from there. Particularly if you are coming from the port, have lots of bags, and/or it's very hot outside.)
Kostas and Elisa were completely wonderful hosts, answering all our questions, helping us with everything we needed, and even having us out to their house for coffee! We were so impressed with their thoughtful restoration of Villa Maria, and enjoyed getting to know them during our stay. If you have a chance to stay at this property, you should definitely do so.
Constance
06/27/2017
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Sedef
Rebecca
