We had such a great experience that I don’t really know where to start. After being met at the ferry by the car rental agent, he drove us and our luggage to the town where we were met by the concierge, Jackie. Jackie was a tremendous help in orienting us, recommending activities for the family, arranging a fantastic catamaran ride, and pitching in to help us locate lost luggage! We were provided with a cell phone we could use to reach her at any time and more than once we sent her a text looking for a restaurant rec and got a swift reply. Thank you! The villa itself is really special. The pictures barely do it justice. The garden courtyards (with little hidden nooks and sun spots) were beautifully cared for…flowers blooming everywhere. We loved that we could hear the church bells and spy the bellringer himself every now and then. We were five–my husband and I, our two teenage daughters, and elementary age son. The girls took over the top floor which is really a mini apartment (separate sitting room with TV and bar, dressing room, and bathroom)with outside stairs leading to the courtyard. My son took the smaller downstairs bedroom (which isn’t really small and opens onto the courtyards as well) and we had the master with the giant tub and shower. The villa could easily accommodate more though. The small kitchen was entirely sufficient for our needs as we ate most meals out and just had light breakfasts and snacks there. Daily maid service (and the gorgeous welcome bouquet of flowers and bottle of local wine) made us feel really pampered. The pool is beautiful (although it was a bit chilly my son loved it!) and perfect for cooling off. The view from the upper floor was lovely…the village spread out around you and the ocean visible in the distance. I used the space for morning stretching and tai chi. I was worried we would miss something not being ACTUALLY on the ocean but in truth, I’m delighted we weren’t. We really really really liked being in the village, up on the hill and far away from the maddening crowds in other more touristy locations. With the included car rental, we could get anywhere we wanted in a very short time–the beach, Fira, etc–nothing is very far away. If you are looking for discos and nightlife, then you should probably stay closer to the beach. But for quiet family, this was the place. The village itself is picture perfect and with the square just steps below the villa, we felt a part of everything that was going on there. People were so kind. I highly recommend Raki for delicious food and friendly people. Because the village is so small, we felt like we got a more authentic experience, including an entertaining evening where residents (children, elders, dogs–everybody!) gathered in the square to sing love songs and handed out shots of raki! We also happened to be there for the saint day of the village’s patron saint and got to visit the church, enjoyed watching a ritual procession through town, free lunch, and music. This wasn’t a show for tourists at all…and I don’t think we would have gotten that experience elsewhere. There is a delicious bakery and truly FANTASTIC ice cream place at the top of the hill on the main road. And the little local gyro joint was yummy too and very inexpensive.

Kyani would be the perfect place for an intimate destination wedding for example or a special family gathering. The whole experience was perfect and I hope we can return someday. We loved every minute!