Villa Olivio - Secret Roc Villas

Villa Gaia was a peaceful retreat on the mountainside, with views across the Ionian Sea that took my breath away. Looking towards Zakynthos each morning was hard to beat. The villa was bigger than it appeared online, and the stylish decor felt modern but still homely. We had lovely greenery, olive trees and flowers around the grounds, and enough trees between us and the neighbouring villa to feel private. All we heard were goats, cockerels and cicadas. We were spoiled for outdoor space. The bedroom and living room each opened onto their own shaded terrace, and there were two sunbathing areas around the pool. We swam lengths and cooled off in the 30+ degree heat in early June. There was also a huge dining area with a built-in BBQ, which we used. The kitchen was beautiful and well equipped, including a Nespresso machine. Our large bedroom had a huge rainfall shower over the bath, and even the view from there looked like a painting. The maids and pool man were lovely and came by halfway through our stay. Spyros and Alexandros were wonderful hosts. Alex was available for questions and helped us before we arrived. When I asked for car hire suggestions, he had quotes from a list of companies in my inbox within an hour. We arrived in Kefalonia early and Alex met us at the villa. There was a big welcome basket of local vegetables, fruit, bread, jams and oil, which we enjoyed throughout the stay. A car felt pretty essential, but Villa Gaia was a great base for exploring and then returning to somewhere quiet. Trapezaki village is at the bottom of the hill, with really high-quality restaurants. In the other direction, Lourdata has mini markets, restaurants, bars and a lovely beach. It took us 20 minutes to drive to Argostoli, 30 minutes to Skala, with its restaurants, bars and big beach, and 40 minutes to Sami, Melissani cave and Antisamos Beach, where the water was the clearest I’ve ever seen. On the way to dinner by the beach in Katelios, we stopped there too. Our trip north to Fiskardo took 1 hour 40 minutes, and we paired it with stops at Assos and Myrtos Beach. At one point we drove up Mount Ainos. Take the longer route on Google maps, not the shortest, or you’ll end up on a tiny rocky mountain path with nowhere to go. It was still a holiday highlight. We’ve never been so sad to leave a holiday place, and we came back to Scotland with serious post-holiday blues. Everyone we met had been to Kefalonia at least once before, and some had visited 10 times or more. That says a lot. We’ll definitely return, and it’ll be to Secret Roc Villas, Villa Gaia.