Pylaia Boutique Hotel ★★★★

It is no exaggeration when I describe Astypalea as one of Greece’s undiscovered gems and one of the country’s most peaceful, remote islands. Just 18 kilometres long, it is a tiny island with a population of just over a thousand, where the vast majority of tourists come from other parts of Greece: this is one of the Greeks’ best-kept secrets, now discovered by VeryChic. The island is shaped like a butterfly and shares all the same natural beauty, a resemblance which can also be seen in the way it has quietly fluttered away into the further-flung reaches of the Aegean Sea. The most remarkable spot on the butterfly’s left wing is the capital and ancient harbour of Chora, where typical whitewashed houses gleam in the sun around the base of a Venetian fortress and two idyllic bays. And it is here that we set up camp for a supremely romantic Greek island break, thanks to the Astypalea’s finest haven of luxury and style, the Pylaia Boutique Hotel.

To stay on this island is to take a step back in time – this is ancient mythology Greece rather than package holiday Greece, the land of Homer and Hercules rather than cheap booze and crowded waterparks. The hotel’s nod to this traditional character was apparent from the onset and only continued as we delved deeper into our celestial refuge. It is a complex of six buildings whose architecture is beautifully in keeping with the pure white, cubic houses which characterise Greece’s quaint island villages. Indoors, we continued to be dazzled by the typically Greek, pristine white on every wall, illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the open windows. The effect is a stylish ‘minimalist-chic’ with just the odd dash of colour to lend the Pylaia Boutique Hotel its own personality – blue to complement the azure sky and twinkling water just outside the windows, gold and crimson like a stunning Greek sunset, or a splash of vivacious green which breathes energy and modernism into this fashionable boutique hotel.

But what did all this mean for us? It meant that we were in a soothing, refreshing and airy retreat, where simplicity was the order of the day. It meant that we could enjoy an uncluttered and stylish room where the focus was quite simply the breath-taking views of the dramatic scenery outside. It meant we were in heaven… Each room is individually designed with furnishings by prestigious contemporary designers, and ours was spectacular. These modern touches and the flawless state-of-the-art luxuries which we enjoyed were all that kept our timeless Greek sanctuary in the 21st century, while the sublime views from our private balcony looked as if they had not changed in centuries. At any time of day, with the sun rising over the sea or the moonlight dancing off the shimmering water, our sea views were absolutely magnificent. The unreal shades of blue, the huge scale of the natural setting, the romance of sipping a glass of wine on the balcony as the sun went down… Perfection.

So far so good, but what is there to do on this, one of Greece’s most quiet and remote islands? Well, at the Pylaia Boutique Hotel you could probably even spend a whole day without having to venture outside. You could start the day with a lie-in in the cocooning comfort of your soft bedding, before a huge breakfast on the pretty outdoor terrace, with a selection which will have you licking your lips and wondering where to begin. Then, you could while away the hours with a massage at the spa, a workout in the gym, and a cocktail and a snack by either of the swimming pools, which each offer supreme panoramic views over the bay. You could do some souvenir shopping at the Petite Boutique, where guests can buy exclusive, high quality and handmade local products. Finally, with the sun going down, you could move on to the Plori Restaurant for an extravaganza of local and Mediterranean cuisine.

However, we could never face an entire day without getting out at some point to discover our remarkable island! We were just 200 metres from the beach, and the island was such a manageable size that beach hopping our way around the most scenic bays was easy enough. The hotel even helped us with a boat trip to explore Astypalea’s most secluded beaches, where it was just us and nature under the immaculate cerulean sky. We wandered around the small, charming capital of Chora, admiring the Venetian castle, the quintessential architecture, the sailing boats in the harbour, the windmills and brilliant-white churches. We ventured to even more remote settlements and even smaller nearby islands, soaking in the atmosphere of traditional local living and the spectacular deserted scenery. We drank with the locals in old taverns and sampled the authentic flavours of Astypalea in restaurants which have been mastering traditional recipes for generations. And at the end of each day, we eagerly returned to the delightful comfort of one of the island’s finest hotels, delighted to have found one of the most beautiful refuges on Greece’s most exclusive island before the cat gets out of the bag…