Luxury Greek Island holiday accommodation

This luxury Greek island holiday accommodation is an organic olive farm set in a wooded valley and perched above the shores of the small and traditional Ionian island of Ithaca. With spectacular views from gardened terraces over a forest to the azure bay below, holidays here offer you a sense of escapism, with a tranquil atmosphere as backdrop to wide-ranging seasonal activities and a strong emphasis on your well-being, set within a sustainable environment.

The Estate is a fusion of luxury holistic retreat and homespun organic farm - a secluded get-away for those wanting a family Greek island holiday with as much or as little activity as you choose in all seasons; for honeymooners seeking romance, tranquillity, the opportunity of finding small deserted beach coves in warmer months or taking long mountain walks in other seasons; and for small groups to use our Greek island holiday accommodation as a base for cycling and venturing into the island's lush hills that conceal ancient ruins and dramatic hiking trails. Sunrise Pilates: In the peaceful early daylight hours, welcome the sun and a brand new day with Pilates exercises which are conducted at the edge of the forest on the pool terraces overlooking the bay. Our instructress is happy to introduce you to this calming and strengthening discipline in a class setting and equally happy to conduct one-to-one sessions with those practiced in the art.

Evening Guided Walks: A storyteller will introduce you to the ancient archeological site of Ulysses Castle and Homer's School in an entertaining and informative way, whilst you also enjoy being taken on her walk of discovery.

Alternatively, there is a second and equally entertaining trek which introduces you to the more recent history of everyman's life on this small agricultural island.

Four traditionally-styled houses are nestled into the terraces. To provide privacy each house is surrounded by its own gardens perfumed with sage, rosemary and thyme, outdoor dining and lawn loungers, and each house has sea views.

Stone-flagged pathways and stairs link each house to amenities on the Estate. The paths lead from the morning coffee shop down the hillside, ambling near to each house in turn and on to a shaded outdoor cooking area with refectory table, then further down the hillside to a salt-water infinity pool and summer house. Beyond the pool terraces, naturally surfaced pathways meander through the forest; one brings you to an alfresco massage pavilion hidden in a glade, others to hammocks hidden in the forest and another to a quite separate farm area. Two swimming coves are below the Estate, one a 10 minute walk along a forested path, and the other 2 minutes down a narrow roadway.

The Estate accommodates a total of 16 – 18 people. Houses are designed to take advantage of passive heating and cooling, and are constructed in eco-friendly natural materials. Each has two bedrooms, and each of these are protected with shade from a vine-covered pergola over a flagged terrace area. Kitchens are fully equipped; the sitting room has a woodburning slow combustion heater for cooler months, and all windows/doors have insect screens to allow the flow of cooling sea breezes during the warmer months. Each house has gardens and verandah terraces with out-door eating areas, refectory tables, coffee tables and chairs and lawn loungers under the shade of trees. Internet connections are available and Blackberry and mobile phone signals are very reliable for those who need to be in touch with work colleagues.

Our aim is that guests need not bring anything on holiday apart from a few casual clothes. Many guests travel with hand luggage only. The list of what is available to you is long and ranges from beach and pool towels, sun hats, cool boxes, beach shoes and umbrellas for all weather to children’s toys and books, a large library and a range of toiletries that are home-blended and homeopathic.

Food: Your hosts are organic farmers whose family eats mainly vegetarian foods, based on what is grown on the Estate. For your arrival, you are able to order a meal to be waiting in your house. Once you have settled in, the choices for eating and/or preparing meals with organic produce and ingredients are varied.

With very functional kitchens, you are able to easily prepare and eat all meals ‘at home’, using the Estate’s fresh produce and selecting from the range of organic groceries housed in the coffee shop. Each morning the coffee shop offers a menu of breakfast foods to eat at the shop enjoying the company of other guests, or take back to your house. After breakfast you are invited to help yourself to seasonal garden produce harvested that morning and a selection of fresh breads. These complimentary goodies take care of easily-made and delicious lunches. For days at the beach, boating or hiking, picnic hampers are made to order.

Long balmy evenings can be spent enjoying dining under the stars at the outdoor barbeque and dining area. Locally-sourced meats can be ordered and are marinated and delivered to you. Alternatively, there is a menu of traditional Greek meals which can be fully-prepared and brought to you for dinner, straight from the cook’s oven to your table. If dining at a traditional taverna is your choice, a 10 minute walk down the lane brings you to a country café, or there is a choice of three or four tavernas in each of the nearby three villages.

Baby friendly: Baby paks consist of cots, high chairs, portable table chairs to use when dining out, push chairs, car safety seats and baby monitors. Organic baby foods and eco-nappies are available. Multi-lingual child carers cater for your needs with a few hours care in the evenings or a full nanny service.

Disabled access: Whilst geographic location make full access for all physically disabled people impossible, one of the houses is suitable for those who are able to move around without the aid of a wheelchair.

Small groups: With four separate houses a blend of privacy for each part of a group of up to 18 people and using the communal areas on the Estate to gather together, using the whole Estate provides a quite unique environment for family reunions and small groups of people holidaying in spring for walking, hiking and cycling holidays.

Organic holidays: We are a 7 acre organic olive farm, with vegetable gardens and fruit trees which, in large part, provide the seasonal produce we use in preparation of the foods we offer you for breakfasts, picnic hampers and full meals. We source local organic meats for your barbeque meals and provide a selection of meals for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. Guests can choose to use the morning's harvest to create their own meals too. Our herbs add delicious flavours to your foods and provide the ingredients used for making natural household cleaning products. The farm includes sheep and chickens and both farm and accommodation are managed naturally, organically and with a high emphasis on zero-waste. We are happy to share the recipes we use for organic meal preparation using seasonal produce, for our household cleaning products and our natural skin care range too. Full Eco nad Social Policy statements are available on request. Cooking classes: 1st April – 15th May. Classes are instructive, informal and lots of fun. Morning sessions of 2 -3 hours are held in the kitchen of two local women who will prepare traditional dishes of your choice, handing over family secrets and methods at the same time. Classes are an optional extra for those at Levendis who are with us to enjoy spring wildflower and hiking holidays. After an afternoon of walking, you will enjoy the foods you’ve prepared at lessons in the morning for your dinner.
Costs are €15/person/lesson, plus purchase of ingredients.

Holistic massage and body care: 15 June – 30 September. An al-fresco massage pavilion hidden in the forest opens for summer and provides a luxuriating extension to holidays, offering therapeutic medical/healing massage, aromatherapy or hot stone massage. A complete range of body care and sunscreen products have been inspired by our homeopath daughter and we make them using plants and herbs growing on the Estate.

Scuba diving: These PADI course dives are held at one of the few authorised diving sites in Greece on the shores of Kefallonia island. You will be met near to Levendis and taken to the site at 9am, returning at 4pm. All equipment is supplied and you will enjoy instruction from two expert divers. It’s advantageous to have had one or two diving lessons previously.

Marine Biology excursions: Operating from early May to late September, this is a day out on the sea with an enthusiastic marine biologist, and a favourite family outing at Levendis. A small traditional boat takes only 16 passengers each day. Picnic lunches are provided on this fun day for everyone in the family - snorkelling, swimming over shipwrecks and catching ‘sea critters’ to observe and learn about them before releasing them.

Boating/yachting: Various water craft are available from small personally hired motor dinghies for exploring the island’s coast to find one of many small swimming coves, to private, crewed yachts or a crewed motor catamaran for longer excursions to nearby islands. Picnic hampers are available for all days on the sea. By air: Take a charter flight direct to Kefallonia island from many European cities and main or regional cities in the UK. Or fly to Athens then take the domestic Aegean Airways flight to Kefallonia.
By train: Use the high-speed railnetwork across Europe with the Eurostar to Paris, overnight sleeper to Venice or Brindisi, then ferry to Kefallonia.
Car/ferry: Drive to Venice, Bari or Brindisi then take the car-ferry to Kefallonia.

NB: Private airport transfers from Kefallonia to the accommodation are included in tariffs and guests are provided with bicycles or cars.