Villa Ferrera

Description

Inside: accommodation at Villa Ferrera is laid out over two floors.

The main entrance leads in from a super-panoramic sea-view terrace into the social hub of the property, whose walls in creamy-honeyed Cycladic stone root the villa in its context and set the scene for the airy, luminous atmosphere found throughout. To the right is a dining area served by a splendid show kitchen in marble and warm wood. It is here that the villa’s chefs will finish off your meals in style (there is another service kitchen for prep discreetly hidden away). French windows bring in the remarkable sea views and open out onto one of the shady al fresco dining areas.

A few steps up from the dining area is a gallery off which one may access the stairs to the first floor (underneath which is a guest WC) and the split-level living room. On the upper level of the latter is a games and reading area, while down below are three walls of sink-in sofas gathered round a wide-screen TV and a fireplace. A wall of high windows offer stunning views out to sea and drink in the light.

The first floor is accessed via a curvaceous staircase leading from the gallery above the dining area. At the top is a landing with a panoramically positioned sofa looking out to sea (and the sunsets) and two doors that provide access via a pair of covered walkways to the two sleeping wings, north and south, each with three bedrooms. Five of these bedrooms are west-facing and boast wonderful sea views.

In the south wing there is:

• a spacious main double with a chaise-longue, a large private sea-view terrace and an en-suite shower room
• a split-level double with a sitting area below, a bed and en-suite shower room up a couple of steps, and a private sea-view terrace
• a double-twin with en-suite shower room and a private sea-view terrace

In the north wing is:

• a main double with contemporary four-poster bed, access to a splendid private sea-view terrace, and an en-suite shower room
• a double bedroom, also with access to a private sea-view terrace and an en-suite shower room
• a spacious double-twin with a day bed, en-suite shower room and access to the cool, shady gardens between the house and the tennis court

The remaining two bedrooms are located on the ground floor, one at either end of (and accessed externally from) the long sea-view terrace that runs along the entire façade of the villa:

• a luminous sea-view double with contemporary four-poster bed and en-suite shower room
• a second sea-view double with dressing area, a bed up a couple of steps and en-suite shower room

Outside: sitting in its coastal estate of just over 60 acres, Villa Ferrera offers numerous possibilities for al fresco fun, recreation and adventure.

Extending along the front of the house, and accessed from the dining area and the two ground floor bedrooms, is a long, wide terrace with bewitching panoramas (and sunsets) out to sea. A covered section flanked by elegant arches is home to the first of three al fresco dining areas. Other sections, meanwhile, are comfortably furnished with quality outdoor sofas and armchairs.

Towards the centre of this wonderful terrace, a wide flights of steps sweeps elegantly down to the large pool terrace, where, sitting in pride of place is the irresistible 20m-long heatable infinity pool. A covered sitting area with bar, makes this the ideal spot in which to spend relaxing days gazing out to sea, swimming and soaking up the rays of the Grecian sun. Guests may also request to take their meals by the pool.

Behind the house, accessed from the upper level of the living room, is a wonderful secret terrace, shaded by a pergola and a sheltered by a proliferation of fragrant climbers. This is al fresco dining area number three, and is ideal for convivial soirées when the Meltemi winds are blowing.

Above this area, set back a little from the house, is the floodlit professional synthetic grass tennis court.

The villa and its terraces are enveloped in a verdant cocoon of mature trees beyond which the grounds extend for nearly as far as the eye can see. Planted with olive groves, cypresses, cedars, pines and all manner of Mediterranean flora, the estate is crisscrossed by a series of paths.

Two of these lead down to the north and the south bays, both of which are lapped by translucent azure waters and equipped with water sports equipment, including paddle boards and kayaks. The south bay also has a little jetty. The third path, meanwhile, takes guests to a private headland that pushes out into the waters of the Aegean. Boasting unforgettable 360-degree panoramas of the sea, the house with the mountains behind, and long stretches of Syros’s coastline, this is a truly a unique spot.