Whole Villa: Villa Rental, 4 Bedrooms, Sleeps 9 in Symi

Symi: is the jewel of the Dodecanese islands - described by many as the St Tropez of the Eastern Med. It lies just 8 miles off the Turkish coast and can only be reached by ferry in one hour from Rhodes or Piraeus overnight.

Symi was a centre for sponge fishing in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and traces of its affluent past are visible today in the beautiful and stately houses which surround the harbour and flow over the hills above. It is a conservation area and all its houses are built in neo-Classical Style. This gives it one of the most impressive skylines anywhere and you can sit on the terrace all day and just gaze at the houses opposite.

Symi's harbour is a hive of activity in the summer with boats and yachts coming and going all day every day. It is a great spot for walkers though its mountainous terrain can be a strain in the summer heat. However, there are regular taxi boats to all its beaches, and a bus and taxis go from the town up to the village above - the Xorio.

Symi has many fine restaurants and good shops for groceries and produce. A regular ferry service runs throughout the year connecting it to Rhodes and Athens. Symi is only 8 miles from Turkey and you can take a day trip across to Datca to sample the different environment of Asia Minor.

The nearest beach to the house is Nos - less than 5 minutes walk - and you can walk into the town in 10 minutes from where you can take the taxi boats or buses, meet the ferries or eat out at one of the many restaurants. You can even simply walk down the path from the house and dive into the harbour for a swim. Wonderful!

There are a number of beaches on the island, mainly reached by taxi or tourist boats. You can take a trip in one of these all around the island, stopping off to swim and eat a reputedly delicious barbecue along the way.

You can also take ferries to explore Rhodes - a World Heritage City whose walled city is one of the most perfectly preserved of the cities built by the Knights.

The villa is a stone built house designed by the famous Greek architect, Alex Kalligas - who, with his wife Xaris, has almost single handedly transformed Monemvasia on the Eastern Peloponnese into a haven of beautiful design. It is built on the ruins of an earlier house, on three storeys. Because it is stone built it retains warmth in the winter and keeps cool in the summer. Xarani enjoys more breeze than the main harbour which also helps to keep the house cool in the intense summer sunshine. The bottom storey has two rooms and a small shower room and toilet. All rooms open up to the large terrace in front which is covered with three large sunshades (can be rolled up). It can be used as a self-contained flat. The smaller room which has a single sleeping platform also houses a fridge, kettle and microwave and an outside sink. The larger room has a double sleeping platform. The terrace is completely separate from the rest of the house - with similar views of the sea. Small garden below.