Villa Aktaia

Aktaia is named after a sea nymph whose name means “of the shore” — fitting for a house that steps down its hillside until there is nothing left but water. Low limestone walls, white lime plaster and oak pergolas sit among Aleppo pines and olive trees, and a path of stone steps leads to a small cove below.

Inside, a double-height living room opens fully to the terrace, so the pool, the pines and the gulf become one long view. Five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, are dressed in natural linen; the principal suite has a carved stone bath in front of the window.

Evenings belong to the pergola: a long oak table for ten, the pool lit from below and the sun going down over the Thermaic Gulf. The villa is let whole, to one party at a time.