Villa Amatheia

Amatheia is named for the Nereid of the sandy shore, and it sits right at the edge of one: soft white volumes on smooth granite, a pool that seems to float above the rocks, and a timber jetty stepping out into water clear enough to count the stones.

Across the gulf, Mount Athos rises on the horizon — pale at dawn, violet at dusk. Inside, curved plaster walls, travertine floors and pale oak keep everything calm; every bedroom faces the sea, and the spa bathroom has a sunken travertine bath beneath an arched window.

Swim from the jetty in the morning, take lunch in the shade, and let the evening happen at the round stone table by the pool. The villa is let whole, to one party at a time.