There are dozens of lovely villas scattered across Greece, looked after by some of our most trusted experts. If you’re searching for somewhere specific, we recommend starting with Five Star Greece for blowout stays, CV Villas for handpicked houses across 10 big-hitting islands, and Thinking Traveller for beautiful hangouts on some of the lesser-known – and lesser-visited – Greek isles. To kick-start the search, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourite villas, from Crete to Corfu, that members of our team have visited, loved and longed to go back to.

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  • 1. SYROS CMN (VIA FIVE STAR GREECE)Syros, Cyclades IslandsThe laidback, sun-soaked Aegean island of Syros was, curiously, once a serious maritime kingpin, and this villa is a hangover from that prosperous time. Built as a merchant’s mansion, the 10-person CMN has its own dock that peeks over the inky-blue sea, leading to a private deck that seems to hover out over the water. Inside, the old merchant’s house has been completely revamped, with glossy hardwood floors and eclectic art on the walls. And most of the windows have a sea view, looking out over the buzzy harbour and towards the public lido.Sleeps: 10
    Price: From about £17,240 per week
    BOOK YOUR STAYJENNY ZARINS
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  • 2. VILLA OPHELIA (VIA CV VILLAS)Corfu, Ionian IslandsCorfu is the green island – nowhere more so than in the sophisticated north, where expanses of rolling olive groves can make this place feel more like Tuscany than Greece. It’s high on the hills here, near the vibrant village of Kassiopi, that you’ll find this eight-person villa. The house makes the most of the leafy views, overlooking a thicket that rolls straight down to the sea. Carved out of local stone and surrounded by fragrant herb gardens, the three buildings are linked by a shady terrace, for supper outdoors. The pool juts out over the edge of the villa’s courtyard, dangling over the ocean, and there’s direct access to the beach for those with itchy feet. Bag the master suite for your own private courtyard and a lovely outdoor bath.Sleeps: Eight
    Price: From about £4,129 per week
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  • 3. MAISTROS (VIA THINKING TRAVELLER)Skopelos, Sporades IslandsSet across three buildings amid two acres of private land on Skopelos, Maistros is less whitewashed and minimal than the classic Greek villa blueprint. Heaving bookshelves are propped against wood-panelled walls, original art hangs in the seven bedrooms, and there’s space-agey furniture designed by the villa’s architect, Marc Held, in the vast sitting room. Steps lead down from here to the hull-shaped terrace, which has uninterrupted views of the sea. On a clear day you can even spot Agios Ioannis, the church made famous in Mamma Mia!, from the wraparound deck.Sleeps: 14
    Price: From about £5,391 per week
    BOOK YOUR STAYWhere Mamma Mia! was filmed in GreeceON LOCATIONWhere Mamma Mia! was filmed in Greece
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  • 4. PORTO ZANTEZakynthos, Ionian IslandsPlush, private villas that also offer all the best bits about checking into a hotel – that’s the promise at these nine hillside houses. Each one looks out over the private bay below, on the north coast of Zakynthos – the island that’s shaking off it’s party-hard reputation. Families are drawn here for the unbeatable kids’ club and on-hand babysitters, which mean parents can tuck into supper next to the sea without a fussy toddler in sight. Villas are separated by lush gardens and come with their own pool, so you’ll feel as though there’s no one else around – except, of course, for when you want them.Sleeps: Four to 14
    Price: From about £12,660 per week
    BOOK YOUR STAYPorto Zante Villas & Spa hotel reviewPLACES TO STAYPorto Zante Villas & Spa hotel review
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  • 5. THE DETAILOR (VIA AIRBNB)Tinos, Cyclades IslandsIt’s just a 15-minute boat ride from Mykonos, so no one can quite believe Tinos isn’t visited by more tourists. Those who do come discover dozens of tiny villages to explore, sandy bays, and even a crunchy, hippie surf scene. The relative peacefulness of the island makes it all the better for those who stay here – taking over The Detailor, a sweet Airbnb with buttery-smooth stone interiors and arches on the upper balconies that frame epic sunsets. All four of the bedrooms have sea views and, while there’s no pool, there’s a decently sized hot tub shaded by a lovely pergola.Sleeps: Eight
    Price: From £546 for a three-night minimum stay
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  • 6. AMORGOS 1L (VIA FIVE STAR GREECE)Amorgos, Cyclades IslandsMost people don’t bother coming to far-flung Amorgos – even the fast ferry from Athens takes six hours to pull up at the harbour, where a map invitingly states ‘Welcome to Amorgos. Nobody will find you here.’ Pivoting around views of the silvery Aegean, five-bedroom house Amorgos 1L peers out to sea at every available opportunity. There are sheltered decks made for taking in the views, creamy sitting rooms with floor-to-ceiling shutters that can be propped open to create an indoor-outdoor space, and a horizon-edging pool. Best of all: the private cove that’s just a staircase away.Sleeps: 10
    Price: From about £6,220 per week
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  • 7. SIFNOS 4K (VIA FIVE STAR GREECE)Sifnos, Cyclades IslandsIn the prettily peeling village of Exambela, this manor house is surrounded by Sifnos’ trademark scrubby farmland, dotted with olive vines and tufts of sage and oregano. The pool in the garden has views over the countryside, backed by a shady terrace made for sundowner suppers – Sifnos is known as the foodie Greek island, so cook up local dishes of lamb soaked in red wine or crisp chickpea fritters. About three miles away is the pretty whitewashed village of Kastro, where the astonishing Church of the Seven Martyrs hovers precariously on a clifftop over the sea.Sleeps: 12
    Price: From about £7,700 per week
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• 8. STERNA RESIDENCE (VIA HIPAWAY VILLAS)Nisyros, Dodecanese IslandsThe 17th-century Sterna tower was meticulously restored by local architect Giorgos Tsironis using traditional material and methods. Whitewashed walls carved out of volcanic stone sweep through the open-plan spaces, revealing sunken sitting areas framed by arches, and a couple of cool, crumpled linen bedrooms. The upstairs terrace has one of the most extraordinary views on the little island of Nisyros, looking out as far as Bodrum on the Turkish Riviera.Sleeps: Four to six
  • Price: From about £1,750 per week
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• 9. ONARAndros, Cyclades IslandsAndros is unlike any of the other Cyclades – inland mountains conceal waterfalls and hot springs, while villages have marble streets lined with neoclassical mansions, laid down a hundred years ago by grand shipping families. The most beautiful beaches are on the north-east coast, where Onar sits – an off-grid estate with a handful of cottages to rent, shored up by local Mateo Pantzopoulos and his wife, Greek TV personality Eleni Menegaki. Our favourite is the four-person villa built into the hillside and crafted out of local stone. Roughly plastered walls the colour of thick Greek yogurt keep things cool inside, while a glossy pool outback overlooks sugary Ahla beach.Sleeps: Four
  • Price: From about £385 per night
    BOOK YOUR STAYMONTSE GARRIGA
• 10. CIEN (VIA A&K)CreteThe shady outdoor kitchen at this vast villa pulls the centre of life to the terrace. A long, pistachio-hued dining table set underneath a pergola has views of the pool, which seems to fall off the edge of the hill into pine groves and the countryside of Crete’s north-east coast, rolling across to the sea. Those tiring of sea-view suppers at the house can make the one-and-a-half-mile trip into Elounda, a pretty fishing village known for its smart hotels.

Source: cntraveller.com