Ekies aims to create a seamless and harmonious mix of ancient Greek traditions and a modern approach to health and wellbeing that engages all senses: and it lives up to this billing. As I swing in the hammock above the waters, the calm is palpable. The only sounds are the gentle lap of waves against the shore and the barely audible hum of a motor boat in the distance.
The beach isn’t actually private – it’s not possible in Greek law – but might as well be. From the sands, I contemplate the simple, but beautiful design of the hotel – the creation of three different architects and fusing natural wood with local Greek grey marble. Terraces and balconies of each of the unique rooms overlook either the sea, garden or forest; the result is a contemporary building that is perfectly integrated with its environment.The modern Greek fusion menu is another example of the hotel’s balanced approach. I love the fact that you can have ‘lunch’ at any time of day, and even anywhere in the hotel. The reasonably priced organic offerings (salads and appetisers hover around €9, with mains priced at a very reasonable €10 to €12) include delights such as watermelon and feta cheese and tabouleh salad and prawn with Arabian bread.
The delectable, natural, and of course Greek, Apivita product range graces the hotel bathrooms, as well as the Ekies spa, where you can choose from a range of innovative treatments, many drawing on Mediterranean traditions. My ‘basic elements of nature’ treatment involves a series of revitalising herbal inhalations followed by a sublime facial massage. My therapist tells me they try to take their visitors back to ancient Greece and the teachings of Hippocrates, who identified the need for balance within the four elements of nature – air, water, fire and earth.
In the spacious and serene reception room, I run into Petros, the kindly manager of Ekies. ‘Please have a sour cherry juice’, he entreats me gently, explaining that the drink is a traditional welcome in Greek homes. Beneath our feet is a handmade wool carpet that came from the owner’s own house. An enormous day bed made of natural coconut fibre and a giant dining table are both deliberately big enough for a large extended family, and Ekies is very keen that you feel part of theirs.
In fact there are daybeds everywhere – in the rooms, on the terraces, on the beach and even in the restaurant; they invite, almost command, day long lounging. But I do manage to rouse myself to make the recommended, and memorable boat trip to the nearby uninhabited islands. On a lovely little vessel with room for just four people, we visit a trio of aptly named locations: the deserted White Beach, the Blue Lagoon where the clear turquoise waters reveal the seabed far below, and a bay known as ‘The Hidden’, which was once a smugglers’ hideaway.
Our skipper is fond of quoting Pirates of the Caribbean but despite the regular calls of ‘Ship ahoy’ we only see one other boat all day. Lunch is not the simple picnic I was expecting but a linen table cloth and silver cutlery affair, with tender kebabs, fresh Greek salad, bottles of wine, and even meatballs hand made by the boatman’s wife. We sail past steep jagged cliffs that slide into the bay, dense pine forests and a lonely olive worker’s hut. The olives are harvested in October and November, dovetailing conveniently with the tourist season that drops off suddenly at the end of September to begin again in April.
Every morning and evening I and a small group of fellow guests practice yoga on the beach, in the garden, or in a dedicated room – which one German guest declares to be ‘magic’. The ensuing meditation is so powerful that at least one of us falls into a deep sleep during the class. Based on the Yoga Nidra, they incorporate visualisations during which we are led up to a white temple on a hill where we lie down and relax, or taken into ‘the cave that is our mind’, or imagine we were seeds lying in the warm earth buried by the soil.
The yoga course is excellent value at €299 for two people, including half board, a 30-minute massage and three yoga sessions. If you would prefer more flexibility, it is possible to book a room (my loft luxury suite costs from just €95) and join a (pre-booked) class at a rate of €20.
Ekies All Senses
Sithonia, Halkidiki, Vourvourou, 630 78
T: +30 23750 91000
F: +30 23750 91416
E: info@ekies.gr
Winter Office:
T: +30 2310 968 778
F: +30 2310 968 771
E: reservation@ekies.gr
www.ekies.gr
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