A confidently curated field guide by Yoni Eshet, the mindful hotelier behind Kea Retreat.
Kea is a study in contrasts: near enough to Athens that the ferry ride feels like a long exhale, yet quiet enough that night skies still bristle with stars. For years this proximity went largely unnoticed; the island’s terraced hills, oak forests, and sandy coves slipped beneath the holiday radar while flashier Cycladic neighbours soaked up the limelight. Word is finally out – sailboats now share anchorages with fishing caiques, and weekenders from the capital race to stake a spot on Friday’s first crossing – but the atmosphere remains refreshingly low-key.
The island resists hurry by design. Stone farmhouses in muted earth tones blend into slopes dotted with almond and olive trees, while a lattice of hiking paths links ancient towers, hidden ravines, and Ioulida’s red-tiled roofs. Beaches stay largely unorganised, forsaking rows of loungers for tamarisk shade and the hush of clear water meeting sand. Even peak season rarely overwhelms; Kea’s varied coastline simply folds visitors into its many inlets and bays.
Our family discovered this place three decades ago, standing spellbound on the headland of Kastriani Monastery. That single encounter nudged us toward a life closer to nature and eventually led to Kea Retreat, where we welcome guests who value simplicity as much as comfort. As the island steps into a well-deserved moment of attention, we’re sharing the addresses and experiences that have shaped our own story here – an invitation to enjoy Kea’s rising profile while its essence is still beautifully intact.
01
What to Do
Kastriani Monastery
Our family’s original portal to island enlightenment. The blinding-white compound crowns a headland, its cobalt domes reflecting an Aegean that looks Photoshopped, and the resident icon is rumored to grant second chances to serial workaholics.
Archaeological Site of Karthaia
Four-thousand-year-old Doric columns rise from scrub and thyme like time-traveling totems. Hike 45 minutes down a goat track or glide in by boat, then picnic amid marble ruins with amphitheater acoustics for the crashing surf.
Xotaris Farm
Almond alchemist Alexandros Xotaris coaxes liquid sunshine into every nut. Schedule a tasting, meet his heirloom donkeys, and exit stocked with jars of praline that will never survive the ferry ride back. (+306977262766)
02
Where to Swim
Psathi
A pocket–size cove tucked just south of Spathi Bay, Psathi trades its neighbour’s broad sweep of sand for a quieter mix of smooth pebbles and coarse grains. The same headland that shields Spathi from the meltemi also shelters Psathi, yet the smaller scale keeps visitor numbers low, so it often feels like a private swimming hole. Bring your own shade and supplies – there are no services here – then settle in for clear water, easy snorkeling, and the gentle percussion of stones shifting with the tide.
Karthaia Beaches
Two slim crescents – one mostly sand, the other a blend of pebbles – lie on either side of the rocky promontory crowned by the ancient city of Karthaia. Reaching them requires a forty-five-minute walk or a short boat ride, and that effort keeps the crowds away. Swimming beneath the temple columns lends the water a curious sense of ceremony; the past feels present in every echoing splash. When the climb back calls, pause by the little church of Panagia ton Polo, where the breeze cools sun-warmed skin and the view stretches unbroken to the horizon.
Agios Fillipos
Hidden behind low cliffs and accessed only by boat or a demanding footpath, Agios Fillipos rewards determination with remarkable clarity of light and water. The narrow strand mixes fine pebbles and pale sand that slide into a sea the colour of blown glass; even waist-deep you can count each ripple on the seabed. Facilities are non-existent, so visitors arrive self-sufficient- water, shade, and a good book are essential cargo. Hours pass quickly here, marked only by the arc of the sun and the soft hush of waves on stone.
Sykamia
On Kea’s northern coast, Sykamia curves gently below terraced hills brushed with thyme and wild oregano. The shore is pebbled but comfortable, and rangy tamarisk trees supply natural shade for those who prefer a quiet patch over a rented umbrella. Because there are no services the ambience stays low-key: families spread picnics, locals cast fishing lines from the rocks, and the air smells faintly of pine. Sunset is the highlight, when the sky turns apricot and the sea answers back in muted bronze.
03
Where to Eat
Tsourtis Bakery (Port Bakery)
Three generations, one wood-fired oven, and bougatsa that could broker world peace. Stock up before boarding your boat or risk pastry FOMO. (+302288022182)
Korissia
Aristaios
Spyros cultivates, ferments, distills, and bottles everything from tsipouro to thyme honey, then lines it up on shelves like edible trophies. Grab a picnic kit of goat-milk cheese and sun-dried tomato pies for your next secret beach. (+306980368806)
Mylopotamos
Ton Kalophagadon
The grill house that keeps Chora carnivores in a permanent meat coma. Order the spit-roasted Kontosouvli, chase it with a carafe of house red, and listen to locals debate football philosophy till midnight. (+302288022118)
Chora
Fillipas
A shrine to lamb chops so tender they practically send thank-you notes. Tables spill onto a stone terrace, and the only soundtrack is cicadas and satisfied groans. (+302288021690)
Korissia
Lygaria at Kea Retreat
Chef Uri Eshet channels Noma-grade wizardry through a Cycladic lens, cooking over a hand-built stone grill while salt breezes season the air. Guest chefs – from Café Frieda to Kiln London – drop in throughout summer, turning farm-fresh bounty into once-in-a-lifetime dinners. Book: lygaria@kearetreat.com, (+306986774151)
Psathi Bay
04
Where to Stay
One & Only Kéa Island
Spread across 65 hectares of terraced headland, One&Only drapes itself over Kea’s raw western cliffs like a cashmere throw – sleek, indulgent, utterly effortless. Villas (there are only 63) come with volcanic-stone fire pits, outdoor showers scented by wild oregano, and heated infinity pools so close to the lip of the Aegean you can practically back-stroke to Syros. Interiors fuse Cycladic minimalism with yacht-club gloss – think hand-hewn stone walls, sculptural oak, and custom ceramics that look stolen from a Milanese gallery.
Life beyond your villa is a crescendo of curated pleasures: Atria pairs line-caught dentex with Santorini assyrtiko under a trussed-beam ceiling, while BOND Beach Club serves DJ-scored crudo on loungers clad in Hermès terry. The three-tier spa worships sophrosyne with Ayurvedic-Greek mash-up rituals, a heated cave pool, and a cliff-edge hammam that steams open both pores and epiphanies. Private speedboats, heli-pads, and Mercedes transfers make arrivals cinematic; sunset cocktails at Kosmos make departures tragic. (+302288040000)
Kea Retreat
Imagine a monk’s cell redecorated by an enlightened surfer and you’re halfway to grasping Kea Retreat’s charisma. Seven 300-year-old kathikies snuggle into the hillside, their meter-thick stone walls cooled by sea breezes and perfumed by the resident herb garden; inside, rough-hewn lintels frame hand-loomed textiles and driftwood furniture sourced from the very bay you overlook. No screens, no room service buzzers – just cicadas, the occasional bleat of a goat, and the soft gong that summons you to sunrise meditation on a platform cantilevered over cobalt blue.
Days unfold in a slow, sacred rhythm: vinyasa at dawn, farm-foraged brunch, sound-bath siesta in the olive grove, then Uri Eshet’s fire-kissed dinners where aubergine meets miso and local grouper flirts with fennel pollen. Water comes from an on-site desalination plant, electricity from the sun, and leftovers from the kitchen feed tomorrow’s soil—sustainability here isn’t marketing, it’s muscle memory. Retreats cap at fifteen guests, ensuring your spiritual unravelling remains delightfully private. (+306906890030)
