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- Simply Simpson
- Romantic open-plan cottage
- Private pool and garden
- 5min drive to Vathy
- 15min walk to Dexa Beach
Ithaca’s capital Vathy, has been the main harbour on the island since the 16th century and houses near this picturesque little town have enduring appeal. Just a 5-minute drive from its appealing waterfront, Amalthia Cottage is located in the timeless Mediterranean landscape above Dexa Beach, notable not only for its Blue Flag status but, according to legend, for welcoming Odysseus when he returned from The Trojan War. Hard to imagine such drama here now, in this sleepy spot fringed by trees and only the chirrup of cicadas to disturb the peace. When you’re in need of refreshment, you’ll find a simple beach bar serving cold drinks a short stroll along the shoreline; everything else you may need can be found in Vathy, with its excellent selection of shops, bars and tavernas.
Amalthia cottage is just for two and the open-plan living area with mezzanine bedroom above is perfect for a romantic escape. Though modest in scale, the cottage enjoys a charming setting and the pretty garden, private pool and terrace ensure that island living is just as relaxing as you could wish it to be. There are some self-guided walks nearby and a stroll up to the ancient village of Paleochora is a must; Ithaca’s capital in the Middle Ages, it enjoys fabulous views south across the island and some of the old frescoes are still visible in the ruins of the church. Guided walks can also be arranged, along with self-drive boat hire, kayaking and scuba diving, on request.
Perfectly private and separate from neighbouring Arethusa Cottage, the two properties also work well for two couples travelling together, seeking independent living.
In Greece, a tourist tax may apply at your accommodation which will be payable locally, in cash, during the course of your holiday. Please use the link to view details specific to your accommodation. View tourist tax rates here.
Accommodation
- 1-bedroom cottage (sleeps 2)
Layout
- Open plan living/dining/kitchen area with TV/DVD player (English-speaking news channels)
- Kitchen includes oven, hob, fridge, dishwasher
- Shower room
- Stairs to mezzanine level with double bed (150cm x 200cm)
General
- Air conditioning
- Complimentary WiFi
- Iron, ironing board, hairdryer
- Washing machine
- Simpson Travel pool towels
- Safe
- Built-in barbecue
- Swimming pool 5m x 2.5m (depth 0.9m – 1.5m)
- Separate private parking
- Guided walks, massage treatments, self-drive boat hire, kayaking, SCUBA diving (payable locally)
WiFi
- All properties with WiFi are able to support basic functionality such as web browsing and checking emails. We aim to offer an uninterrupted service but sometimes, due to factors beyond our control, reliability can be affected.
National tourist licence (EOT): 0457K91000460201
Transfers
- Kefalonia airport to Sami port by private taxi or minibus 50min
- Waiting time at Sami port is usually short at the port café
- Sami port to Ithaca (Pisaetos) by sea taxi or ferry and depending on the mode of transport the journey will take 40-50 minutes
Location
- Shop/bakery 5min drive
- Vathy 5min drive
- Dexa beach 15min walk/5min drive
- Frikes 30min drive
- Port of Pisaetos 15min drive
Car hire
Car options
Based on the number of people travelling, the following hire car(s) are included in the package price of your holiday:
- 2 guests – 1 Group B, Nissan Micra or similar*
* All our cars include full comprehensive insurance with no excess charge. Please note that damage to the undercarriage, wing mirrors, windscreen and tyres is not covered by insurance.
Car specification
Group B – 1.1 litre engine, 1 large suitcase*
The following cars are available as alternatives on request (supplements apply). Please call our travel specialists for details.
Group C – Citroen C3 or similar, 1.2 litre engine, 1 large and 1 medium suitcase*
Group D – Automatic Nissan Micra or similar, 1.1 litre engine, 1 large suitcase*
Group E – Daihatsu Terios 4x4 Hard Top or similar, 1.4 litre engine, 2 large and 2 medium suitcases*
* Suitcase sizes are based on a large suitcase being approximately 75cm x 41cm x 31cm, a medium suitcase of approximately 65cm x 46cm x 29cm and a small suitcase of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.
Our beautiful little villa for the week complete with sun loungers and bespoke pool. Perfect in every way. Thank you Nicholas and Judith for a wonderful and comfortable stay. Your help and advice was amazing. This is our second stay in Ithaca. A little gem in the Mediterranean. It felt like coming home. The sea, the villages and the food so familiar and so very special. We’ve enjoyed frappés, moussaka, lamb kleftiko, calamari, fish, giros and ouzo. We went to a different beach every day and each one was special in its own way. Our favourite times were spent sitting on the veranda at Amalthia (especially in the evenings) sipping ouzo and listening to sheep bleating, their bells ringing and a gentle breeze passing through the olive trees.
Wonderful location of island and villa. Excellent well organised facilities. The host went out of their to way to ensure that we had a great holiday.
We enjoyed a lovely, peaceful stay up in the hills just outside vathy. Judith & Nicolas were both extremely helpful throughout the stay and very welcoming. The cottage was well kept and the pool was the perfect temperature for the weather. During the spring or autumn I would probably describe the town as walking distance for many (although a steep walk back) however, we only made this mistake once in the 30°c of the mid August evening. The estate has its own olive and almond trees which cast good shade plus the various covers... It could be rather windy at times though and we had to put the awning and parasol down a couple of times - Nicolas was always on hand to help with this. We would definitely recommend to family & friends.
Stylish, sleek service from the moment we got off the plane! Simpson Travel, Judith and Nicholas are impressive, warm and helpful. We’ve had a wonderfully lazy week finding it hard to drag ourselves away from the stunning Sarakiniko beach along with Lea’s Bar and all its characters – we loved it! A trip to the north is an absolute must as is a sunset meal at Dona Lefki. Ithaca is a stunning island and Amalthia has been the perfect base. Thank you.
What an incredible journey we’ve had on this enchanting island! Our first time visiting Greece has been magical. The azure waters, pristine beaches and rugged cliffs painted a stunning backdrop to our adventures. Judith’s welcome talk was very insightful and she and Nicholas were always happy to help. Thank you for our wonderful time here.
The week flew by on this lovely island. Each day revealed stunning views as we travelled up to Stavros, Frikes, Kioni and Anogi. Lunches, dinners, coffees – everywhere all good. The tiny bay at Sarakiniko was so pretty. All around flowers, wild and those grown above on villa terraces – all eye-catching. Sunset views along the road to Stavros was spectacular! Great location and welcoming hosts who were extremely helpful with their local knowledge.
Definitely a week of two halves! Warm and sunny - enjoyed the pool, snorkelling at Sarakiniko, walking trails to Gidaki Beach (wow!) and to Paleohora, spectacular drive to Kathara and Anogi. The three days of poor weather put a damper on everything but the thunderstorms were memorable! Nicholas and Judith were great hosts with tremendous knowledge.
Our weeks stay at Amalthia was excellent, beautifully positioned property with easy access to Vathy with its lovely tavernas and shops. Highly recommend this property and Judith the Simpson concierge who is very knowledgeable and helpful.
We had the warmest of welcomes from our host Nicholas. He couldn’t have done enough for us – what a gentleman. We were very lucky in May with all the wild flowers everywhere. It truly is a very beautiful island. The locals were very welcoming and friendly. Everywhere we went we had good food, we are now fully rested and recharged to go back home.
We couldn’t wish for a more tranquil setting, surpassing expectations. Nicholas and Judith gave us a warm welcome and were happy to give tips and suggestions for us to make the most of our stay. We particularly enjoyed walking the mountain track to Perachori and the serenity of the monastery of Kathara – the wild flowers were stunning. A week cannot do justice to the island – so easy to find pleasure in the small things. We will have very happy memories of Ithaca and hope to come again.
We loved our stay at Almathia villa our host Nichols was brilliant. He could not have done more fantastic.
We had a wonderful holiday at Amalthea Cottage. It was our first holiday to Ithaca and we are so pleased we chose to go with Simpson Travel as everything was perfect from the moment we stepped off the plane. The cottage was in a beautiful location, well equipped and spotlessly clean. The owners live nearby and were extremely helpful but not intrusive. We would like to thank both them and Simpson Travel for a wonderful holiday.
Simpson travel made our holiday to Ithaca especially enjoyable, from the seamless car and boat Taxi journeys to meeting Judith our friendly and helpful representative waiting on the quay side. Amalthia Cottage was in a perfect location to allow for total relaxation and convenient Tavernas. We would happily recommend Simpson Travel to family and friends.
We thoroughly enjoyed the bucolic setting of Amalthia Cottage and Judith and Nicholas were very welcoming and knowledgeable about the lovely island of Ithaca. We will definite return.
Wonderful stay at Amalthia Cottage. Judith and Nicholas were amazingly helpful and always available to ask questions. Very private villa and a great base to explore the island with close proximity to Vathy and Dexa Beach. Would love to return in the cooler months to do more walking.
This is a wonderful villa in an amazing location. In my opinion a car is a must to make the best of the scenery and beautiful bays all around the Island. We could not have asked for anything more. Having stayed on many Greek Islands this has got to be one of the best, as yet unspoiled and hopefully will stay this way.
A wonderful return to Ithaca. It was so hard to leave this time, we have fallen for the island. The whole Simpson team are first class. Judith on the island is an absolute credit to you. We'll be back.
Ithaca is a pristine blue and green gem…and Amalthia cottage is beautifully situated to enjoy what it has to offer. A peaceful, stunning little hideaway! A special word for Judith who was lovely, knowledgeable and hugely hospitable. I was holidaying on my own and Judith (and her husband Nicholas) looked after me ever so well without ever making me feel coddled. A special place and special people.
As first timers with Simpson Travel, we are converts as we loved being looked after. Ithaca island is outstandingly beautiful, small and friendly. Everyone seems genuinely happy to see you. The villa and location were perfect for us, near Vathi our favourite town. A car is a must on this island.
We recently returned from a lovely week in Ithaca. Staying in Amalthia Cottage gave us easy access to Vathy for evenings out, shopping, and boat hire but we also enjoyed the privacy of our own villa with pool. Ithaca has beautiful beaches although all are 'pebbled' so beach shoes useful. The scenery is stunning and the island quiet and unspoiled. Judith, our concierge, was 'on-hand' for any help needed, particularly with Covid requirements, and provided lots of useful local advice. Today we booked a return visit.
I can only praise Simpson Travel for their handling of repeated postponements due to Covid restrictions. They managed everything extremely professionally and fairly. Flying from Manchester (Jet2) was really easy. Airport was much quieter than usual, thus parking and experience from check-in through to departure was simple and straightforward. We had all our paperwork sorted – PLF, vaccination records, etc. and printed copies made it much easier to manage. Entry to Kefalonia was again really straightforward, no undue delays or queues. Transfers to Ithaca also felt safe. As usual, Judi (Simpson’s local rep) was on hand to meet us on arrival. Just love Judi, down to earth but always there to help when needed. Villa was as expected (we've been to the island three times before) and would thoroughly recommend. Overall experience in main town was positive. Did not feel unsafe and face masks warn in all premises. We organised our return Covid test via Judi at local clinic, much easier, quicker (and cheaper) than bringing one with you from UK. We got a printed copy of the test result for our return to the UK. Judi also offered to print out our UK PLF which again made things much easier than faffing around trying to find on phone/tablet. Return trip was just as easy as the outbound one and amazingly no queues at immigration on our return to Manchester. Brilliant holiday, managed well by brilliant company and brilliant rep.
We decided to take the plunge when the quarantine restrictions eased and booked a last minute holiday with Simpson Travel in Ithaca and we were so pleased we did! Everything about the holiday surpassed our expectations, from the quiet airport (Birmingham) and flights there and back, to the smooth journey from Kefalonia airport to Ithaca, and the island and villa. Judith, the Simpson rep, was fantastic and gave us lots of tips to get the most out of our time on Ithaca. And what a place! I admit I had never really heard of Ithaca other than from the Greek myths, but we were delighted with it and will certainly visit again. It is small but perfectly formed, and everyone is so friendly. We would definitely recommend hiring a boat for the day to visit deserted beaches and swim in the clear Ionian Sea – heaven! Our villa was lovely with a small but very welcome pool and nothing but the sound of cicadas and the deep blue of the skies to distract from our reading and snoozing. I just wish I was back there now!
We just wanted to say how very much we have enjoyed staying at your beautiful cottage – we so wish we could have stayed for another week – at least! Ithaca is without doubt a very special place and we will definitely come back some day. We’ve got to know the island pretty well, so thank you for all your tips! And thank you for helping to make our time here so enjoyable.
Our choice of Greek properties is as diverse as the islands themselves, ranging from simple seaside charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal. To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.
* For further clarification on Facilities and Amenities, please view the 'Details' tab for each property or speak to one of our experienced sales consultants.
The fabled land of Homer’s Odyssey and a safe harbour through the ages for Romans, Venetians and Ottomans, Ithaca is historic to the core: a beach holiday destination that comes with an epic story to match its beautiful landscape. The sweeping panorama of Vathy’s bay and a shoreline of eucalyptus-shaded coves give way to undulating hills of pine, olive and cypress groves, whilst timeless rural life plays out in the island’s unspoilt interior, ensuring that Ithaca remains a place to truly relax.
To help you unwind in style, we offer a selection of handpicked luxury villas, giving your Ithaca holiday a welcome touch of comfort.
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