Ysyhia is a cottage with its own pool, set in the most private of countryside locations on Skopelos Island in Greece. It is a romantic hideaway just for grown-ups.
Ysyhia [Ησυχíα: pronounced Ee-see-hee-ya] is the Greek word for tranquility. The cottage is far enough from civilisation to be astonishingly quiet and restful yet close enough to be convenient for shops, beaches and eating out. And of course the view across the sea towards the mountains of Evvia is stunning, with no light pollution, the night sky is bursting with stars. No other buildings can be seen from the cottage and none overlook it. Our house is up the hill from the cottage on the same 1½ acre plot. Each house has its own private access and a fence separates our smallholding from the cottage and its garden. A grove of olive and almond trees provide each house with total privacy from one another but we are on hand should you want help or advice. This is truly a place to unwind, relax and imagine that you are alone in the world. But, when you want to venture out to shops, beaches or tavernas, all can be found within a 3km radius.
It would be wrong to describe Glossa, a traditional hillside village of some 900 souls, just over 1km away, as hectic or noise-some, but by comparison, it is. There is more traffic on the sea, 200m below the cottage, than there is on the dirt road that leads to its door and you are more likely to hear the voices of fishermen in their boats than a passing car. You are also likely to hear a dog or a cockerel, but not much else.