Villa Zenas Mykonos

Chill-Out in Style

The peaceful resort of Agios Lazaros is famous for the beauty of its sunsets. From the romantic chill-out terrace at Villa Zenos, overlooking a beautiful bay that folds around a pearl of a sandy beach, they are superlative.

Villa Zenos exemplifies the understated luxury and the subtle elegance that works so well in the Cyclades. Architecturally inspired by the white-washed low walls and gentle curves that characterise the traditional building style of this sun-drenched island, the villa hugs the rocky coast just above the sea. Its terraces follow the gentle lines of sloping cliffs to maximise views of the bay and outward and upward to the horizon. The interior design of Villa Zenas is serenely minimalist, as befits hot days under southern skies. The living space, with its luscious white sofas and dining table overhung by a bohemian chic chandelier, connects with the sea through large windows, providing a haven from the salty air. If, that is, you choose to wander inside for a while. Outside there is cool and shade, breeze and shelter and all the accoutrements of refined outdoor living against a view over the spirited Aegean Sea.

That chill-out terrace is a beautiful space under a shady pergola with outside furniture that is discretely opulent, the colours of driftwood, the comfort of soft cushions. Here blissful hours will flow like a watermelon mojito over crushed ice until it’s time to light the barbecue and to dine as the stars come out to play. The terrace wreathes around the house until it reaches the swimming pool in its pretty courtyard-like walled enclave.

The house is on two levels, with four of the pure white bedrooms on the upper floor. Materials that reflect the surroundings of craggy cliffs and rock pools are put to stylish good use in the bathrooms. Surfaces of polished stone, basins hewn from rocks. The fifth bedroom is in a guest house on the ground level with an extra kitchen as well as its en-suite shower room and terrace access.

Agios Lazaros is a picturesque resort that remains tranquil in spite of, and within easy reach of, its noisier neighbours where the parties go off. It has its tavernas and bars and a lifestyle that remains civilised, possibly thanks to the sophisticated villas that enjoy this corner of the island.  And its special sunsets.