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BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views

Photo gallery for BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views

Outdoor pool
Sun loungers, beach towels
Terrace/patio
Outdoor pool
Property grounds

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 6179 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Washer
  • Gym
  • Pool
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views

Bower House Estate enjoys an elevated location offering a 360 degree vista of spectacular magnitude with outstanding views of the magnificent Taygetos mountain range and the gulf of Messinia. There are many vantage points to enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounds you and witness the many glorious sunrises and sunsets either from the gallery tower or the wonderful 12mtr elevated balcony offering yet more dining options. Beautifully maintained this home offers everything you need for a perfect relaxing holiday. The Estate produces its own olive oil and eating olives which can be purchased on request. The owners are discreetly in residence in a self contained part of the property and available to help you maximise the enjoyment of your stay. They maintain the pool, house and surrounding gardens for your pleasure. Help is always at hand if required yet your privacy and security assured.

COVID 19:

Please note that the owners DO NOT use outside workers to clean the property between guests. All cleaning is done by the owners and Linen laundered by a professional laundry service.

Property manager

Melanie Densem

Languages

English

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach sun loungers
  • Beach towels

Pool/Spa

  • Private pool
  • Outdoor pool

Internet

  • Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking
  • Car required

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Dishwasher
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • Paper towels
  • Electric kettle
  • Kitchen island

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 2.5 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Shampoo
  • Hair dryer
  • Toilet paper
  • Soap
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Living room
  • Dining room
  • Wood stove

Entertainment

  • TV
  • DVD player
  • Music library
  • Stereo
  • Books
  • Games

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony
  • Fenced yard
  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture

Laundry

  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Smoke-free property
  • Note from host: Smoking inside the premises is strictly forbidden

Services and conveniences

  • Housekeeping (on request)
  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • Near the sea
  • In the mountains
  • In a rural location
  • Near a hospital
  • Near the bay

Things to do

  • Fitness center
  • Bicycle on site
  • Golfing on site
  • Boat on site
  • Kayak on site
  • Windsurfing nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Cycling nearby
  • Power boating nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Marina nearby
  • Snorkeling nearby
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Water skiing nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Unit size: 1926 sq ft (179 sq m)

Similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Note from host: Under 5 yrs - special consent from owner needed

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Note from host: Strictly for the renters named only.
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
Property Registration Number 00001077858

We should mention

Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed GBP 500, due to national regulations; for further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation
A car is required for transportation to and from this property

About the neighborhood

Map
Messinia, Peloponnese

What's nearby

  • Polilimnio Waterfalls - 10 min drive
  • Oasi Beach - 17 min drive
  • Costa Navarino Dunes Golf Course - 40 min drive
  • Kalamata Beach - 41 min drive
  • Voidokilia Beach - 49 min drive

Getting around

  • Kalamata (KLX-Kalamata Intl.) - 23 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Caribbean BEACH BAR - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Kipos Restaurant - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Bouka Bouka Mare - ‬20 min drive
  • ‪Billy's Place - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Bouka Beach Bar - ‬20 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views ?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views ?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views located?

Situated by the sea, this villa is 1.6 mi (2.6 km) from Ionian Sea and within 9 mi (15 km) of Polilimnio Waterfalls and Oasi Beach. Oros Vigles and Agios Andreas Beach are also within 12 mi (20 km).

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BOWER HOUSE ESTATE. Villa With Substantial Private Infinity Pool And Sea Views Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 20 out of 20 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 20 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 20 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 20 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 20 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Giles S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Bower House
Awesome house, very well located, with everything that you could need for a great holiday.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Emily T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful Villa
The villa has a lovely interior and fully-equipped kitchen, a real home from home. The views from the villa are wonderful and the outside space is fabulous with a beautiful pool. The villa is within easy reach of villages, towns, beaches and the incredible ancient site of Messina.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

sally m.

Happy holidays!
Excellent! Five star experience in a fantastic villa. Pool beautiful. The accommodation was exactly as described. It was clean, spacious & very well equipped. The welcome package was generous. We loved the fact that Melanie & Brian made everything so easy from choosing which wine to drink, providing useful suggestions on where to eat & which beaches to visit. Everything to make the holiday stress free had been thought about, we were able to use beach mats, umbrellas & a cool bag. We would definitely stay again.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Frances king K.

A stunning setting and beautiful home from home
We are a family of 4 with 2 children of 7 and 5 and this was our first villa holiday. It was such a lovely contrast to our first week in a resort and such a beautiful setting. Mel and Bryan made our lives so easy - we particularly loved the folder of day trip ideas with such clear instructions of how to get there, where to eat nearby that we were able to explore the local area so easily. The house is really well set up for relaxing too - the pool was always so clean and the setting stunning onto the hills. With a variety of places to sit and eat, and different areas of the garden to play in and explore the kids had a fabulous time. The bathrooms were all really lovely standard, and the beds too and a really lovely kitchen. The kids loved the water dispenser from the fridge as that was a novelty for them! Our only negative was that it was so hot at night, but Bryan and Mel did provide an air con unit for our son which was kind. It's a wonderful home and beautifully kept with particularly good service in terms of grocery shopping, getting washing done and helping us make the most of our time there. Thank you! We hope to return.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Nicola R., Cambridge

Relaxing home from home
We stayed at Bower House Estate for one week with our two kids aged 7 and 10. The setting is wonderful. The house is perched on the crest of a hill providing beautiful views over wooded valleys and across to the sea. At night you can see the moon shine across the sea from the open windowed gallery on the top floor as bats flit across the sky. The house was exactly as described in the listing and immaculately clean and well maintained. The house and plot are very spacious. It is obvious that Mel and Bryan have put great care and attention into its design and maintenance and all the fixtures and fittings are of great quality. The interiors are homely and comfortable (not at all a spartan holiday house). The only downside was that the staircase in the house only has one bannister on the wall side (no barrier on the side with the drop) and I was concerned that one of the kids could trip and fall onto the marble stairs. We got around this by placing a chair at the top of the staircase: a) to slow them down and b) to force them to walk on the side of the stairs next to the wall. Mel and Bryan were extremely welcoming and their thoughtful touches such as a meal when we arrived, and a kitchen stocked with basics and drinks meant that the self catering aspect of our holiday was easily dealt with, leaving more time for relaxation. We enjoyed exploring the Messini coastline and in particular two trips recommended by Mel and Bryan: one to a waterfall which our kids loved swimming under and one to the spectacular beach at HorseShoe Bay. We also enjoyed their restaurant suggestions. There are plenty of tavernas within 5-10 minutes drive. But you could quite easily spend a lot of time at Bower House too. swimming in the pool, playing boules or simply looking at the view. I would recommend Bower House to my family and friends."

10/10 Excellent

Lorraine B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Outstanding house and location
This property is stunning as are the breathtaking 360 degree views of olive groves, mountains and sea. Everything you could possible need is supplied at the house, with various dining options inside or out, the pool is beautiful with plenty of areas for shade or sun. There is so much living space in the house and the open lounge area is so beautiful and unique, the bedrooms are all really big with plenty of storage space including 2 with walk in wardrobes. We were a party of 6 adults and there was more than enough space for us all. There is a really useful book with recommendations of places to see and restaurants to visit which we made very good use of and none of them disappointed. The house is a very easy 10 minute drive into Petalidi where there are so many good restaurants, butchers, bakers supermarkets, shops, the weekly market and daily fish market. There are also a couple of beaches within 15 minutes drive and others we tried only 30 mins away, about 45 mins drive are the waterfalls, definitely worth it. We chartered a small yacht for the day which was amazing and I can highly recommend for a fabulous day out. Mel was an exceptional host, she made sure we had everything we needed and nothing was too much trouble, a truly lovely lady. Thank you Mel for letting us stay at your beautiful home we all had a fabulous time. XX
Stayed 11 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Bernhard W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wunderschönes, charmantes Ferienhaus in ruhiger, idyllischer Umgebung
Wir haben mit unseren zwei Töchtern einen wunderbaren Urlaub in einem fantastischen Ferienhaus mit herrlichem Garten in ruhiger ländlicher Gegend verbracht. Nach sehr nettem, direktem Mailkontakt wurden wir herzlich von Melanie und Bryan, unseren freundlichen und hilfsbereiten Gastgebern, mit einem Lebensmittel-Willkommenspaket (Getränke und einige Grundnahrungsmittel) empfangen. Sie waren diskret und jederzeit bei Wunsch erreichbar, gaben gute Empfehlungen in Bezug auf Sehenswürdigkeiten, Restaurants und Strände, und wir führten sehr nette und herzliche Gespräche miteinander. Bower House Estate ist ein schönes Anwesen auf einem Hügel gelegen mit fabelhafter Aussicht rundherum auf messinische Berge und Meer. Die Ferienvilla bietet alles, was man sich für einen Traumurlaub wünschen kann. Die persönlich gestalteten Räume sind stilvoll dekoriert und mit wunderschönen, handgefertigten Olivenholz-Möbelstücken eingerichtet. Bower House verfügt über eine gut ausgestattete, saubere Küche mit Essplatz, einen gemütlichen Wohnraum mit Kamin, 2 saubere Badezimmer, und große Schlafzimmer mit bequemen Betten. Im oberen Stockwerk befindet sich eine fantastische offene Fenstergalerie, welche uns besonders gut gefiel mit ihrem herrlichen Flair und wundervollen Ausblick auf die Olivenhaine bis hin zum Meer, wo man schöne Sonnen- und Mondaufgänge beobachten kann. Um das Haus herum ist ein wunderschöner, gepflegter Garten angelegt. Eingebettet darin gibt es einen fantastischen Pool mit beschatteten Liegeplätzen, eine überdachte Außenküche mit Grillplatz, einen Boccia-Spielbereich, sowie einen Essplatz unter einer schattenspendenden Laube. Wir liebten den gut gepflegten, großen Infinitypool mit wunderbarem Blick auf die herrliche Kulisse bis zum Meer. Unsere Kinder waren von den bereitgestellten Luftmatratzen begeistert, und wir genossen die Zeit am Pool im erfrischenden Wasser oder auf einer gemütlichen Liege. Des weiteren konnten wir vom Ferienhaus aus viele Ausflüge zu kulturellen Sehenswürdigkeiten unternehmen. Die wunderbaren, antiken Stätten Olympia und Messene sowie das byzantinische Mystras sind gut erreichbar. Ebenfalls schöne, kleine griechische Küstendörfer wie Petalidi, malerische Küstenorte wie Methoni und Koroni liegen in nächster Nähe und auch herrliche Sandstrände konnten wir besuchen. Diese Ferienvilla war für uns alle wunderschön. Wir können sie von Herzen weiterempfehlen und kommen sehr gerne wieder.
Stayed 11 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Hans S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Geweldig huis! Prachtig uitzicht! Rustige omgeving!
Het huis is ruim en ziet er fantastisch uit! Romdom uitzicht is prachtig. Heerlijk zwembad, geweldige buitenkeuken. Mooie olijfboomgaard en tuin. Olijven en olijfolie uit eigen tuin! Mel en Brian zijn fantastische hosts!! Bedankt voor een topverblijf. We komen zeker nog en keer terug.
Stayed 9 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

André W.

Außergewöhnliches Objekt
Tolles Objekt; Vermieter wohnen in separater Wohnung und sind äußerst diskret im Hintergrund. Das Haus ist beeindruckend gestylt und sehr gepflegt. Schöne Außenanlagen, super Pool und ruhige Lage
Stayed 14 nights in May 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Ruth W.

Lovely Villa
We really enjoyed our stay at Bower House. We had teenagers and a not-very-mobile granny in our party, but the beautiful setting and proximity to attractions and amenities (ruins, water sports, tavernas) plus the swimming pool, BBQ, boules, cribbage board, Wi-fi etc, meant that everyone was happy. Mel and Bryan went out of their way to be helpful without ever being intrusive; the design of the house means that, although they live on site, we were barely aware of them, but then they were always available if needed. There was a very useful book of suggestions as to where we might go, but they also came up with additional suggestions and information once they had an idea of our interests. Extras, like washing, and restocking the fridge with drinks and topping up Wi-fi were charged at very reasonable or cost prices.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Cath B.

Stunning setting, well equipped villa.
We have just had a wonderful holiday at Bower House. The house itself is in a stunning setting, you could never tire of the views. The welcome from Mel and Bryan was incredibly warm they have genuinely thought of everything that you could possibly need to relax and unwind. The house, pool and BBQ area are very well equipped – boules, games, beach stuff to borrow, all cooking accessories etc. Our 3 children’s highlight was definitely the pool and its inflatable selection, ours was the invite to the local village music night. It’s a beautiful area of Greece to explore and the house has an extremely useful guidebook recommending restaurants, beaches and archaeological sites nearby. If we had any questions we could contact Mel and Bryan and they always seemed to go over and above to help us have a great time. We’d love to return. Five Star Cath and James, Surrey, August 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Nigel G.

A very nice family villa
At the beginning of July my family enjoyed a week long visit to Bower House Estate. The beautiful house is situated in the most stunning location overlooking the neighbouring hills and the tops of the surrounding forest trees and with a sea view. It is an extremely private and peaceful place where we were able to relax around the pool or enjoy family fun in the pool on the lilo's. Mel and Bryan were excellent hosts, there when we needed them, providing us with very good information on local beaches and places to visit and very discreet at other times enabling us to have quality time as a family. The villa, pool and grounds were maintained to the highest standard and extremely safe. The local village is typically Greek and very friendly. There are a number of cafes, bars and restaurants all reasonably priced and a couple of supermarkets if you want to have a barbecue at the house - followed by a game of boules - great fun. This holiday was a villa holiday with a difference, one we shall certainly repeat.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Hans D.

A truly unforgettable holiday
In the beautiful and well equipped kitchen, there is a quote from Seneca saying 'it is because we do not dare that things are difficult'. Brian and Melanie, the lovely owners of Bower House Estate definitely dared to deliver their amazing dream of building their superb dream house with amazing views on the mountains and the sea. It was a real privilege of having been able to stay two wonderful weeks enjoying superb weather in their house which is equipped with all (and even more) what you expect from a luxurious holiday house. Bower House is very spacious and comfortable and the children enjoyed every minute in the large swimming pool. The owners are always very discrete but also very keen to help when needed (they even came to our rescue when our rental car broke down) and very helpful in recommending the local restaurants and shops, beaches and attractions of which there are plenty. The experience for us as a family with three children (aged between 14 and 10) was a truly unforgettable family holiday. Highlights were a unique sailing trip (organised by the owners), the visit of ancient Olympia (which was very special just before the Rio Olympics and with excellent driving instructions from Brian), the discovery of the amazing beaches in the area, the delicious meals with view on the sea and of course all the moments enjoying Bower House.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Pontus N., London

Lovely secluded villa with swimming pool
We are a family with 3 young kids (5,7,9) who came to Bower House to stay for a week. We were very warmly welcomed by our hosts who continued to look after us for the entire week. Bower house is a lovely property, beautiful rooms, well equipped kitchen, stunning views all around including from the infinity pool and most importantly a really nice outdoor kitchen & barbecue area! Mel and Brian were extremely helpful when it came to suggesting places to visit, things to see and things to do in the area. Given that they live downstairs in the property, a helping hand was never far away. We warmly recommend Bower House as a great place to stay and explore Peloponnese!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Liz G.

A touch of luxury, off the beaten track.
We arrived at Bower House after an exhausting 16 hour journey, and found a large, luxurious and very beautiful villa, with some basic food supplies, a fully stocked drinks fridge and two friendly, hospitable hosts to welcome us - it was a perfect moment! The house itself suited us very well as a family with two younger teenage children. Noting previous comments about the stairs, it is true that they are open, but that was fine for us. The pool and barbecue were a real cut above - and much used! The nearby beaches were just perfect, I think we were the only British people there, some times we were the only non- Greeks on the beach. Tourist attractions were within driving distance however, we visited ancient Messini, had a go at Scuba diving and visited the harbour at Koroni, all drive-able within 2 hours. However, Bower House is really ideal for families who want to sneak away to the hills, watch the sun set (or rise) from one of the many balconies, take in the spectacular view and enjoy local Tavernas where the menu depends on that day's catch, and the fruit is fresh and succulent. Mel and Bryan took a lot of time and trouble to make our stay as good as it could be. The book of their own suggestions for days out and eateries was extensive, accurate and very useful for us. I would agree with other comments that we hadn't appreciated how nearby Mel and Bryan would be, but as we got on very well, it turned out not to be a problem! For us and our family, this part of Greece was perfect, and the house was ideal.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Alex r.

Luxurious and spectacular house
Bower House provided us with a holiday home where we were able to experience both the luxury and comforts of a magnificent house and real Greece. The house is superbly set in the hills behind Petalidi, yet walking distance to local cafes, restaurants and the sea. Bryan and Mel were the perfect welcoming hosts and instantly made us feel at ease and welcome in their home.They shared with us their extensive knowledge of the local area, ancient Greek surroundings and guided us to fabulously, traditional Greek restaurants and to the local wine and Ouzo! They were great fun and we shared a couple of very memorable evenings with them both. This is a wonderful home and a stay here can offer peace and tranquility and a inside to real Greece. We were thrilled with our choice of villa.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

A special place...
My husband, 11 year old daughter and I hugely enjoyed our two week stay in the Peloponnese staying at Mel and Bryan's luxurious home in August 2014. Bower House is extremely well located and appointed, the gardens and the pool a delight. It provided the perfect base for lots of wonderful sight seeing (our many trips being aided considerably by the directions helpfully provided) and much needed rest and relaxation. The views from the house are simply breathtaking, and watching the sun set over the Messinian mountains and the moon rise over the sea magical experiences which will stay with us for a long time. Mel and Bryan thoughtfully invited us along to some local events including a panieri in a hill top village which was immense fun. Bower House has a quiet serenity and is a very special place. Whilst not detracting from our holiday enjoyment, we think it would have been helpful in advance to know that Mel and Bryan's 'discretely distanced' living apartment is in the fact the basement to the two storeys of their house which they rent out, so in consequence the physicial separation is limited.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Our Return Visit
We visited the Bower house Estate last year, and we were so impressed with the hospitality of the Densems that we vowed and declared that we would return for a second visit. I have plans afoot to visit again next year. We love the Peloponnese and were lucky to find The Bower Estate as it is a little off the beaten track. This is its charm, as it is the most peaceful, tranquil place that we have ever stayed in. Mel & Bryan introduced us to the local eating hostelries where we indulged in typical ethnic meals, one time in a village in the hilly area near the Villa, and another time in Petalidi town overlooking the bay. The villa is of luxury standard the rooms charmingly decorated and furnished. The swimming pool and boules pitch add to the perception that one is being pampered in total luxury. The garden surrounding the complex has been tastefully designed, and it was a pleasure to take a walk around the 4 acre olive grove. Their olive oil is organic and we were able to bring some back with us to the UK. We are hoping therefore to make another return visit the next time we tour Greece
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Fabulous! Fabulous!
We had a fabulous stay here with our 5 year old; the house is superb in every aspect..spacious and with 360 degree views of sea and mountains, unique handmade furniture stands out and the cleanliness and attention to detail throughout made our stay very enjoyable. We were more than happy to stay around the beautiful landscaped grounds or relax by the pool but a visit into Petalidi village close by exceeded expectations (as did the surrounding area) as it is a quaint seaside Greek village full of character and with everything you need. We also recommend an evening having one of Mel and Bry's BBQ meals, a wine at the outside bar and a game of boules as the sun goes down!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

PAMPERED SPLENDOUR
As avid Grecophiles of longstanding we have never stayed in such luxurious and perfect surroundings. The property is stunning; of a standard rarely replicated in the Greek holiday housing market. Immaculately presented yet personalised and homely; supremely comfortable and well appointed and of interesting, well planned design to take every advantage of the incredible 360o panoramic views and welcome, cooling breezes from its rural, hilltop location. The manicured grounds are a colourful delight and indigenous wildlife is much in evidence thanks to the unspoilt nature of the habitat rich locale. As a family of cooks and gourmands we were delighted with the extensive and well supplied kitchen and the barbque and also with the various, delightfully situated dining options. Although we sampled delicious food at several of the recommended local tavernas, top quality ingredients were so easily obtainable from a nearbye market garden and the village shops that we feasted very well at the property. Mel very generously supplemented our supplies with offerings of fresh produce from her own garden. The owners, Bryan and Mel, were very helpful and attentive in every way, yet maintained a discreet, low key presence; keeping to their own, delineated and unobtrusive accommodation within the property whilst employing a hilarious 'hooter' system for use by either party to attract attention and seek a meeting. They are very keen for their guests to feel totally relaxed and enjoy complete privacy, yet are equally happy to socialise (and are exceedingly good company) should their clients be happy to do so. We arrived for our very last minute family holiday in a state of total exhaustion after a gruelling year and very much welcomed the supplies laid in by the owners as well as the delicious meal Mel offered to prepare in view of our late arrival. It was wonderful not to have to worry about shopping for immediate supplies or finding somewhere to eat after the long journey from Scotland. We had great fun working our way through some of the places recommended in Mel and Bryan's thoughtfully provided, personally compiled guide and left feeling our stay had not been long enough. A week is nowhere near enough time to discover all the beaches, local beauty spots; archaelogical sites and places of interest within easy travelling distance of the Bower house. It was with regret that we left, but with lots of happy holiday memories and a firm resolve to return.