THE FACTS ABOUT ELIA ANO VOUVES

Greece

When plastic surgeon George Digridakis resolved to renovate his 200-year-old farmhouse, he decided its back-to-nature location, surrounded by olive groves, was just right for a spa. So he added a sauna, hammam, Jacuzzi, and glass-walled therapy room where 30 treatments are on offer, from shiatsu to seaweed wraps and mud baths. The nine cosy bedrooms, featuring rustic wooden furniture and exposed stone details, are designed for maximum relaxation with canopied four-posters or built-in stone beds with anatomic mattresses, and a selection of essential oils for soaking in the bath. Maria Varvatsoulia, the manager, runs the show with genuine warmth which helps to create a sociable scene around the breakfast buffet on the raised terrace. If you can peel yourself away from the pool, with its soul-soothing views to Kolymbari bay, or the hammocks strung between oak trees, there are walking trails leading to Venetian ruins, Byzantine churches and waterfalls. A car is essential as the nearest town or taverna is several miles away. Falasarna beach is 10 minutes away by car and a 50-minute scenic mountain drive to Crete's southern coast takes you to some of Greece's most spectacular beaches. CONTACT 00 30 28240 83056; www.elia-crete.com.gr. Doubles from 100 euros; open April-November and on request in winter