There’s not much that beat's the indulgence of having a small, sandy beach right on your doorstep. This lovely private villa, found near Lithakia village, is an absolute treat – head through the small private pathway at the bottom of the garden and just pitch up on the soft sand that fringes your villa views. The outside area of Villa Raphaela is incredibly generous. There are large lawn gardens for games, and a generous private swimming pool, complete with sun loungers and brollies set on the stone paved terrace around it. A shaded seating area looking out to the lovely sea views is a fantastic spot for a lazy siesta or pre-or-post dinner relaxation – and there’s a covered dining table, with a barbeque and outdoor pizza oven, so you can really go to town on al fresco villa meals.

Bringing the gorgeous outdoor feels in, the arched covered terrace leads through to the villa’s spacious living area that takes over most of the ground floor. There’s a contemporary, if quirky, style throughout – lovely colour elements bring the lounge area to life, and there’s plenty of comfortable seating spots for leisurely villa nights in. The sitting area leads through to the indoor dining table, so you can choose whether to eat inside or head out to the adjacent terrace table. Right at the end of the floor is the modern kitchen. There’s a breakfast bar and all the state-of-the-art kitchen features to make this a very comfortable stay. Scattered between the villa’s two-storey design, there are four spacious bedrooms – one double on the ground floor, and a further three that take over the first floor. While all rooms have a different style to the other, each one includes a generous modern en suite bathroom and an incredibly comfy double bed. The rooms on the first floor also have the luxury of leading out to a large private terrace that overlooks fantastic views of the bay.