Lithos Traditional Villas

We chose to spend our Easter holidays in Karystos. The reason for booking at Lithos Villas was the excellent view from the veranda . However the whole house was built with care and good taste. Two storey, stone built bed, two bedrooms so we all had our space. The host was very hospitable and friendly. Though a bit far from the centre of karystos , the view makes up for that!!!! I would definitely come again!!!!

The four homely houses are arranged nicely and well-spaced on a hill top overlooking Karistos, the Aegean Sea, surrounding fields, olive plantages and alleys. The result is a really stunning 180° view over the complete azure gulf and an easing calmness. The owner was always very friendly and forthcoming and provided us with a lot really helpful advice. He also brought some fresh eggs for our breakfast. He took it very friendly and calmly, when we had to tell him that our 3 year old nephew had damaged a plastic cover in the fridge, he did not charge us, and just told us he will fix it. Sound planning, craftsmanship and building are observable in many details of the cottage. A nice spacious living room with small but practical lounge, dining table, kitchenette and carmine are located on the upper floor. The cottage interior is held in taste full dark wood and stone floors. Another plus is the kitchenette. It is equipped for some real cooking on two hot plates and a small oven. There is a good set of dishes, pans, cutlery and even some basic spices. Additionally you will find a toaster and orange juice press. What more can you desire for a nice breakfast? Moreover there’s a small room with washing machine. I liked the really spacious terrace best. Half of it is covered with a big sun roof. It shade is invaluable in the hot mediterranian sun. Thus sitting outside day or night with a nice warm breeze, enjoying the view over the complete gulf, is a very relaxing exercise indeed. It is even better with a glass of cool beer or wine. ;-) The ground floor below provides two well-proportioned bed rooms with spacious cupboards, a small bath room with a shower and a big mirror over the washing basin, and a smaller terrace with sun roof and some olive trees. As a consequence of the two floor arrangement, the thick walls, and sun roofs especially the lower levels are comfortably cool. This is quite helpful to get a good night’s sleep in hot climate. I found the place very much to my liking and highly recommend it to chill out. The nearby town offers a good choice of inns and also a good diving center. …

We spent a week in one of the villas, whilst exploring the south of Evia. The stone built villas are up on the hillside with wonderful views down to the town of Karystos and the sea beyond. The bedrooms are on the lower floor and as the villas are built into the hillside, remained relatively cool at night - though they were also fully air conditioned. Upstairs (which is ground level at the back entrance) was the living room/kitchen area and a second toilet. Both floors had large terraces to enjoy the view. There was a communal barbeque area at one side of the villas, though we didn’t get round to using it. The villas were well equipped for a self-catering stay and the owner was very helpful. He lived nearby and popped in daily to check if we were OK and even brought us bags full of delicious apricots fresh from his tree. A car is really essential, as a quick glance at the view made us realise that the walk back uphill from Karystos - especially in the dark, after a meal - would be rather too much. It was just a short drive in the car and both Karystos and Marmari (about 10 minutes drive) had plenty of choices to eat and pick up any shopping needed. The best beaches are around the penisula, west of Karystos, where there are lots of peaceful little coves. Marmari is where the ferry arrives from Rafina - it takes an hour and saves a 3 hour drive from Athens. I'd highly recommend the villas as a base to explore this fascinating area. …

We stayed with a little baby a Lithos Villas for 3 nights in early January on a tour of Evia. While the Southern part of the island is less pretty than the Northern part, the charm of Lithos Villas completely made up for this and made us truely enjoy our stay. The 4 villas are set on a hillside some 2-3 kilometers North of the town of Karystos via a quiet rural road, and offer a fantastic panorama overlooking the town, the surrounding countryside and the sea. The owner of the villas specialises in building traditional-style houses, and has done a great job in this case. The houses are made of stones, providing good isolation in winter and - I assume - a form a natural cooling in summer. Each apartment is spread over two floors, with the living room/kitchen and a toilet with washing machine on the top floor, and two bedrooms plus a bathroom with second toilet on the ground floor. Smooth, marble stairs lead from one floor to another (people who have difficulties walking stairs may not like to stay here). Both floors offer a generously sized terrace with the same great view. While on the terrace, it may be hard to completely ignore or isolate yourself from the neighbouring apartments, but this is the only thing you will notice from your neighbours: otherwise the apartments are completely self-standing and isoltaed. There is no formal reception, but the owner lives somehwere nearby and can be reached by phone. No breakfast or dinner facilities, and the nearest shop and restaurant is in the town of Karystos. Although it is possible to walk the distance to town (I would estimate it at 20-30 mins) a car would probably make your stay more comfortable. …