Amanzoe, Greece
Amanzoe in Porto Heli is one of the most lavish, luxury resort hotels we have visited. High on a hillside in a remote part of the Peloponnese countryside, it is a modern-day Acropolis with breathtaking 360-degree views of the Aegean Sea, and the surrounding olive groves.
Hotel buildings and common areas have a classical Greek-style architecture, but with a sleek modern aesthetic, linked by colonnades of white columns. Suites and villas are designed to meld into the landscape, with private plunge-pools and fragrant gardens. Meanwhile, a private beach club is just a short drive away, set in a picturesque bay.
This is the ultimate destination for relaxation and a complete escape from the realities of everyday life. But should you want a reprieve from the tranquility for a while, the cosmopolitan island of Spetses is just a short water taxi ride away.
Dream
Amanzoe, Porto Heli – The hotel is a 2.5-hour drive south-west of Athens International Airport. We took advantage of the very comfortable hotel transfer service by luxury SUV, stopping briefly en route to take a look at the Corinth Canal.
Accommodations at the hotel are in pavilions and villas. We stayed in one of the resort’s 38 free-standing pavilions. Each one is a substantial, 1,076 sq ft white stone building with traditional Greek-style exterior. Interiors are minimalist in nature, with a living area with a high ceiling, white marble features and furnishings in a soothing color palette. There are dual restrooms separated by a corridor with two closets, a huge double shower and sunken marble soaking tub.
Outside there is an additional 1,184 sq ft of private space contained within a stone-walled courtyard with patio, 20 ft green marble plunge pool, comfortable seating, garden and a view down the hill to the Aegean. In short, incredible.
Other resort features include a magnificent main swimming pool, two-story marble-clad library with twin spiral staircases, a huge spa, well-equipped gym, a yoga studio, tennis courts and an amphitheater.
Dine
The hotel’s main restaurant is located on Amanzoe’s central terrace, overlooking the Aegean and adjacent to the circular patio and hotel lounge bar. It has a wrap-around patio terrace with majestic views. The restaurant serves Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. This is where we took breakfast each day, which was absolutely first rate, made from the freshest local ingredients. It was also where we ate dinner.
Across from the main restaurant is the lounge bar building serving wines including many Greek varietals which we particularly enjoyed. Each evening we sat on the circular patio with a glass of Greek wine, watching the sun set over the jaw-dropping, sweeping panoramic view of the Aegean Sea and its islands.
Nama, the poolside restaurant, serves Mediterranean dishes by day, with a focus on local Greek ingredients and produce. By night the restaurant becomes the resort’s fine-dining, Japanese restaurant.
Our favorite spot for lunch was the seaside restaurant at the Beach Club. Exceptionally good gourmet pizzas from the wood-fired oven are on the menu, as well as the freshest Greek salads.
The hotel can arrange private dining options including a private dinner in the amphitheater surrounded by candles.
The hotel can also make recommendations for dining options in Porto Heli, but we preferred to stay within the confines of the resort.
Do
Relax by the Main Pool – The main hotel pool is spectacular; 82 ft long lined with green marble resembling a riverbed, with an infinity edge and sweeping views of the Aegean. There is also a pergola-shaded children’s pool nearby. This area is very quiet; in fact, we only saw one other group at the pool during the whole of our trip. Lunch is available all day at the poolside restaurant. One of our all-time favorite pools from our many travels.
Tennis/Gym/Spa – The main hilltop hotel facility has two outdoor floodlit tennis courts and tennis lessons are available. There is a well-equipped gym, yoga pavilion and a light-filled spa with nine treatment suites which combines ancient Greek beauty rituals with Asian techniques.
Visit the Beach Club – The four-mile trip to the private Beach Club by complimentary hotel car takes approximately 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can travel down the winding roads on one of the hotel’s mountain bikes. At the Beach Club there is a bar and casual restaurant, two 82 ft lap-pools, and two children’s pools. Swimming and non-motorized water sports are also possible in the secluded bay. There is a second fully equipped gym, gift shop and two-room spa.
Excursions to Spetses and Hydra - The hotel highlights two convenient excursions to local islands, both within easy reach of the resort: Spetses and Hydra.
We took a trip to the closer of the two; the cosmopolitan isle of Spetses. After the short, 20-minute drive by hotel SUV to the small harbor town of Porto Heli, we boarded our pre-arranged water taxi for the 10-minute transfer across the turquoise waters to the picturesque island. We disembarked in the small port of Dapia, overlooked by white-stone houses with terracotta roofs, and pine forests.
No private motor vehicles are allowed on the island. We took a stroll along the pretty, pebble-encrusted sidewalk from the harbor, past boutiques and restaurants to the historic and stately looking Poseidonion Hotel. The outdoor patio in front of the hotel is a great place to sip a latte and take in the scenery.
There are several high-quality restaurants and bars on the island, a place frequented by high-society Athenians.
Hydra can also be reached by boat from Porto Heli, but the journey time is approximately one hour. This is a larger island, measuring 12 miles long.
Corinth Canal – This is a four-mile long shipping canal completed in 1893, carved out of the ground to connect the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea, saving the 430-mile journey around the Peloponnese. Its near-vertical limestone sides climb nearly 300-feet above sea level but stand only 70 feet apart at its base, rendering it unsuitable for most modern-day shipping. As a result, today it is mainly a tourist attraction. We took a brief pit-stop there on our transfer from Athens airport to the Amanzoe.
Excursions to Sites of Archeological and Historic Interest – Excursions can also be taken to a wealth of nearby archeological sites including UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, a vast masterpiece of Greek architecture and home to temples and an amphitheater. Byzantine chapels and Mycenaean tombs are also within easy reach.
Images from Porto Heli