Villa Petra, a Cycladic stone villa, Andros, Greece

A Raw-Stone Villa on the Middle Level of a Private Andros Valley

Petra is the middle of three villas the same family built into a single valley near Aprovato, on the green western side of Andros. It sleeps four and has its own pool. Of the three it is the most elemental, the one where the island's raw material is left in plain sight.

The valley was a family project, three sisters in three houses at three heights, designed by their father who is one of the Andros Architects. The design worked with what was already on site, and at Petra that meant the stone itself. A boulder three meters high rises through the terrace and holds up the pergola, throwing shade that moves through the day.

Inside, the ceiling is left as bare concrete. The rooms are predominantly cool and simple, with antique family heirlooms, a dining table at the center, and a living space opening straight onto the terrace.

Outside, a two-level patio steps down past the stone barbecue to the saltwater pool, with the sea open beyond and sunsets across the water. A waymarked path, 15 minutes on foot with no car access, reaches a quiet beach where two old stone apothiki once stored the island's onions and vegetables. There is an outdoor shower for cleaning off when you return home.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Andros sleeps up to four guests. It runs across two levels. Two bedrooms sit off an open-plan kitchen and living room, with two bathrooms, one of which has a bathtub.

• Bedroom 1: King, en suite with bathtub

• Bedroom 2: King (built-in mattress platform), separate bathroom

There are two other homes on the same site: Villa Riza and Villa Avra.

Experiences

On arrival, hosts share a personal list of favorite beaches, tavernas and walks, and suggest hiring a 4x4 from Captain's in Gavrio for the island's rougher roads.

Good to know

Petra sits on a steep, bumpy dirt road, so a 4x4 or jeep is recommended. The house runs across two levels, with five steps down to the lower patio, so it is not step-free. The three villas are built close together on different levels, so when the neighboring houses are booked you may see or hear other guests. Sterilized, vaccinated cats live on the property, and sheep roam the access road. Dogs are welcome for a cleaning fee. A cleaner comes every four days. Petra shares a driveway with Riza (each with its own parking) and a laundry room with Avra. Greece's Climate Crisis Resilience Fee, 8 euros per night from April to October, is to be paid to the host on arrival, with a receipt provided.

Amenities & services

Included: Private saltwater pool (3x6m), pergola-shaded terrace, two-level patio, sun deck and loungers, stone barbecue, outdoor shower, indoor fireplace, air conditioning and ceiling fans, fully equipped kitchen with oven, hob, fridge, dishwasher, coffee machine and kettle, interior dining table, Starlink Wi-Fi, private garden with fruit and herbs, private parking, fresh towels and linens, cleaner every four days, bag storage.

Available on request: Washing and drying machine (in a laundry room shared with Avra), full-property rental for up to 18 guests, dog-friendly stays (cleaning fee).

Around

Green, mountainous and laced with old stone footpaths, Andros is the second-largest of the Cyclades and, unusually for the archipelago, runs with springs and streams. It is a two-hour ferry from Rafina near Athens (Rafina is about a 30-minute drive from the airport). Walkers come for the Andros Routes network, more than 300 kilometers of old paths, around 230 of them now waymarked, including a route that crosses the island north to south. The wealth came from shipping, and the families who ran their fleets from London brought it home.

The capital, Chora, has marble-paved streets, neoclassical mansions and, unusually for the Cyclades, serious art. The Goulandris Foundation Museum of Contemporary Art was built by one of those families to show a modern-art collection, and its summer exhibitions still pull visitors across from the mainland, alongside an archaeological museum, a maritime museum and the open-air Andros International Festival.

At Menites the spring water pours from marble lion heads and, so the story goes, turns to wine one day a year on the feast of Dionysus. Batsi, 15 minutes away, is the low-key holiday town for tavernas, bars and shops, and the place to try fourtalia, the island's sausage-and-potato omelet. The wildest beaches, Achla, Zorkos and Vitali, line the north-east coast, and quieter coves start about 10 minutes away. Condé Nast Traveller asked in 2019 whether Andros was Greece's undiscovered island, and the New York Times later included it among its 52 Places to Love in 2021.

Location

Aprovato, Andros, South Aegean, Greece. Nearest airport: Athens International (ATH); Andros is reached by a two-hour ferry from Rafina, about a 30-minute drive from the airport.