Reviews

Our thanks to these lovely people and their generous words:

 

I found Gargarou when I needed it most: At a crossroads in life, all I  desired was to get away from everything I knew and reconnect with  myself, with beauty, with peace. Gargarou gave me just that. In my  little Villa Sunshine, with a spectacular view towards the sea and  mountains, I was able to come to my center.

 

The surrounding area provided gorgeous walks - my favorite was the walk  into Koroni. The views one comes across on that walk are breathtaking. I would also highly recommend going on the Saturday walks led by Gill -  it is a great opportunity to see the surrounding area and villages, and  to meet amazing new people.

 

I loved the village of Harakopio - my favorite thing was to sit outside  Cafe Art, drink a frappe, and watch village life go by. In this way I  became somewhat familiar with various farmers and villagers who at first were wary of a stranger, but who, once they decided I could be  trusted, welcomed me with open arms.

 

Everything I needed - bank, grocery store, bakery, health food store, pharmacy,  hair dresser - were all either in Harakopio or Koroni. I truly lacked  nothing.

 

The Villa itself is perfectly fitted out - again I lacked nothing:  everything needed for comfortable living was available to me.

 

Furthermore, perhaps one of the best aspects of Gargarou are Rachael and Pete. They  have built up a beautiful place, and care for it lovingly. They take  such good care of their guests. Upon arrival, I was met in Koroni by  Pete; he took me to get supplies, he answered any and all questions I  had, and made me feel utterly at home. Anything that I needed was  immediately taken care of.

 

Both Rachael and Pete showed such an interest and a caring for me and my  well being, and I know that extends to everyone who comes to their  property. They are truly kind and caring people, ideally suited to  running a place of retreat for those who are searching, or those who  need rest, or those who don’t know what they need, but who at least need an escape.

Mary, Canada, September 2011

 

I can’t recommend Gargarou Retreat highly enough - anyone who has the  opportunity to stay there is intensely privileged and blessed.

My visit to Gargarou was a dream come true, having promised myself a  Sabbatical holiday for a few years before I actually made it happen.
I arrived in May full of nervous chatter which slowly subsided during the first few days of gazing across the valley from Villa Fig. There were  spring flowers in abundance, deep red poppies, purple thistles, blue  scabious and many more I can't name. Wandering through the endless  olive groves carpeted with flowers was a treat to the senses. I really  began to relax in the silence of the place, broken from time to time by  squawking jays and other birds. As the sense of peace settled into me,  so I became more energetic and enjoyed the walks either to the beach or  by various routes into the village of Harakopio. This village contains  everything you can possibly need during your stay but if you want more,  there's a bus to Koroni or you can walk it in less than one hour.
Villa Fig is simple, unpretentious and equipped with everything I needed for my stay. The sunny terrace outside was a perfect place for morning coffee and evening ouzo! with uninterrupted views towards the mainland  and Koroni. I spent hour after hour just soaking up energy, writing or  reading or practising yoga. I joined in a weekly Qi Gong class, in an  energy circle created by Pete and Rachael among the olive trees.
It  was over all too soon, sadly the time came to say goodbye to it's  healing peacefulness. I left feeling more emotional than expected,  having been made so welcome by Pete and Rachael, who seem able to offer  help in the most unobtrusive ways whilst leaving you to relax and unwind at your own pace. I've promised them, and myself, that I shall return  very soon.
Barbara, UK, May 2011

I stayed in Gargarou for half of my sabatical (March -June 2011) and I regretted that I did not spend the whole time there.
I enjoyed every day. I could not wait to get up to sit out on the veranda in the freshness of the morning, bathed by the Greek light, surrended  by the garden and with views of the glittering waters of the Messinian  Golf and the Taygetos mountains beyond.
The location of Gargarou  retreat is special and so are the owners Pete and Rachael. I said to  them in more than one occasion how satisfied they should feel in  providing visitors with such idillic setting and excellent service.
If i were to make a recommendation it would take pages of description and  praise for Rachael and Pete which would reduce the surprise and  expectation that I feel a new visitor should experience personally.

I'm planning to return to Gargarou next spring.
Pilar, UK.Spain, June 2011

"Struggling to write past the half-way mark on my first novel, I decided there was  only one thing to do – find somewhere peaceful and beautiful to finish  it. That place turned out to be Gargarou Villas on Greece’s Peloponnese  coast.

From the minute I threw open the shutter doors at the  front of the Sunrise villa to reveal a panorama of olive groves,  vineyards, bright skies and the azure-coloured Mediterranean sea, I knew I had chosen the right spot. This view inspired me daily as I sat  writing.

After five dreary summers in London, the prospect of  three hot months in sunny Greece appeared ahead of me. Oh to feel the  warmth of the sun on my back and breathe in the joy that feeling of  sunshine brings to the soul. It was heaven.

The villas have  everything you could need and made for comfortable living. I was in  Sunrise for the first couple of months, my favourite because of the  divine view, and then Sage for my final month, which is the most private and brings with it the delicious perfume of ripening fig trees close  by.

The villas are only a 20-minute walk into the nearest supermarket or 25-minutes into the centre of Harokopio.

I hired a car in my last month so I could visit some of Greece’s ancient  sites and try more of the surrounding beaches in between my final push  to finish my novel.

Throughout my stay, Pete and Rachael went out of their way to help if I needed anything and their warmth made me feel welcome.
Gargarou was the perfect place for my sabbatical to finish writing my book;  quiet, picturesque, and inspiring and I can wholly recommend it if you  are looking to do something similar or just have some time out.

Three months flew by and before I knew it I was (sadly) packing up to leave,  manuscript in hand and more relaxed than I’ve been in years."
Heather, London UK August 2011

If you require peace & solitude allied to stunning views then this  is the place. Pete & Rachael are there if you need them although  never intrusive. Watching the sun rise and set on the longest day was a  treat & I never tired of the vista across the Messinian Gulf to the  Mani. Sometimes the mountains disappeared & on other occasions you  felt you could reach out & touch them, so close did they appear. The villas are situated in plenty of room & all that you could wish for is available such as sun beds etc. Unlimited access to the web was a  real bonus. Looking out to sea with a cool one whilst listening to Test  Match Special was a real treat.
Harakopio
All that you need  is 30/35 mins walk away. We frequented the central Art cafe & used  the bakers immediately behind it. The lady owner is a real star who  speaks no English so a good chance to practise ones' Greek. The  fishmonger's is just off the square. We cooked some terrific meals using fish bought from here. Again the proprietress was very helpful.  Bergers supermarket is the friendliest around here. We never missed the  Sunday fruit n veg market. All good produce. Olives & olive oil bang on.

Kombi
Just one small cafe/bar (no food-just Amstel & peanuts!) open here during our stay. V quiet but worth the walk as it  takes only 15 mins.

Koroni
Six years on from our last visit,  pleased to say that it appears to have changed not one jot. A great  place to just bimble around in. As with many sites in Greece the castle  is open to all & free to enter. It is on a peninsular & views  abound. There is another good fishmongers in Koroni along with deli's,  supermarkets et al. Our two favourite restaurants were in Koroni, at  opposite ends of the harbour; The Parthenon, next to the main cafe,has  daily specials which are terrific value. It has an extensive menu &  the family who run it are unfailingly polite & helpful. The last  taverna, as you walk in the direction of the castle. the Fishermans, was also extremely good. An honourable mention must go to the Gyros  parlour one road back from the front. As non-meaters we found their  veggie gyros v tasty & filling. We visited June-August and all was  nice 'n' relaxed with nowhere ever feeling too crowded or busy.

Pylos
A lively, big, bustling square. Good for people-watching. We picked up tasty sarnies here & it is a good jumping off point for visiting  Gialova (we camped here on the way down- "Navarino Bay" campsite right  on the beach) & the beautiful Voidhokilia bay. Pylos castle is well  worth it.

Beaches
Our favourites were Zaga, in Koroni, (good  snorkelling) & the tiny Coldwater bay further along this same  stretch. A cave gives shade here all day &, out of season, you can  have it to yourself all day. Closer to home Ag Triada & picturesque  Kollinides.nr Vounaries, get our vote (do not be put off by hotel, the  path to the beach is next to it). Chrani, on the Kalamata road, offers  free sun-beds all day for the price of a drink. Can get crowded here in  the season.
We had a wonderful time & would wholeheartedly recommend Gargarou.
Thanks, Pete & Rachael, for your hospitality & for providing such a divine place to stay awhile.
Frances and Nick, UK August 2011
 

I stayed in Gargarou Retreat from April to October 2010, a total of 7 months. The first impression I have about the place is the stunning scenery across the Tagetos mountain range in the Mani. It looks different everyday and at different time of the day. It is a bonus for me to see the sunrise, as indeed, I stayed in the Sunrise Villa. The Retreat is surrounded by olive groves, which is very close to nature. I did some circular walks and often felt very relaxed afterwards. I found it very calming and healing for me staying there.

No matter I am laying around, reading a book, listening to music; I felt a sense of tranquility in and around the villa. I also enjoyed lying and swinging under the olive trees with my hammock. It feels like a sanctuary, a paradise, with birdsongs and natural wilderness.

There is also a beautiful beach close by with very clear turquoise blue water. The beach has a gradual descend with very fine white sand, which made me feel safe. I have a small phobia for depth in the sea. It is very meditative to swim there, especially in the quieter early mornings.

It is also a short walk to the next village, Harakopio which you can access to the supermarket via a lovely track. It was filled with flowers in the spring time. If you like walking as me, you would enjoy the beautiful scenery along the coast to Koroni, the nearest seaside village. Koroni is like a gem with a castle and many pebbled roads to explore.

Pete and Rachael are very welcoming and would do everything they can to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. If you come and stay, you would understand how wonderful and out of the world this place is.

Salina UK/Hong Kong, stayed in 2010

 

My time at Gargarou was all too short!

 

I had found the link to Pete’s villas a couple of years ago and thought, that as a retirement gift to myself, it was just what I wanted and certainly what I would need after 38 years in the teaching service.

 

From the moment I arrived and saw what would be my daily vista from the terrace of Fig Villa, I was certain that I had made the right decision.

 

I made the first of what would be many walks down to the water and along to the beachfront at Peroulia. It was there that I spent many mornings, both in the water and on the sand. I would finish up on the terrace of the taverna and sit for an hour or two with a cold frappe. On occasions, I would extend my stay and have a bite of lunch and a cold beer before walking back to the villa for an even lazier afternoon.

 

The walk into Harakopia took about 30 minutes when I first started but became longer over the three months that I was there as I slowed down to match the pace of life I was now living. The walk along the dirt track was always made in the morning so that by 9.00 a.m. I was sitting in one of the cafes around the village “square”. I would order my frappe and take leisurely sips for an hour or so as the life of the village passed before me. The Sunday morning market was always on the agenda. Lovely freshly-grown vegetables at a fraction of the price I would pay at home. Although it was sometimes difficult to understand what the total cost was, I got by with a handful of coins and a smile that more-or-less said, “help yourself”.

 

When I was feeling a bit more energetic, I would make the walk over to Koroni to sit along the harbour’s edge or explore the streets and the ancient castle. Lunch was always a difficult, but pleasant, choice. Over the three months that I spent at Gargarou, I tried to share my ‘patronage’ around so that I sampled as many of the Koroni cafes and tavernas as possible. Although there was a bus back to Harakopia, I always took to walking – either along the track or the much easier option of walking along the roadside.

 

I can recommend a stay at Pete’s villas highly enough. If you are someone who can find pleasure in a simple life or just need to unwind and slow down, then this is the place for you!

Mark, Australia, stayed in 2010

 

We came to Gargarou looking for some serenity from the everyday throngs of the modern world...and well we found that and much much more. We found a little piece of heaven filled with beautiful landscapes, the bluest beaches, and incredible food but the most precious and meaningful part of it were the people we met and befriended. From Pete and Rachel to the villagers of Harakopio, we felt so welcomed and ultimately at home. We have travelled the globe from Africa to South America but no place will hold what Gargarou does...our hearts.

Tommy and Jeannie, Ireland & USA, stayed in 2009
 

 

I was only there for a few months but it was very sad to leave. I still think about my little villa and wonder who is in there and if they are looking after my little place properly. I think though that you guys were the reason why I have such fond memories of my time there. You made me feel so welcome at a time when I was truly wondering why I had thought it be a great idea to travel to the other side of the world on my own to a place where I couldn't even speak the language. I will never forget that first day when you opened the French doors of the villa and I took my first look across the valley at the view from my new home. It was magic. My best memories of all the places I ended up visiting in Greece. And all that walking in to the village, down to the beach, over to Koroni. And always a smile and a greeting from anyone I met on my travels. No matter the language it's all the same in the end. If I ever get the chance I'm definitely coming back again.

Gayle, New Zealand, stayed in 2009

 

Pete & Rachel,  thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to stay in Gargarou Retreat.  Although your website has lovely photos and a great description of life in the Peloponnese I didn't realise just how relaxing and satisfying the three months I spent there would be.  The views across the sea to the mountains on the Mani were beautiful.  Gargarou beach is amazing, with perfectly clear sea, so it was incredible that on many occasions I felt like the beach was mine as I was the only person there.  Koroni was perfect and I have probably never been as content as I was when sitting there in a waterfront bar with a book and a cold beer. During my stay I also got to see Olympia (well worth the journey although probably not advisable on a scooter!).  Travelling to Athens by coach, which I did 3 times during my stay, was easy, comfortable and cheap.  During those trips I got to see the sights of Athens and the islands of Aegina and Hydra.  Hydra in particular, with it's amazing harbour and total lack of traffic (donkeys only) was a real treat to visit however there was always a lovely, returning-home feeling when getting back to the tranquility of Gargarou.  I was able to read countless books - something which I rarely find time to do in the UK, got to swim in the crystal clear sea almost daily, enjoyed many a cold beer on the waterfront in Koroni and found the inspiration to start a company offering English lessons online. Www.linguamodo.com will hopefully go live shortly and if we succeed it will in no small part be because my time in Greece gave me the opportunity to realise what is important to me.

Stuart, UK, stayed in 2009

 

If you are of a self-sufficient disposition, content with peaceful days and quiet nights, seeking eternal sunshine, in love with Greece, then Gargarou is for you. My home for three months in 2007 was Villa Fig, one of Pete and Rachael’s simple two-room villas, with white-washed walls, high timbered ceilings, tiled floors, and French windows filled with views of the valley below and the sea beyond.

The dawn, radiant behind the distinctive leaf patterns of my spreading fig tree, would turn without fail from silver gold to sapphire blue. Every awakening at Gargarou made me feel glad to be alive. I’d close and curtain the French windows and shut the door to keep the bedroom cool. Then I’d open the ones next door, leaving them open all day between the kitchen and the south-facing, covered, stone terrace running the villa’s length. The terrace was another room, affording a clear view of the ever-changing Mediterranean and the moody Taygetos Mountains beyond. It was quite easy to spend the day there, shaded from the hot sun, sketching, reading or writing, watching the way the landscape changed before one’s eyes. In the air, raptors called and patrolled the air currents, searching for anything that moved among the patchwork of vineyards, ancient olive groves and dark cypresses.  Sun would scintillate off the roof-top solar collectors of Koroni, the little seaside town in the middle distance at the tip of the Peloponnese and, as the heat rose, so did the song of the cicadas.

Along a level path that wound its way past olive trees, grassy meadows and smallholdings, lay Harokopio, an unspoiled inland village on the main road to Koroni.  Butchers, bakers (and possibly candlestick makers), two pharmacies, a post office, three or four coffee shops or tavernas, several small grocers, a few apparel stores, and a bountiful vegetable and livestock market on Sunday mornings supplied everything I could possibly need only a twenty minute walk away. Summers are hot in Greece and siesta closes almost everything for three or four hours each afternoon. If I needed supplies, I’d walk the path to Harokopio in the morning, making sure to return to the cool of the terrace long before the sun was overhead.  Or I’d go later, at about 5, after siesta. That was also the time I liked to take another path, down to the gentle shore of sandy Gargarou beach, to swim in the clean, warm waters of the Mediterranean sea as the sun sank towards the western hills.  Returning to Fig, I’d shower, prepare my supper, and eat it out on the terrace, gazing out at the stars in the dark night sky.  The full moon rose directly in front of me, from behind the grandeur of the Taygetos Mountains, on three occasions. Unforgettable!

Once a week, I’d head to Koroni, a 20-minute trip by bus from Harokopio or an hour and a half walk along the coastal path, for a watercolour class taught by a local artist in the early evening. Koroni is a lovely town to spend time in. It has a bank and a fishmonger and a few internet terminals (not available in Harokopio when I was there) and there are many small shops that sell absolutely everything. Or you can visit the convent within the confines of the Venetian castle on the hill, or explore the tip of the peninsula until you come to the long sandy beach that stretches away on the other side.  For the price of a coffee, no-one bothers you if you spend all of siesta reclining on comfortable sofas arranged  in spacious, shady marquees along the harbour front, catching up on letter writing, people watching or reading the papers, or if you are lucky, seeing turtles swimming in the deep, clear water. With my classmates and tutor, after class, we’d enjoy an evening meal together.  I discovered many new and delicious foods in this way, as we shared dishes as well as the local wines.

In early May, a Canadian friend came to stay and once she’d turned brown we set off to explore parts of ancient Greece. First we visited Sparta and saw the ancient ruins there at sunset. The next day was spent among the ruins of marvellous Mystra, a preserved Byzantine settlement situated nearby. To get to Sparta, we travelled an hour and a half north from Harokopio by coach to Kalamata, a small port city (and, yes, the home of Kalamata olives) which is the hub for bus routes throughout the Peloponnese and beyond. (It has an airport too, increasingly served by international flights, and a station for trains to Olympia.) Greek coaches are air conditioned and supremely comfortable. Travelling the countryside, in well-upholstered seats with tall backs for privacy and big windows for the view, riding high off the road, no luggage underfoot (it’s stored in the hold) with melodic Greek songs playing softly from the speakers, it doesn’t get much better.  And it doesn’t take much to master them either. A rudimentary knowledge of the Greek alphabet, a schedule, and a map quickly made us into confident travellers. At the end of my stay, I went north by coach alone to Thessaloniki, and onwards to the ancient Prespa Lakes, where I stayed for a week among Dalmation pelicans and frescoes carved on cliff walls visible only from the water.

Gargarou is the perfect place to be. To go from and to return to in your discovery of the strange and marvellous things Greece has to offer. It will be your home away from home, from the moment the sun rises, during each cloudless summer day, to the cooling moment when the cicadas cease to sing, meditative or waxing philosophical through warm starlit evenings, and sleeping deeply through calm, peaceful nights. You are sure to come away, washed clean in body, mind and spirit. I did.

Jackie, UK/Canada, stayed in 2007