A Cliffside Paradise: Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa – Review

Anoop Bhuller spends a few days exploring Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa, a luxury villa resort in Kefalonia, Greece.

Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands, is a beautiful paradise full of white sand beaches, mountains, lakes and coves. The tranquil Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa, a proud member of Relais & Châteaux, sits on the southern part of the island and is handily only a 20 minute drive from the airport. 

Local beach to Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa (Photo: Anoop Bhuller)

Husband and wife team, Spyro and Maike, have created this gorgeous haven overlooking the ocean. There’s only 12 luxury villas, each with a private pool, all of which have been expertly designed to offer privacy to guests, as well as an authentic experience of Kefalonia.

Eliamos: Kefalonia’s Luxury Resort

The Villa

Serene. Luxurious. Scenic. The two-bedroom villa offered unbelievable views of the ocean and mountains, because why settle for just one? Each villa has its own large, private outdoor space with an infinity pool – the ultimate relaxation spot. A few afternoons were spent lying on the sunbeds, reading and swimming in my private pool overlooking the endless ocean views. No matter what time of day it was, there was always silence. Complete peace. 

Two-bedroom villa pool (Photo: Anoop Bhuller)

Inside, the villa was sympathetically decorated with abstract artwork and modern Scandinavian-style furnishings. Grey concrete flooring added to the modern feel and continued to the outdoor area, creating a seamless transition between inside and outside. In the bathroom, his and hers stone sinks were a stand-out feature, as were the outdoor showers on either side of the villa. Thoughtful additions included a bluetooth portable speaker, soft robes and slippers, and a book filled with fun activity ideas.

What To Do

Eliamos offers a range of activities on-site and can arrange excursions. We made the most of having a local expert at the resort, Mr Dennis, who gave us a driving tour of historic landmarks on the island, as well as a tour around the nearby town of Argostoli.

Orealis Winery

We spent a sunny afternoon exploring the winery, Orealios Gaea, learning about its production process and the indigenous Robola grape. The collective started with 70 farmers and has now grown to 300. Its vineyards line the slopes of the island’s mountains, and produce an enormous 80% of the island’s Robola wine. 

Our tour of the vineyards was followed by a private wine tasting, where we tried out six different wines as well as local cheeses and meats. My favourite wine was San Gerasimo, a fresh, fruity and summery pour – its no surprise it’s the winery’s bestseller.

E-biking Tour

Eliamos has complimentary premium e-bikes on-site, meaning you can explore the island in an eco-friendly and fun way. With no reservations needed, guests can grab one and go when they feel like getting to know the island.

E-bike ride to a local beach (Photo: Anoop Bhuller)

Despite getting off to a rocky start (quite literally), I was soon enjoying cycling down the mountains towards the beach – a very enjoyable and immersive way to discover more of the island, with friendly locals waving and shouting greetings at us as we cycled past.

Pilates Class

Whether it’s relaxation that you desire or cultural exploration and activities, Eliamos can cater to it all. I also signed up to a morning pilates class with expert instructor Dimitris. The al fresco class took place on an elevated part of the resort allowing for gorgeous ocean views while exercising. Reformer pilates sessions are also available for guests, with two wooden reformers in the outdoor gym.

Morning pilates class (Photo: Anoop Bhuller)

Cooking Class

A new experience available this year at the resort is a cooking class led by head chef Sokratis Malinganis. We learnt from the expert how to make authentic greek dishes including tzatziki. Heads up – there is a lot of oil involved! Afterwards, we enjoyed the fruits of our labour, basking on the terrace to devour our homemade dishes. The produce used in the cooking class and in the restaurant is all sourced locally – including the oil, herbs (some grown in the resort), lemons and honey.

Food made in the cooking class at Eliamos (Photo: Anoop Bhuller)

Spa Treatments

Eliamos also offers an extensive spa menu – pick from a range of energy boosting, relaxing or renewal massages, or facial treatments. I opted for a full body massage using grape oil on the terrace of my villa, next to the pool. Pure bliss. Alternatively, you can choose to have your treatment in one of the stylish spa rooms.

That’s the attraction of Eliamos Villas Hotel & Spa: you can choose between complete privacy or immersing yourself in the social areas, like the restaurant or shared pool area. It’s a balance that will have you checking out reluctantly, feeling both relaxed and energised.

Book It