Handpicked boutique hotels Kea, beautiful guest houses and holiday homes

Kea, or Tzia as the Greeks call it, is a discreet and peaceful island in the Cyclades, just over an hour by ferry from Athens. There is nothing loud or showy here: stone built cottages, old hiking paths that the locals still use, and a coastline that alternates between small sheltered coves and wider bays such as Koundouros or Otzias, with clear waters and simple beach bars where you can enjoy good fish. Ioulida, the hilltop capital, has an unhurried, rather modest atmosphere, with cobbled lanes, red tiled roofs and cafés where time seems to move more slowly. Down on the coast, Korissia and the harbour of Vourkari are livelier in summer, but without losing their laid back feel.
Our selection on Kea introduces you to small boutique hotels, characterful B&Bs and charming village holiday homes, many with views of the sea or the rooftops of Ioulida. These places to stay are designed for travellers in search of calm, authenticity and the feeling of inhabiting, even if only for a few days, a Greek island where time appears to have stood still.