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During your luxury Greek Villa vacation you’ll have time to enjoy the luxury that Villa Gabriella Lefkada offers.  From four luxury bedrooms, all ensuite, to the hot tub, private infinity pool and the most wonderful views of the Ionian and the Princess islands.  Take the time to enjoy the beautiful beaches, try the world class windsurfing at Vasiliki, and eat in a wide range of tavernas and restaurants with food freshly cooked from local ingredients.  But don’t miss out on the other side of Lefkada – the sights and sounds of traditions that go back through the generations.

If you head inland you’ll leave the tourists behind and find some small villages where time seems to have stood still.  Unlike many Greek islands that are near 100% tourist related Lefkada remains largely unchanged as you travel through the interior.

And as you drive through the narrow roads of the island you’ll come across vista after vista that has the power to take your breath away.

You’ll find ancient ruins and beautiful olive groves where you’ve a good chance of having these places to yourself to appreciate at your leisure.

The tranquility of Lefkada, typified by the secluded location of Villa Gabriella itself, means your Luxury Greek Villa Vacation will be more luxurious simply because there is nothing more luxurious than the space to enjoy yourself, far from the madding crowds of modern life.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

Enjoy a glass of fine wine during your luxury Greek holiday to accompany the wonderful views from Villa Gabriella’s terrace.  The Greek wine industry is full of some genuinely fabulous wines and you’re lucky that in our local town of Nidri there is the most wonderful wine bar and shop – de Blanck Wine & Champagne.

de Blanck is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of Greek wine.  The owners, Anja & Bob, are hugely knowledgeable about their stock and full of passion for the wines they sell and the vineyards and wineries from where they’re sourced.

Whether you’re sitting in the de Blanck wine bar watching the people and boats on Nidri quayside or whether you’re choosing some wines to take back an enjoy with dinner at Villa Gabriella you won’t be disappointed.  Our picture shows a selection of six Greek white wines from different wineries, all from de Blanck, and together just a tiny part of the wide range they stock.

And if you know very little about Greek wine then you’ll be in for a surprise.  The 21st Century Greek wine industry is full of truly beautiful wines from a number of indigenous grapes.  These are wines of the highest quality and often with fascinating back stories that are true partners to a luxury Greek holiday at Villa Gabriella Lefkada.

If you’re interested in learning about some of the wines on offer you’ll find that de Blanck also offer wine tastings from time to time as well – check their website or pop in and ask.  Or try a visit to the local Lefkas Earth Winery, just a few kilometres from Villa Gabriella where they produce a small range of good quality Lefkada wines.  For more information have a read of one of our older blogs on Lefkada wines.

“Yamas”.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

Your luxury Greek villa holiday starts the moment you arrive at the remote controlled gates of Villa Gabriella Lefkada to be met by your hosts, Jon & Gill.  Available to settle you in to Villa Gabriella they’ll also answer any questions you have on the Villa, give you the five-minute “how everything works” and generally make sure your luxury Greek villa holiday gets off to the smoothest start before leaving you to enjoy the utter tranquility and privacy that Villa Gabriella offers.

Before your arrival they’ll have stocked the fridge with your welcome hamper – enough fresh local food for dinner the day you arrive and breakfast the following morning – allowing you to not worry about these things until the following day.

They’ll make sure there’s some cold beers and a chilled bottle of wine (and of course some soft drinks) all on hand to help you get into the relaxed mood of Villa Gabriella.

A little later when you’ve started to relax you’ll find them available to suggest restaurants to eat in, beaches to visit and point you in the right direction for a multitude of fabulous things to do and on the beautiful island of Lefkada.

Jon & Gill stay in Gabriella Cottage, close enough to assist if you need them, but discretely tucked away in the trees below Villa Gabriella to ensure your complete privacy.

Jon & Gill are one part of making your stay at Villa Gabriella and your luxury Greek villa holiday just that extra bit more special and we’re delighted to welcome them to the Villa Gabriella team for 2018.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

Luxury for less on Lefkada. For the next couple of weeks there’s an unusual opportunity to stay at Villa Gabriella at a very special price with our late booking offer.

From July 9th to July 26th we are offering guests the chance to enjoy Villa Gabriella with a special late booking offer.

• Book a 7 night stay with a 35% discount from our normal rate.
• If you’re able to stay for 10 nights or more give us a shout and we’ll make you an even better offer.

It’s unusual for us to have peak season availability at short notice so this really is your chance for a slice of luxury for less.  Drop us an email at bookings@villa-gabriella.eu or give us a call on: +30 693 720 5797 to secure your booking.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

During your Greek Villa Holiday you may have one of our own habits – a good read!

Joanna & I like little more than to relax with a great book during our own holidays.  A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending a couple of days at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.  One of the talks we had booked was with Simon Scarrow.  Simon is a leading author of historical fiction, noted especially for his wonderful works about the Roman Empire seen through the eyes of two common soldiers.  Now bear with me a moment whilst I explain what this has to do with your Greek Villa Holiday at Villa Gabriella Lefkada.

We were both reasonably familiar with Simon’s work – he’s been a feature on the bookshelves at home for many years and is especially liked by our son.  During the conversation he touched on a number of his books including one, “Hearts of Stone“, of which neither of us was aware.

He was discussing having spent time in Greece researching for one of his other books when he came across a fascinating story about a Greek naval submarine, the Papanikolis, that was reputed to have hidden in the sea cave of the same name on the island of Meganissey, whilst attacking Italian shipping in the Adriatic. Meganissey is of course clearly visible from Villa Gabriella and you can easily take a trip to visit the cave during your Greek Villa Holiday.  This story ultimately led to Hearts of Stone, a book set largely on the wonderful island of Lefkada and telling the moving story of the Greek resistance.

Shortly after his talk ended we were the proud new owners of a copy of the book which was shortly signed for us by Simon over a short chat about the beauty of Lefkada.  It is now finding its’ way to the bookcase in Villa Gabriella’s sitting room where we’re sure it will become a firm favourite of those guests who’d like an interesting insight, through fiction, into some of the tragedies that befell Lefkada during the war.

Much of the history we “promote” for visitors to Lefkada is ancient Greek history and the island has a treasure trove of such sights and antiquities all of which are easily accessible during your Greek Villa Holiday.  Hearts of Stone is obviously a very different time and it is fiction.  But nevertheless we love having the signed book on the bookcase and we trust that many of guests will enjoy reading it during their holidays at Villa Gabriella Lefkada.  We ask only one thing – please leave it for other guests to enjoy when you depart.

Below is an extract from the goodreads book review to offer you a short taster …. having read every single word I can honestly say – “it’s brilliant”.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

The fierce courage of the men and women of the Greek Resistance is brought to vivid life in Sunday Times bestseller Simon Scarrow’s powerful new novel of World War II.

1938. A perfect summer on the Greek island of Lefkas for three young people untroubled by the simmering politics of Europe. Peter, visiting from Germany while his father leads an archaeological dig, has become close friends with locals Andreas and Eleni. As the world slides towards conflict and Peter is forced to leave, they swear to meet again.

1943: Andreas and Eleni have joined the partisan forces resisting the German invasion. Peter has returned – now a dangerously well-informed enemy intelligence officer. A friendship formed in peace will turn into a desperate battle between enemies sworn to sacrifice everything for the countries that they love…

During your Greek villa holiday at Villa Gabriella Lefkada you have a wide choice of things to do and see.  Many are discussed in our blogs here.   Today we’re adding a visit to the charming church of Agios Donatos.  This church is the home of an unusual “lentil celebration” – held on August 7th each year.

You will find this pretty little Greek orthodox church about 20-25 minutes drive from Villa Gabriella Lefkada located at the roadside above the village of Egklouvi.  Its’ situation, some 900 metres above sea level, is really quite spectacular.

Originally dedicated to Agios Dometios the church was renovated in 1980. At this time the local people dedicated it to the memory of Agios Donatos, the Bishop of Lefkada.   In the year 284 AD the Bishop is said to have fallen from a high tower during the Christian persecutions of the period. The ruins of this tower are preserved near the church.

The views across Lefkada from the site (and the small hill immediately behind the church) are truly spectacular.  They are well worth the short drive during your Greek villa holiday at Villa Gabriella Lefkada.

A visit is probably best incorporated into a day out to explore the beautiful west coast, just take the road across the top of the island passing Egklouvi.

You can find a little more information at the Agios Donatos Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Agios-Donatos-Lefkada-106781513664…

We wish you as beautiful a day for your visit as we had when we last visited and took these pictures.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

It might be a small detail in your luxury villa vacation Greece plan but a villa with a poolside bar might just be the difference between a great vacation and a truly amazing vacation.  At Villa Gabriella Lefkada we’ve just finished fitting out our bar – upgrading the poolside chill out lounge into an altogether more complete poolside bar.

The bar is just a few steps from the pool terrace and still makes a wonderfully cool space to relax away from the full heat of the afternoon.  But in its’ new guise it’s also an amazingly cool place to enjoy the night after a long dinner on the terrace.  Light the candles in the lanterns or turn on the electric blue glass globes an settle in for an evening of relaxation on your luxury villa vacation Greece.
Fully equipped with a bar, glasses and a fridge for your beers, wine or cokes plus a beautiful handmade black granite sink you can pass the time late into the night chatting with friends and sipping a few drinks.

If the fancy takes you and you’ve got the talent plug our replica Stratocaster into the Amp and put out some guitar riffs and tunes to entertain friends and family.

If it’s a special occasion break out the Champagne in the flutes provided and celebrate.  As our wall says – “Work, rest or play … tomorrow’s another day …. on your luxury villa vacation Greece.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.

Considering a luxury villa vacation in Greece?  Consider Lefkada – the unspoilt gem of the Ionian and book yourself a vacation in the luxurious Villa Gabriella.  Set in total solitude on a quiet hillside above the seafront town of Nidri, Villa Gabriella offers unmatched views.  Look across the verdant green of the Princess islands amidst the deep blue of the Ionian.  All set against the backdrop of the Greek mainland in the distance.

Villa Gabriella is equipped with a private infinity pool, large hot tub and four ensuite bedrooms.  All helping make it a perfect choice for your luxury villa vacation.

Lefkada itself has a unique benefit amongst Greek islands – a bridge connection to the mainland.  No need to worry about ferries you can drive on or off the island 24/7.

Lefkada is a treasure of Greek history surrounded by some of the most stunning beaches in the world.  Egremini beach on the west coast is a stunning jewel fringed by crystal azure waters.

Vasiliki on the south coast is one of the finest windsurfing bays in Europe.  And the highly protected east coast beaches are perfect for families and children.
Villa Gabriella itself is perfectly positioned to make the most of all aspects of the island.  Its’ unique position amidst a forest ensures total privacy.  Yet within a few minutes you can be in the bustling seafront town of Nidri with a huge choice of tavernas, restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

Finished to the very highest standards Villa Gabriella offers complete luxury for up to eight guests.  Take the video tours located here for a closer look.

Villa Gabriella’s south easterly disposition means you’re perfectly placed to see some of the most stunning sunrises on the planet.  It also means that the pool terrace enjoys sunshine from shortly after sunrise until late afternoon.  With some well placed shade on both the pool terrace and the dining terrace you’re perfectly equipped to enjoy the stunning Ionian sunshine during your luxury villa vacation on Lefkada.

Villa Gabriella.  Ionian Luxury.  Immerse yourself.