Verina Astra stands at Poulati, east coast of Sifnos, where the cliffs drop into open water. The way in is a dusty dirt road, and the house is camouflaged on the cliffside rather than built out from it. Rooms, restaurant and spa sit on separate levels, linked by footpaths through rushes, lavender and Mediterranean scrub, so the walk between them is part of the day. A breezy open lounge is given over to unhurried hours, and the house flows around an infinity pool that seems to dissolve into the sea.
The house has 16 rooms and suites, each named after a constellation, and every one opens to wide sky and sea, with deckchairs and daybeds for watching both. They run from 23 sqm to 55 sqm. The interiors are plain and pale: smooth stone floors, layered linen drapes, a little rattan and wicker. The terraces are enormous, screened by stone walls, shaded by bamboo pergolas and fitted with outdoor showers and dining areas, and few guests spend much time indoors. Two suites, Norma and Indus, each 55 sqm, carry a private infinity pool. The rest of the house shares a saltwater infinity pool with daybeds around it. Children over 12 are welcome.
The couple who hold it
Miltos Salemis and Isidora Chandeli grew up on Sifnos, in the sandy coves and the tangled lanes of Artemonas, and married in their thirties. Chandeli holds the look of the house: urns of wildflowers, ceramics made by potters on the island, a canopy of rustling leaves across the restaurant ceiling. Salemis handles the island itself, the walking paths, the boat trips and the places worth eating at. The couple also hold a sister hotel, Verina Terra, on Platis Gialos beach, and a villa at Vathi, so Verina Astra is one of three houses under one family’s hand.
Bostani and the garden
Dinner is at Bostani, chef Nikos Thomas, who cooks with a team led by Martha Zika. The restaurant takes its name from the bostani, the Greek word for the kitchen garden outside a house, and here that garden surrounds the buildings. Herbs, heirloom vegetables and olive oil come off that ground, and most of the rest comes from fishermen and farmers on the island. The kitchen leans on Cycladic ingredients and whatever the season gives, with mezedes, the Greek small plates, on an all-day menu and a tasting dinner in the evening. Breakfast goes to the restaurant or to a private terrace, and the tableware is designed by local potters. Rainwater tanks offset the water scarcity that is a standing problem in the Cyclades, bath products are refilled rather than replaced, and water is poured from glass.
The spa
Open-sided bamboo and stone cabanas, Elemis facials and herbal compresses of local botanicals are part of Verina Spa, which sits among the aromatic gardens, glass-fronted and open to the elements. The cabanas catch the sea breeze and the scent of the herb beds around them. Sea salt scrubs use island botanicals as well, and the treatment list runs on through signature rituals, massage and body therapy, and face therapy.
Walking out
Downhill from the rooms, a 15-minute walk ends at Panagia Poulati, a blue-domed church, and the climb back is harder than the way down. Past the church an overgrown path reaches a rocky outcrop with a swimming hole. Kastro, a medieval village running down a hillside, is 30 minutes along the coastal footpath. Artemonas lies uphill in the other direction, a whitewashed maze of old mansions, mezze places and bakeries.
Who is this for
The house suits a traveller who wants the Cyclades quiet, and couples above all. Days are shady decks, long lunches above the water, a swim in the saltwater pool and deckchairs turned up at the stars once it is dark. Cooking and craft sessions put guests alongside islanders. The register is hushed and barefoot, with the light coming off the Aegean from first thing in the morning until the horizon goes.
