Conscious of the need to protect this delightful landscape, the locals also seem to have perfected the knack of building traditional stone houses with smart contemporary interiors, and Villa Mentes is a fine new example of the style.

The house is one of a trio of villas, each with its own private pool and terrace, overlooking Ambelaki Bay in the north of the island.

You can sit here all day long and watch the yachts coming and going in the bay, but the real beauty of this spot is that it’s walking distance from Vathy.

The village sits at the head of a deep natural inlet, a magnet for sailing boats in the summer months, and therefore well provided with cafés and tavernas. If you get here at the right time you can get fish straight from the waterside, but if you miss the boat this is still a wonderful spot to people watch and take a lesson from the locals in the art of easy living. Katomeri, with its very traditional architecture and local tavernas is just a couple of minutes away by car, and the pretty beach of Fanari is only a five minute drive.