Dear Asma,
As I write another letter, one that’s about to spill all the thoughts that have collected over the past few days, I see a speedboat entering the bay. New guests. How lucky they are, I think to myself. They have no idea about the portion of peace they are about to experience.
Then I catch myself smiling. How lucky I have been, breathing in that same peace for the past four days.
I’m sitting on the terrace of my private villa at One&Only Kea Island, beside the pool. The Meltemi wind is stronger today than it has been all week. I had forgotten how much I’d missed a breeze. More importantly, I’d forgotten what it felt like not to look at a watch for a few days.
Let me take you back to the beginning.
After landing in Athens, I was transferred directly to Lavrio Port, where a sleek One&Only speedboat was waiting. Pantelis, who organised every thoughtfully planned detail of the stay, welcomed me aboard. The crossing to Kea took no more than thirty minutes, yet it felt like crossing into another rhythm of life. Endless shades of blue stretched in every direction until the island slowly revealed itself. From afar, Kea appears rugged, almost untouched. But as you draw closer, life begins to emerge through the rocky landscape: small villages, hidden coves and homes living in perfect harmony with nature.
I often assume that remote island resorts offer little more than beautiful scenery and an opportunity to disconnect. Kea certainly offers both, but it surprised me with so much more. It’s an island that gently invites curiosity. Four days suddenly felt far too short.
My first evening began exactly as every holiday should: with sunset. At Kosmos Lobby Bar, the sky became the evening’s greatest performance. Occasionally, a local astronomer joins guests here to tell stories about the constellations above, but on this evening, the colours stole the show. The island transformed almost impossibly, from brilliant turquoise to glowing amber before settling into deep shades of violet. Every hour seemed to paint the landscape with a different emotion.
Dinner followed at Atria, where Mediterranean cuisine was elevated without ever losing its authenticity. It was elegant, relaxed and exactly in tune with its surroundings.
The next morning, Pantelis took me to Naos, the resort’s chapel, where whitewashed Cycladic architecture frames uninterrupted views of the Aegean. More than a place for intimate ceremonies, Naos has become a cultural space, regularly hosting exhibitions by leading artists. During my visit, Pantelis explained that the current exhibition featured works by Greek-French artist Cacao Rocks, who drew inspiration from life on Kea itself. His vibrant, contemporary pieces, rooted in Greek symbolism and folklore, felt striking against the chapel’s minimalist architecture. It was another reminder that at One&Only Kea Island, art isn’t confined to gallery walls. It becomes part of the landscape, enriching the experience of being there.
Just like at every One&Only resort, breakfast here isn’t simply the first meal of the day. It’s an event. Spread across beautifully designed stations resembling little houses surrounding a Greek town square, every corner offered something different to discover. Martha made it her personal mission to ensure that each morning I sampled the most delectable flavours from every station, gently insisting that I couldn’t possibly leave without trying “just one more thing”. Thankfully, I listened.
The rest of the morning was devoted entirely to slowing down. At One&Only Spa, I experienced a one-hour holistic massage by Subtle Energies, the kind of treatment that doesn’t simply relax your muscles. It persuades your mind to stop racing as well. Afterwards, I wandered between the sauna, steam room and cold plunge before settling into one of the most beautiful indoor pools I’ve ever seen. Through a vast glass opening, the water stretches outdoors, perfectly reflecting One&Only’s philosophy of blurring the lines between inside and outside, architecture and landscape, comfort and nature.
Lunch was served at Bond Beach Club, where Japanese and Latin flavours meet Mediterranean ingredients in a menu designed for long summer afternoons. Under the shade of tamarisk trees, with the Aegean shimmering ahead, lunch naturally evolved into an afternoon by the sea.
I even dusted off a skill I hadn’t attempted in almost ten years, stand-up paddleboarding. The memories came back surprisingly quickly. So did a few forgotten core muscles.
That evening introduced one of the most memorable experiences of the trip: Panigiri. Inspired by traditional Greek village celebrations, dinner arrived in generous rounds of shared dishes that kept appearing long after you thought the meal had ended. Here I met the resort’s General Manager, Kelly, who said exactly what I was living: “I love this night because it makes all the decisions for me. The very best of Greek cuisine comes directly to the table. I can simply indulge and enjoy it.” I couldn’t agree more.
Three local musicians began to play. I couldn’t understand a single lyric. Yet somehow, I understood every emotion. Their music reminded me of one of my favourite films, “The Broken Circle Breakdown”, not because it sounded similar, but because it carried the same ability to make you feel something difficult to explain.
The following morning began rather ambitiously. A paddle session with coach Amaury was followed by what must surely be one of the world’s most scenic gyms. I climbed onto one of the outdoor bikes overlooking the sea and, for reasons still unknown, decided that cycling to Evanescence’s greatest hits was an excellent motivational strategy. Somewhere between “Bring Me to Life” and desperately trying to stay alive, I realised I was singing out loud while simultaneously fighting for breath. Hopefully the other guests found it entertaining.
The gym itself deserves a special mention, not only for its extraordinary setting, but for the wonderful team behind it. Angelos, Ioanna and George were always there with a smile, ready to encourage, guide or simply share a conversation. They are part of a health and fitness team led by the lovely Flavia, who somehow managed to make me feel like a friend I’d known for many years rather than a guest she’d only just met. It’s remarkable how much a genuinely warm welcome can transform even a workout into something memorable.
Right after, while running on the treadmill, I struck up a conversation with the gentleman beside me. He looked strangely familiar, so I asked whether he happened to live in Dubai.
“No,” he smiled. “I’m Egyptian.”
I assumed I’d probably seen him on one of my friend Tara Emad’s Instagram posts and thought no more of it. Until later that afternoon.
As I relaxed on the beach, guests began approaching him for conversation. Only then did I discover that my anonymous gym companion was, in fact, one of football’s biggest global stars, followed by nearly seventy million people on Instagram. My knowledge of football has always been… selective, Asma.
But perhaps the most meaningful part of my stay came on my final day. It began with a walk through Ioulida alongside Sotiria Antonopoulou from “Keos Culture”, a guide who, unexpectedly, became the soul of my Kea experience.
Our tour included the Alekos Fassianos Atelier before wandering through the charming hilltop streets of Ioulida, where every stone seems to carry a story. Yet it was Sotiria’s own story that captivated me most. She came to Kea because she fell in love. I wanted to know all about it. Are you surprised?
More than twenty years ago, while working in an art gallery, she met a sailor who brought her to the island. Today, they are still together and have raised two children here.
As we walked, everyone greeted her by name. She greeted everyone back. You could immediately tell that she didn’t simply know Kea. She belonged to it.
“The island changed, for the better.” one local woman told us.
“The world changes constantly,” Sotiria replied gently before continuing our walk.
“There are many paths in Kea, Milo,” she said. That stayed with me longer than I thought it would.
She spoke about happiness with remarkable simplicity. “Have friends. Stay open. Eat well. Sleep well. Exercise.” Then she added something that resonated more than ever – “You have to be free.”
She has been married for twenty-two years, yet, as she explained, her husband never took away her freedom. They built a life together without either losing themselves. There was no grand philosophy. No complicated theory. Just wisdom hidden inside ordinary sentences. I loved that. I admired it. It felt as though the island itself was speaking through her.
Our walk ended beside the famous Lion of Kea, carved into stone in the sixth century BC. According to one local legend, the lion was placed there to frighten away the nymphs. Once they disappeared, so did the island’s water, forcing people to pray to the gods, who answered by sending winds to cool the land instead.
“I like the nymphs,” Sotiria confessed.
“Aren’t they the ones who lured sailors to their deaths with beautiful voices?” I asked.
She smiled. “I don’t like that story, my nymphs are good.”
Somehow, that felt like the perfect ending. Kea is indeed full of different paths, different legends and different ways of seeing the world. And I think I liked every single one of them.
You must visit, dear Asma. I have a feeling Kea would speak to you, too.
With love,
Milo
