Enjoy spring or summer in a luxury villa on the southern Greek Aegean where Greece is still Greek. Goodbye expensive beach holidays! In southern Greek Messinia, most tavernas serve typical Greek dishes.And that in the private luxury Villa Pilias on the sandy beaches of the south-west Peloponnese. The detached bungalow-style villa, which was completed in 2012, is surrounded by olive groves. The detached house is located around 80 metres above sea level in the Greek village of Kamaria, which has 40 inhabitants and is 4 km from the well-known fishing village of Finikounda and 10 km from Methoni. In these and other villages, some tavernas are also open in winter.If you want to cook for yourself, you can pick up ingredients from the butcher's shop and supermarket, which are about 800 metres from Villa Pilias.There are not only 7 great sandy beaches nearby, but also wonderful hiking trails through the Mediterranean landscape. A hiking book available at Villa Pilias describes 17 routes. Every Saturday there is a free guided hike in a group.Nearby attractions include the huge Venetian castle in Methoni, the castle, harbour and museums in Pylos (20 km), Nestor's Palace, waterfalls and the monastery in Koroni. As the area, although beautifully situated on the Aegean coast, is not a potential tourist area, there are numerous tavernas in Finikounda and Methoni.If you ever need heating at Villa Pilias, you have a few options: Firstly via the air conditioning in the 3 bedrooms or via fan heaters. Then via the underfloor heating, which is heated by the electric boiler in the cellar or the stove (with glass pane) in the living room. You then heat the underfloor heating with effective and inexpensive olive wood. In addition to a 42-inch TV panel with SAT reception in HD and a Blu-Ray player, you will also find a receiver with docking station for I-pad, I-phone etc. or USB stick. In one bedroom there is another HD flat screen TV and Internet access is available via a powerful mobile WLAN router with prepaid card, which can be topped up by the carer couple for a fee on request. There is a double bed in each of the three bedrooms. There is an L-shaped couch in the living room, which can easily be converted into a full sofa bed. In the master bedroom you may be woken up in the morning by a crowing cock and the Greek sun shining right into the double bed, you open your eyes and look out over the sea from your bed - or not, if you have closed the thick aluminium shutters and the double-glazed door - Villa Pilias is located in the countryside. Of course, you can also cook for yourself in the fully equipped kitchen, for example with recipes from a Greek cookery book, which can be found in the well-stocked bookcase. In addition to a dishwasher, toaster, kettle, fridge, 3 coffee machines and 2 electric grills, there is of course plenty of crockery available. In the villa, four people shower at the same time with 130 litres of water heated up to 70 degrees from the solar collector or from the electric boiler. The main bathroom has a double shower and two washbasins. There is also a washing machine in the second bathroom with shower and WC.Folding loungers are available for sunbathing on the 50 square metre terrace, an awning as sun protection and a large table with six chairs for outside and just as many for the dining area inside invite you to linger. All windows are fitted with insect screens. The outdoor shower with hot water is a hit, while flowering bougainvilleas and oleanders next to the natural stone steps provide privacy. In front of the kitchen, a seating area with table and chairs between the olive tree and oleander invites you to enjoy the Mediterranean flora.A supermarket and a butcher's shop, which usually also offers grilled dishes at weekends, are just 900 metres away on foot and the nearest quaint taverna with delicious typical Greek dishes (the lamb chops are a dream) is almost in the neighbourhood at 250 metres. A newer taverna in Kamaria is about 800 metres away. Unfortunately, both tavernas are closed from November to March. To cook delicious Greek dishes, all you have to do is buy the ingredients, preferably at the farmers' market in the Messinian capital of Kalamata or on Sunday mornings in Koroni.Kalamata is well worth a day trip, with its old town worth seeing and a quaint souvlaki stall by the old church, as well as the fantastic coastline with its many tavernas, harbour and beach (with stones).Greek cookery books are available at Villa Pilias and spices grow in front of the house and a laurel tree at the entrance, all without chemicals of course. Enjoy Greece in winter in pleasant warmth for visits to the many ancient sites such as Old Messini near Kalamata, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus or Mistras near Sparta (each about 2.5 hours by car) or long walks through olive groves or even winter mountain hikes in the snow on the 1500 metre high Taigeto Pass. 00002178458