Wake up every morning to big view of sea, islands, sky and hills. In the evenings, sit on the broad balcony and watch the sun set gloriously behind Paros, a glass of chilled local rosé wine to hand. The island's most beautiful beaches are close by and rarely crowded, yet the house is sufficiently inland to have fertile soil for cultivating, washing that isn't salt-encrusted, and to stroll into hills rich with wildflowers.
All that is best about the country is condensed into the wonderfully diverse island of Naxos. It is rich in mythology and ancient history, with temples, stone farm buildings as old as the hills, rare Byzantine frescos and Venetian towers. This is a real, working island rather than a tourist resort, and produces its own high-quality meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables and olive oil.