In the Cyclades, the island of legends and myths, Kéa, has been recast in luxury, with the opening of Greece’s new luxury resort, One&Only Kéa Island.
Once in a blue moon, life hands you the kind of day you wish would last forever. Where the moments fade too fast and you want to press pause, to savour every second and the glimmers in between. It’s a sensation I experience on a clifftop in Kéa Island, lazing by an infinity pool that seems to spill into the Aegean, scooping up taramasalata with pillowy pitta, lost in the beauty of the world below.
The term “hidden gem” is overused in today’s travel lexicon, the highest accolade in an age where so little remains undiscovered. Kéa Island – a tiny, teardrop-shaped isle in the central Cyclades – lives up to the title. Spanning 130 square kilometres of rugged wilderness with a population of just 2500, it’s long been a secret summer haven for chic Athenians, who pop over via ferry or yacht to swim in the pristine coves and settle into the lazy rhythm of life. Some own holiday houses on the island, a cool respite from the blistering heat just an hour from the mainland. But outside Greece, Kéa has historically flown under the radar, overshadowed by its more famous, flashier island cousins, even excluded from guidebooks.
Following the opening of One&Only Kéa Island, where I’m savouring that salty pink dip under the Mediterranean sun, the charms of Kéa are touching a wider audience. The all-villa, ultra-luxury resort launched last summer – the hotel group’s second Greek outpost, following the opening of One&Only Aesthesis in 2023. It stands as a collection of private villas carved into a 65-hectare property; a blend of ochre terrain, limestone and white-washed walls, and endless blue from every vantage point.
From the moment you arrive on the island, staff in breezy white linen lined up to greet you on the pier, it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime stay. Although really, that begins before you arrive, when you’re picked up at Lavrio port in Athens by a Navy-level speedboat that swooshes across the Aegean. Within 45 minutes, you’re whizzing up the hill in a golf buggy to the central resort hub. Designed by architect John Heah to blend in with the arid landscape but also stand out, the structure is almost other-worldly with its soaring proportions, lofty atriums and graceful archways bathed in golden sunlight. You could be in the future or Arcadia.
In reality, you’re at reception, or in Kosmos Lobby Bar or Atria restaurant, probably eating fresh seafood and life-changing olive oil sorbet. The property as a whole is laid out in cascading tiers inspired by Kéa’s hillside capital Ioulida. Little homages like this to the island are dotted throughout: hand-cut local stone and timbers swathe the surfaces, and pieces by emerging Greek artists adorn the walls.
The 63 self-contained villas, with either one or two bedrooms, are luxe and minimal but homely, enough that you’ll want to move in. Each has its own eight-metre infinity pool and is stocked with a mini bar Med-summer dreams are made of – local honey, jars of sweets, a cocktail station – plus considered extras like yoga mats, Panama hats and lavender sleep spray. And if there’s anything else you should need or want? Send a WhatsApp message to your butler (in truth, you’re looked after by not one butler but a rotating roster of staff, each as attentive as the next).
Want to sip on a Dahlia spritz at Kaiki Pool Bar? They’ll pick you up and zip you over in the buggy (it’s too steep and hot to walk), the salty sea breeze brushing your face. Next stop, wellness centre? You’ll be transported to One&Only’s largest spa to date. It’s based on the Greek concept of sophrosyne – the rebalancing of mind, body and soul – and nails the assignment with Ayurvedic-informed massages and facials using skincare from Australian brand Subtle Energies. Then there’s the palatial fitness centre, a hydrotherapy pool, cold plunge, steam room, sauna and another jaw-dropping pool.
Exploring Kéa Island beyond the hotel, the buggy is swapped out for a Land Rover Defender to venture off road. Within 30 minutes you’re in Ioulida village, where the cobblestone streets are splashed with bougainvillea and scented with wild thyme.
Sotiria Antonopoulou, local guide and curator at Keos Culture, effuses on its charms as we walk beyond the colourful houses towards the Lion of Kéa, a stone-carved sculpture dating back to 600BC. “I’m originally from the Peloponnese in southern Greece, but while studying in Athens 30 years ago I came to Kéa for a weekend and fell in love – not only with the island but with my future husband,” she says. “We’ve lived here almost ever since; it’s a very special place.” We reach the famous lion emerging from bedrock, guarded by (real) goats, and the sky turns fiery red – a sunset to rival Santorini’s without the swarming crowds.
The aroma of smoky grilled meats and zesty lemon lures us back to Piatsa taverna, where owner Giannis brings out plates of saganaki dripping in golden honey, and crispy fried meatballs. Just down the road, Kalofagadon restaurant and the family-run Steki also specialise in home-style Greek fare, accompanied by ouzo best shared with locals.
With the opening of One&Only, Antonopoulou believes the humble island, still rustic and self-sufficient, will maintain its authenticity and heart. The spirit of Kéa is adventurous – there are trails to hike, ancient ruins to discover and shipwrecks for divers to explore, plus more than 50 beaches (Gialiskari, Kambi and Koundouros are favourites).
If you’re seeking complete seclusion, you can position yourself at the private beach back at One&Only, then snack on Japanese-Mediterranean fusion dishes at Bond Beach Club. Good food abounds at the resort, with a focus on Hellenic classics like grilled octopus, sea bass glazed in lemon, and flaky spanakopita, with wine pairings by sommelier and Kéa resident Georgia Marouli.
The breakfast at Atria also deserves a special mention, a lavish buffet spread across three glass pavilions: one for savoury, one for sweets and one for eggs and pancakes whipped up by chefs who warmly remember your name and order.
While riding the buggy back from breakfast one morning, my butler Nick tells me, “It’s like a sort of utopia here, have you seen The White Lotus?” Nick hastily adds that he’s not referring to the mysteries and murders that underpin the drama set in a fictional luxury resort chain.
Indeed, no mishaps take place during my time on Kéa Island, but it does have a certain surrealness about it. A place that feels too good to be true; except this time, it is.
Getting there
Kéa is 45 minutes from Athens by speedboat, one hour by ferry, or 15 minues by helicopter from Athens International Airport, subject to adverse weather. Multiple airlines operate daily connecting flights to Athens from Australia’s major hubs.
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