It almost sounds funny talking about slow living right in the start of the school year, since nothing is slow anymore, but these few days spent living in the peaceful rhythm of a village up on the mountains were so worth it that they keep us rolling until now. All it took was 3 days of clearing our minds from everything and staying disconnected from wifi or even technology.

So let me tell you all about this place with-no-wifi-at-all. The place really exists.

This summer we got a work related invitation in Peloponnese and thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to explore the area and try new experiences after the work was done. We knew we wanted to stay off the grid, away from hectic or well known destinations and most villages looked really really cute. The issue with tiny Greek villages though is that you seldom find equally cute and well taken care of hotels to stay. But, that was not the case with Zatouna. We had found ourselves a little gem with the name “Archontiko Anyfanti“. At this point I want to make something really clear. Each place we present in this precious, super personal corner of the web is carefully hand picked.  Yes, we do collaborate with the brands we present since this is a good promotion for them, and work needs to be paid, but we have never teamed up with a brand that did not fit our standards. There have been invitations and proposals rejected in the past only because they did not make a good match of values, aesthetics and area of interest. Unless all of those three criteria are met we never go on with a collaboration. Having said that and as I rarely make such declarations I can safely say that this is one of the best boutique hotels I have ever visited. It is a place that has quality written all over it. So, with our happy faces on, we set off  in the middle of a summery night, to reach our destination. I had dreams of posting insta-stories & beautiful pictures all over my social channels but little did I know: the entire village is wifi-less! After the first disappointment, we decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to experiment in staying unplugged and we did so well that even my sister called to check on us and make sure that everything was all right.

The building itself was constructed in 1840 and was used both as a residency and a weaving & textile business. It seems that the concept of “working from home” is age old. It only features 8 rooms, which means that if someone chooses to visit with big company he will have the entire hotel to themselves and then the program, menus and activities will all be personalized to the needs of the group as the owners are very flexible and eager to make the best of this experience.

The renovations have left the core of the building intact, a candy to the eyes thanks to the beautiful local cobblestone, but the most interesting part lies within. Modern and minimalist without exaggerations, the inside of the hotel has a themed concept:  “life in the village”. The concept is stated throughout the lounges and rooms with beautiful artworks curated by artist Costas Theoharis. The rooms are super spacious and elegant and through the fortress-like windows one has a view of the entire village: the church the tower clock and the one and only main road.

This is also a hotel where you will find a real breakfast. Freshly baked bread, real local cheese & goat butter, free range eggs, pancakes made with a local recipe. It was such a joy to spread fresh real butter on the bread and top it with local honey. Raw, unprocessed food can hold you full and satisfied for hours… you also miss it a lot back home as no matter what the labels say it has nothing to do with store bough. The restaurant of the hotel (open from Fridays through Sundays) also holds many credentials as it is dedicated to using only local & seasonal ingredients and thus offers a small variety of traditional dishes with a twist.

The hotel often holds very interesting events like picnic excursions, yoga & pilates seminars, cooking lessons for kids and herbal seminars by the well known food blogger Pasta Flora. This Saturday the 14th of October in collaboration with the Open Air Water-Power Museum, in Dimitsana, Archontiko Anyfanti is holding a seminar for the making of fresh pasta. Participants will learn how to make fresh pasta as well as cook them with a unique salsa, the recipe of which will be revealed by the owner of Archontiko Anyfanti herself, mrs. Natasha Theochari. You can find more details HERE.

If you are looking forward to a getaway this Autumn in order to unplug, slow down and savor the village rhythm with your kids or beloveds I cannot imagine of a better place that is so close to Athens and offers all these features together. In coming post I will also show you all the unique things you can also experience in the surrounding area. Stay tuned and don’t forget to savor the seasons!

Outfit from DPAM Greece

We kindly thank Archontiko Anyfanti for welcoming us as their guests and giving us the freedom to write our personal and unbiased opinion for our audience.