A romantic getaway to a captivating country house
Picture the loveliest country house, a stone two-storeyed cottage, straight from a fairy-tale book, with its beautiful garden and perfectly manicured grass. Put it in an orange grove with a hidden outdoor pool. Now, get inside the house and see the coziest living room, filled with fluffy sofas and modern design items. Add the sound of the crackling fire in the fireplace as well as cool jazz melodies coming from a Marshall speaker. Walk up the wooden staircase and discover the heart of this love nest, a spacious attic bedroom with balconies and little windows. Now, let me tell you that you are not in the middle of a meditation session but you are reading an accurate description of the Master Country Living House of Opora Country Living, where I spent one of the most amazing weekends of last autumn.
Until now, finding a cute country hotel that is also design-forward seemed like a mission impossible. When I saw the Instagram feed of Opora Country Living, I knew that my holy grail had been found. Good news kept coming. Opora Country Living offers a paradise no further than a two-hour drive from Athens and 10 minutes from the picturesque, historic city of Nafplio, in Peloponnese. Now, we can all agree that this is the ideal scenario for an effortless weekend escape!
About Opora #InteriorGoals
The team behind the project is Kostas Markidis and his family, all dedicated to creating beautiful settings. Their perfectionism and passion are evident from the first steps in Opora Country Living. What they have created could be a crash course on how to do a rustic hotel in style!
Their property used to be a farm with a house and warehouses which were turned into six residences amid orange and olive groves. As Kostas says, the aim was to revive the magic of rural life. The name Opora (meaning «fruit” in Ancient Greek) refers to this kind of slow living, full of emotions and romanticism. A parallel world where stress is obviously an unknown world.
“We used vintage objects and traditional materials to create an authentic experience which transfers our guests back in time. For example, we found pieces of wood from old train stations and used them to build the paths inside the farm. The main doors were created from 100-year-old chestnut trees that I found in Tripoli. We made the monastery table with irons that we found in second-hand shops in Tripoli and Nafplio. The pool has been constructed to remind of an old cistern. At the same time, we put great emphasis on modern comforts such as the incredible bedding by Cocomat” says Kostas.
A weekend at Opora
From the time I arrived there, I felt I shared the same passion for aesthetics with the owners. While I was exploring our tw0-storey house, called Opora Country Living Room, I kept making admiration sounds, touching materials, trying sofas and cushions and discovering small details.
I adored the kitchenette that resembles the old rural kitchens in Greek villages, the mugs and the dishes, the vase on the marble table of the garden, the original “kafeneio” chairs (the typical ones found in the traditional café of every village).
The nostalgic elegance of the fer forget furniture, the oriental corner with the cushions next to the pools, the raw beauty of the olive grow, all mingle in the best way. The result is a very inviting and restful place that easily makes one let everything aside and reconnect with nature.
Fresh air, and big skies, greenery and cool design. Why ask for more? At Opora, our day started with breakfast a fresco. But first some breathing… As soon as we managed to abandon our dreamy bed, we opened the window and let the crisp air in. A few minutes later, we were sitting at the table of our yard where magically one sweet lady with a stylish uniform appeared with our breakfast from the olive grove!
Breakfast was a ritual we didn’t want to end. We took our time to delve into a unique experience of flavours and products, handpicked from the garden and local producers. We tasted homemade cakes and jams, greek pies and omelets in a preciously private natural landscape.
Walks around the farm, relaxing by the pool with our book, hiking in the nearby paths filled the rest of the day. A short visit to Navplio for lunch and sightseeing was the only time far from our micro-cottage! In the evening, we hurried back to it since it was time for some red wine next to the fireplace.
More reasons to love Opora
When you visit Opora, you realize that this is a place made for celebrations and feasts served at long dining tables. One can try the unique experience of a blind menu dinner/lunch with the in-house chefs. Homegrown fruits and vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and products sourced from local organic producers are the main characters of Opora Country Living’s Kitchen. Inspiration comes from Mediterranean cooking, with a strong component of contemporary ideas, spices and techniques from around the globe.
Weddings at Opora are also spectacularly dreamy, immersed in forty hectares of centuries-old olive groves organically managed. Just ask to see photos and ask for details.
What is really precious is that Opora Country Living offers such privacy and tranquility that it is easy to pretend you live on your own!
Discover more about Opora Country Living on the gallery below:
TheHotelTrotter.com is curated by greek journalist and fanatic hotel lover Eleni Stasinopoulou. With the eye of a fashion and lifestyle editor, Eleni hopes to inspire all connoisseurs of traveling, focusing on stylish hotel moments around the globe.
