Arhondiko Isari
Isaris
222 00 Arkadia 		find it on the map
 

Archontiko Isari is a 150-years-old farmhouse that has been converted into a charming guesthouse. It has a homey feel to it, with a cosy sitting room on the ground floor. The bedrooms are tastefully decorated (warm colours, country-style and antique furniture), and, even though most are on the small side, they are wonderful ‘cocoons’ to snuggle up in bed with a good book on a cold winter day. The rooms on the top floor, set under the sloping roof, are particularly cosy, while the rooms on the ground floor have the advantage they open onto the garden. A local couple takes care of the guesthouse but most weekends, owner Kostas Filandros and his wife Elena, who live in Athens, are there to welcome their guests.


What makes it special to me:

Sweet, quiet, tasteful and inviting, this little guesthouse is a well-kept secret (at least for the time being…).


But what you should keep in mind:

Some of the bedrooms are small. For longer stays it could be a problem that there is a limited choice of restaurants in the village.

OwnerKonstantinos and Helena Filandros
Address Isaris
222 00 Arkadia
Tel. 27910-21101
Fax 27910-21103
E-mailinfo@archontikoisari.gr
Website http://www.archontikoisari.gr
Opening period:

All year

Children:Welcome
Dogs:Not allowed
Prices:


 June - Sept Oct - May
Weekdays 70 80
Weekends 90 120
  • Prices in Euro per unit per night (taxes included).
  • Breakfast is included in the prices.
  • Extra bed: 25 Euro
  • Single use: 25% reduction on the price
  • National holidays: room supplements may apply.
  • Special winter offers available
  • The above prices are may be subject to change. Prices will be confirmed when you make a reservation enquiry

Credit cards: Not accepted
Accommodation9 double rooms
1 room for up to 3 persons
1 room for up to 4 persons
Room facilities

En-suite bathroom (shower)
Telephone
Television
Refrigerator
Air conditioning

Sitting room
Garden and terraces

Breakfast (normally a buffet with fresh bread, pies, ham, yogurt, cake and biscuits, fresh orange juice and eggs as you like them) is served from 8h30 to 10h30. There is no restaurant at the guesthouse, but if you ask in advance, it is possible to have a home cooked meal in the evening (mainly traditional hearty dishes such as fasolada (white bean soup) and traditionally cooked meat. Otherwise, there is one restaurant in the village and one little café where you can order some mezedes (Greek ‘tapas’), but don’t expect anything fancy.

The guesthouse is in Isari, a small village, well off the beaten track, in the green mountains of Arkadia. Isari is not as well-know as some other villages in the area (notably Dimitsana and Stemnitsa) and it has a pleasantly laid-back and authentic feel to it. The house is in a quiet spot, in a garden, with a sweeping vista over the mountain and hilltops all the way to the Messiniakos Gulf.
find it on the map

If you come from Athens, you should follow the motorway from Korinthos to Tripoli and continue in the direction of Kalamata. After you pass Megalopoli, turn right towards Horemis and follow signs for Isari. Right after you pass the village centre you will see a sign for Archontiko Isari on your left hand.
find it on the map

A good guidebook* on Greece published in 1999, writes the following about the mountains of Arkadia: “The Arcadian highlands suit those who look for low-cost excursions among natural surroundings and traditional Greek villages, far from mass tourism. With the exception of Vytina, you will have to forgo your comforts and nights out and for a few days at least adapt to the local way of life.” It is amazing how fast things have changed. Fortunately, the natural surroundings and traditional villages are still there (and beautiful as ever) and there’s no mass tourism anywhere near. But at only two hours’ drive from Athens, the area has become a popular weekend destination for Athenians and to cater to them, comfort was introduced as well. There are now several wonderful small hotels and guesthouses where you won’t have to rough it at all. Nightlife isn’t exactly developed in the area (and hopefully will never be), but you will find plenty of nice places to have a meal or a drink.

 

Athenians may only come for the weekend, but the area is worth a much longer stay. There is a lot to see and do: the mountains are wonderful for walking and hiking, there are several immensely pretty, historical villages to explore, you can visit the cliff-hanging centuries-old monasteries in the Lousios Gorge (some are easily accessible, to get to others it’s better to go with a qualified guide), you can arrange to go river trekking and rafting, and in the winter you can enjoy snow sports at the (small!) Menalo ski centre.

 

Two villages that are definitely not to be missed are Stemnitsa and Dimitsana. In Stemnitsa, which in the past was famous for its highly skilled metal workers, (church) bell-makers, silver- and goldsmiths, you can visit the superb Museum of Popular Art, as well as some quite impressive 16th- and 17th-century churches. Dimitsana is known for the important role it played in the Greek war of resistance against the Ottoman rule – it was the base of the gunpowder production. Just outside the village you will find open-air hydraulic power museum where you can learn how it was done. Other villages worth visiting include Vytina, Andritsena, Magouliana, Lagadia, Karitaina, Isari and Alonistena. If you’re in for some further driving, you can make a day trip to Ancient Olympia.

 

* Greece - Only the Best, published and edited by Alexander Kyrtsis
Read here what others said about Arhondiko Isari

We enjoyed our stay in Isari. We loved the quiet rural atmosphere very much and especially the magnificent view of over 180 degrees, during breakfast. The breakfast was very good. All fresh and every morning another home made specialty. The whole hotel is very clean and all rooms have their own look. The only less wonderful thing is the fact that the hotel is on a rather high mountain. This gives the nice view but the problem is that, as the hotel does not offer dinner, we were bound to the *only* restaurant in the village, which didn't offer the flexibility in the menu we and the kids would have liked to see. The next restaurant was a 45 minute drive by car. When having enjoyed breakfast at this standard, we would like the dinners at the hotel too. For me personally, this part of the holiday was the best, and I'd certainly recommend this hotel to others, though I would warn them for the restaurant issue.

Lenn and Merijn B.
Huizen, Netherlands
August 2006
« < / > »
Did you stay here?I'd love to hear how you liked it