Geko Suites 5

Some stays are about movement, ticking off beaches and villages and viewpoints until the days blur together pleasantly. Geko Suites 5 is equally good for that. Giola is 3 minutes away, Aliki is 10, Potos is 7, and the Monastery of the Archangel Michael is 5. The south of Thassos, in all its variety, is practically at the door. But the suite itself has a gravitational pull that is worth accounting for in the itinerary. A private salt pool, a garden heavy with the scent of Mediterranean herbs, an Aegean view that fills every window, and an outdoor space arranged for long, unhurried days that go nowhere in particular.

Also part of the Geko Suites complex: Geko Suites 3 and Geko Suites 4.

The suite is self-contained in the fullest sense of the word. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen make it genuinely independent. The outdoor dining area, the sunbeds, the outdoor sofa, and the salt pool create a rhythm to the day that requires very little decision-making. Breakfast outside, the pool through the afternoon, dinner as the light fades over the water. The architecture, minimal island lines in stone, wood, and white, is designed to stay out of the way and let the landscape do the talking.

Geko Suites sits 100 metres from the sea in Astris, one of the quieter corners of the island's southern coast. It is the kind of location that reveals itself slowly, and rewards guests who take the time to settle into it rather than pass through.

• Built for outdoor living: private salt pool, sunbeds, outdoor sofa, garden, private terrace, and outdoor dining area
• Everything in the kitchen: fully equipped with electric stove, fridge, coffee machine, and kettle
• Two bedrooms, two bathrooms: with air conditioning throughout and free Wi-Fi
• No loose ends: private parking, pet friendly, cot and baby seat available on request

Geko Suites 5 accommodates up to 4 guests, with the option to add a fifth on request. Some places are a base. Others become the reason you came. This one tends toward the latter.