Anaxo Resort

The Anaxo Resort lies beneath vast, insurmountable stretches of wild mountains and is a short walk away from the sea, looking over coastlines spotted with pretty fishing villages. The hotel itself looks almost like an ancient Greek temple and the reasons for worshipping it are aplenty: while it dons its cap to traditional local architecture with sleek stone masonry and tile roofs, the interior exudes a distinctly modern style, with spacious rooms that are of a minimalist decor and are resoundingly light and airy, with a delightful mixture of earthy and bright colours. All rooms come with a satellite flatscreen TV, wifi, air-conditioning, a bathroom and balcony, with either a view of the sea or mountains while the suites have two balconies and a living room. Along with a garden, there is a pool with a sea-view and an outside bar for those who wish to sip a mojito in the glow of Aegean sunshine. The nearest beach is only 1km from the hotel itself and is armed with a cafe to nurse your weary, sun-swept soul. Of particular note is the vast array of activities that this region has to offer in the way of watersports: Mani is lined with pristine white beaches and is perfect for snorkelling, scuba-diving, fishing and sailing. If you're feeling brave, it comes highly recommended to take a trek into the looming mountains lingering in the distance, where you can peruse thousand-year-old Byzantine churches and ruins of classical Greek settlements. The local town, Agios Nicolaos, teems with cafes, bars and restaurants serving fresh fish and local cuisines.