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- Simpson Exclusive
- Stunning sea views
- Landscaped gardens
- Summer kitchen
- Light and contemporary
- Vathy 10min drive
When you hear that a British Naval officer was posted to Greece during the Second World War and fell in love with a celebrated Athenian ballet dancer, it sounds like the opening to a movie. Yet it was the beginning of a romance with such heart that you can feel it woven into the very fabric of their sons’ two villas – built on Meganissi to honour their Greek heritage. Michael and John Shepherd were raised in England but spent blissful family holidays in Greece with their mother’s family and grew up fluent in the language and well-versed in its rich cultures and traditions. Named after their mother and grandmother respectively, Villas Mimi and Xeni represent a poignant and beautiful tribute to their treasured childhood memories. With mesmerising views across the Ionian to the unspoilt islands of Kalamos and Kastos, suspended in the infinite blue of sea and sky, the villas offer a sense of peace and harmony matched only by the natural serenity of their exquisite island home.
Villa Xeni belongs to John, whose love of the island shines through in the design and execution of this classically elegant four-bedroom home. From the fossil-imprinted limestone of its walls to the spectacular south-east facing location on the terraces of an old olive grove, it is an attractive blend of sympathetic contemporary styling and relaxed chic, perfect for comfortable living. Its elevated position ensures the villa basks in day-long sunshine and early risers are rewarded with the slow-burning spectacle of sunrise over Kalamos Island, heralding another delightfully indolent day on this most restful of islands.
The view from the infinity pool is spellbinding at any hour, and the glorious terrace offers a variety of restful seating options, perfect for quiet contemplation or leisurely lunches in the shade of the pretty pergola. And when the lure of the sea becomes overwhelming, there are steps down to the sea for swimming off the rocks.
Though only a 10-minute drive from the charming harbour in Vathy, with its pretty shops and waterside tavernas, Villa Xeni is an inspiring oasis born out of a legacy of wartime love and romance, set in a magical and secluded part of the island.
Good to know…
Villa Xeni and Villa Mimi are a comfortable distance apart and the enjoyment of this spectacular location is not compromised by their proximity to one another. They are designed to be booked separately, however, larger groups may wish to consider both villas for a sophisticated island gathering.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Meganissi
In Greece, a tourist tax may apply at your accommodation which will be payable locally, in cash, during the course of your holiday. Please use the link to view details specific to your accommodation. View tourist tax rates here.
Layout
- 4-bedroom villa (sleeps 2-8)
Ground floor
- Living/dining area with wood-burner, TV (English speaking channels), DVD/Blu-Ray player, leads to pool terrace
- Fully fitted open-plan kitchen with oven, hob, fridge-freezer, dishwasher, Nespresso machine
- Utility room with washing machine
- Double bedroom (queen-size bed) with en-suite shower room, leads to patio
- Twin bedroom (can be converted into a double on request) with en-suite shower room (no WC), leads to patio
- WC
First floor
- Double bedroom (queen size four-poster bed) accessed by own staircase with dressing room and en-suite shower room, leads to two private balconies
- Double bedroom (queen size bed) accessed from living room staircase, with en-suite bathroom with shower, separate WC, dressing room, leads to private balcony
General
- Complimentary WiFi (accessible from ground floor and patio)
- Air-conditioned throughout
- Iron, ironing board
- Hairdryers in all bedrooms
- Simpson Travel pool towels
- Outside dining area
- Barbecue
- Outdoor kitchen with fridge and dishwasher
- Poolroom with WC
- Pool shower
- Private swimming pool 4m x 11m (depth 1m – 1.80m)
- Separate parking areas (15m and 30m from garden entrance)
- Security deposit (£1,500) required 3 weeks prior to departure
- Please note, this property is not participating in the July & August 2025 price freeze
WiFi
- All properties with WiFi are able to support basic functionality such as web browsing and checking emails. We aim to offer an uninterrupted service but sometimes, due to factors beyond our control, reliability can be affected.
National tourist licence application (EOT): 1068973
Transfers
- Preveza airport to Perigiali jetty by taxi or minibus 45min
- Transfers from Perigiali jetty (café and WC located opposite the jetty; average wait time for transfer to Meganissi is 20mins)
- Perigiali jetty to Meganissi by sea taxi 30min
Location
- Limonari beach 5min drive
- Katomeri (tavernas, supermarkets) 25min walk or 5min drive
- Vathy 45min or 10min drive
-
Nidri on Lefkada 40min boat trip from Spilia or Vathy
Car hire
Car options
Based on the number of people travelling, the following hire car(s) are included in the package price of your holiday:
- 2-3 guests – 1 Group C, Citroen C3 or similar*
- 4-5 guests – 1 Group D, Nissan Note or similar*
- 6 guests – 2 Group C, Citroen C3 or similar*
- 7 guests – 1 Group C, Citroen C3 or similar* and 1 Group D, Nissan Note or similar*
- 8 guests – 2 Group D, Nissan Note or similar*
* All our cars include comprehensive insurance with zero excess. For this particular destination, the undercarriage tyres and windscreen are not included in the cover.
Car specification
Group C – 1.1 litre engine, 1 large and 1 medium suitcase*
Group D – 1.4 litre engine, 2 large suitcases*
The following cars are available as alternatives on request (supplements apply). Please call our travel specialists for details.
Group E – Fiat Tipo or similar, 2.0 litre engine, 2 large suitcases & 1 small suitcase*
Group F – Automatic Peugeot 301 or similar, 1.6 litre engine, 3 suitcases and 1 small suitcase*
Group N – Automatic Nissan Micra or similar, 1.1 litre engine, 1 large suitcase*
* Suitcase sizes are based on a large suitcase being approximately 75cm x 41cm x 31cm, a medium suitcase of approximately 65cm x 46cm x 29cm and a small suitcase of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.
An absolutely heavenly stay at Villa Xeni! We spent hours in the pool watching the boats go by, swam to Limonari, snorkelled, boated around the island and at more calamari than we probably should. Our first Simpson holiday but after this, certainly not our last!
Big family gathering of 12, ages 23 to 85, sharing Mimi and Xeni. Super week! Hired a couple of boats for a day and went around the island. Recommend Fenari beach as the nicest one to spend a day - super clear water and shoals of fish. Beautiful place to spend a week!
Lovely villa, lovely location and great access to the sea. Some of us have enjoyed swimming round to Limonari beach. Maria from Simpson and Lydia and Spiros could not have been more helpful. The owners have also been very kind. Everything we need is here making entertaining a 3 yr old and a nearly 1 yr old so much easier. Our top Simpson villa so far, and they have all been good!
Another excellent experience of holidaying with Simpson. Seamless from start to finish. Everything was made incredibly easy for us and Villa Xeni was simply beautiful.
We have had an absolutely wonderful week here at Xeni. The villa and location are spectacular!
A fabulous week in a fabulous villa!
Second visit to Meganissi. Villa Xeni – excellent. Probably one of Simpson’s finest villas and we have been using them for nearly 10 years now. All in all - lovely. Maria is also brilliant. Well done again, Simpson Travel.
We had an excellent holiday, staying at Villa Xeni on Meganisi. The villa was lovely - very modern and spacious with a lovely pool, so we spent many happy days lazing there, just enjoying relaxing and admiring the wonderful view. We also liked being able to swim off the steps into the sea. We had a few meals out in Vathi and really liked Vathi too, and spent a day on a boat trip to other islands, snorkelled off the boat, then had a delicious lunch cooked up by the crew whilst we swam. Meganisi is charming and unspoiled and I would recommend and I would highly recommend Simpson Travel, who made the whole process very easy, were very efficient and I would definitely use again.
Wonderful villa, beautiful island, amazing fortnight. Recommend getting a self-drive boat on a couple of days to go round Meganissi and over to Kalamos. Maria, the island concierge, is fabulous. And Lydia and Spiros were superb looking after the villa. Thank you for a fabulous fortnight with fabulous friends.
Our first time in Meganissi and it did not disappoint. Xeni is the most fabulous villa with the most amazing views. We have had a wonderful relaxing family holiday and cannot wait to come back.
Had the most incredible stay once again. Can’t wait to come back in 2024.
The most fabulous villa with breath-taking views! We've been to Meganissi many times but this house has been our favourite so far. We will be back!
Our 2nd time in Xeni and 3rd in Meganissi, for good reason! Top rated all round.
Fantastic week in this beautiful house!
Villa Xeni was so lovely, we had the most wonderful two weeks. It is a kind of paradise Villa, so beautiful and very comfortable. A proper home from home with soul and the most incredible views imaginable. Lydia and Spiros were outstanding, they looked after us so well and could not have been kinder.
Our first time in Meganissi and it did not disappoint. Stunning views, villa and very friendly staff. Good access to the beach and outdoor kitchen was a hit. Will definitely come back!
Stunning views and villa, and a lovely relaxed holiday for our family.
Such an incredible holiday. Beautiful villa and an amazing island. We will definitely be coming back.
We just returned from a brilliant holiday in Meganissi and Lefkada with Simpson Travel who did a great job in making the whole trip as easy as possible notwithstanding the obvious challenges posed by Covid. Simpson has great and friendly people who go out of their way to help. That’s a real differentiator in our experience. Dan Conitzer, who helped organise the holiday, and Rania, who was based in Meganissi, were both excellent. Their respective recommendations of restaurants, boats to hire. etc. were super helpful and top quality. Of course the villas that Simpson have on their books and the local expertise they have are also superb. So, in short we were very happy we went with Simpson and will do so again.
Five stars as always! This was our fourth holiday on Meganissi and second with Simpson Travel and next year is now booked too. Their villas are immaculate and nothing was too much trouble for Rania, our rep. From organising a supermarket shop and delicious dinner on our first night at the villa, to a midnight call to the local doctor and finally posting back a soggy pair of boat shoes to the UK. Thank you and can’t wait to come back!
Fabulous two weeks on Meganissi staying at Villa Xeni and Villa Mimi. Both beautiful villas with excellent outside and inside spaces. Direct access to the sea for morning swims. Rania, our concierge, was incredibly helpful with advice and restaurant bookings and made our holiday extremely easy in every way. We will be back!
Stunning villa with a view that will stay with us for years to come. Beds and pillows were FABULOUS. Access to the sea made our holiday – from snorkelling to a skippered RIB. Thank you Simpson.
Our choice of Greek properties is as diverse as the islands themselves, ranging from simple seaside charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal. To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.
* For further clarification on Facilities and Amenities, please view the 'Details' tab for each property or speak to one of our experienced sales consultants.
Local life potters along as it’s done for centuries and there are no bustling resorts on Meganissi, just three flower-filled villages – and yet you’ll still see luxury yachts moored in the harbours. Warmly welcoming, this island is also beautifully unspoilt; its coastline dotted with gleaming white beaches, some accessible only by boat or kayak. Inland, the rolling hills make for wonderful walking country, with shady pine forests and spectacular blue seas beyond.
To complete the picture, we offer a selection of handpicked luxury villas on Meganissi.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Meganissi
Every Simpson Exclusive Villa includes our complimentary Concierge Service, designed to make your holiday experience as relaxing and seamless as possible.
It includes our dedicated pre-departure services to help you plan the details of your trip before you leave the UK, from the logistics of your journey to the personal requests that will make your time away truly magical.
Drawing on our experience and extensive local knowledge, we will do our utmost to accommodate any feasible request.
However, as a minimum, we can arrange:
- UK airport hotels and parking
- UK airport lounge access
- Private chef service
- Grocery shopping and delivery
- Restaurant recommendations and reservations
- In-villa massage treatments
- Boat hire and excursions
- Private jets
Once you reach your destination, our local Concierge will be on hand to offer any further advice or assistance.
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