Hotel Guides · Kea (Tzia), Greece
The One&Only flag in the Greek islands — 63 cliffside pool villas on the quiet island an hour from Athens, and none of the circuit's foot traffic.
63 Cliffside Villas — Every One With A Private Infinity Pool · 45 Min By Speedboat From Lavrio — 15 By Helicopter From Athens
Kea — Tzia to the Greeks — is the Cycladic island Athenians keep for themselves: closest to the mainland, skipped by the ferry crowds, all bare hills and quiet coves. In 2024 One&Only planted its first Greek flag here, and did it at resort scale — 63 villas stepped down 161 clifftop acres above Vroskopos Bay, every single one with a private infinity pool and open sea views.
The villas run from one-bedroom retreats up to a four-bedroom Grand Seafront villa with a 110-square-meter infinity pool, and across the bay sit full One&Only Private Homes of up to six bedrooms — living roofs, fire-pit courtyards, round tubs facing the water. The program has depth no Cycladic boutique can match: Atria for farm-to-table Greek cooking, Bond Beach Club with its guest-DJ calendar at the waterline, the Kaiki pool bar, a wine-and-charcuterie room, even a speakeasy.
The One&Only Spa builds its treatments around sophrosyne — the ancient Greek idea of balance — across three floors and an indoor-outdoor heated pool, while Club One adds tennis, padel, and a sea-view yoga pavilion, with KidsOnly and a dedicated teens' hub making this one of the few genuinely family-fluent luxury stays in the islands. And access is the quiet superpower: 45 minutes by resort speedboat from Lavrio, or 15 by helicopter from the Athens airport.
What Stands Out
Every villa has its own infinity pool. All 63 keys step down the cliff toward Vroskopos Bay — private pool, open sea view, no consolation categories.
Closest to Athens, farthest from the circuit. Kea isn't on the main Cyclades ferry spine, which is exactly the point — real island quiet an hour from the mainland, without the Mykonos scene.
A full resort layer, rare for the Cyclades. Atria's farm-to-table Greek table, Bond Beach Club on the water, the Kaiki pool bar, Èpicora for wine and charcuterie, and the Incognito speakeasy — depth of program no boutique can match.
Families are actually planned for. Club One's tennis and padel courts, KidsOnly for ages four to twelve, a teens' hub — plus Private Homes of up to six bedrooms across the bay.
Know Before You Book
I haven't inspected it yet. Full transparency: Kea wasn't on my 38-hotel Greece route, so it isn't in my Top 10. It's on my booking list — and my clients still get the full advisor layer: preferred-partner perks and my vetting call with the on-property team before arrival.
Routing is different from the rest of the Cyclades. You come via Lavrio, not Piraeus — about a 30-minute drive from the airport, then roughly an hour on the ferry or 45 minutes on the resort's speedboat. Pair it with Athens rather than forcing it into an island hop.
It's seasonal, and it books like a resort. The resort closes for winter and reopens each spring — and with One&Only's loyal base, the entry-level villas move first for peak summer.
Budget for the brand. This is One&Only pricing on an island with no five-star peer. The value case is the pairing: a shorter, better Athens-plus-Kea trip instead of two flights and a ferry week.
Transfers, arranged. Kea is reached by ferry from Lavrio, close to Athens airport. I arrange the private car to the port and the transfer on arrival, or private boat transfers if you’d rather skip the ferry.
The easiest true-island add-on to Athens in the luxury tier — this is where I'd send privacy-first couples and families who want One&Only polish without the crowds.
Work with me and you get two things: Fora perks, and an advisor who personalizes your stay, from the room I request to what’s arranged before you arrive. As a Fora advisor, my clients receive a space-available upgrade, daily breakfast, and a hotel credit. I’m your direct line to the team while you’re there. Rates are identical to booking direct.