36 AUGUST 2019
The Goods | CATEGORY TRAVEL | The GoodsAegean
Oasis
the greek islands have become so
crowded they’re practically a cliché,
but there’s one little isle that, though
wedged between wildly popular
Paros and Oia, seems miles from its
neighbors. Ios has largely been ignored
by the glitz and galavanting—something
the Cyclades island owes largely to
its ill-gotten reputation as a lowbrow
backpackers hideout—but Angelos
Michalopoulos is about to give it new
bragging rights. The Greek native and
his wife, Vassiliki Petridou, started
buying land on the 40-square-mile
island in the early 2000s, not to develop
it but to preserve it. Now, lucky for
us, they will share it with a handful
of visitors seeking a different kind of
Greek vacation.
“We were looking for a place to builda house and came over from a nearby
island,” Michalopoulos says. “Within 20
minutes, we saw six to seven beaches
which were completely deserted. After
half an hour more, we saw 30 more. I
couldn’t believe it. It was untouched—a
paradise in the middle of one of the most
exploited areas in the world.”
Michalopoulos and Petridou now
own roughly one-quarter of the island—
about 6,500 acres—and the couple has
plans that involve looking nothing like
their neighbors, transporting more than
60,000 trees (including 550 ancient olive
trees) that were destined to become
firewood from the Greek mainland and
earmarking 99 percent of their land
for conservation. To fund it, however,
they'll use that last 1 percent: In
July, the 27-suite Calilo (calilo.com)opened as Ios’s first five-star resort—and
a benefactor to its untouched home.
Set in a valley between two hills, just
behind a pristine golden-sand beach,
Calilo is almost Gaudí-esque in design,
with winding stone walls that mimic the
Aegean Sea’s waves and mosaic pools
in bright blue and green. Inside, spaces
are carved almost head to toe from
striking black-and-white marble; outside,
it’s more casual, with palapa daybeds
and an organic garden that provides
fresh produce for the Mediterranean
cuisine. Most of all, there’s privacy and
space—six miles of coastline, five miles
of walking trails and unspoiled scenery
that’s exceedingly rare in these parts.
“That’s what we want,” Michalopoulos
says, “to give people three or four
days in a Greece they’ve never seen.” L.W.Yes, of course you know the Ritz-Carlton. It’s been a bastion of luxury since before you were even
born. But the old favorite is about to become a new favorite after a significant renovation that’s
bringing the 253-room hotel well into the 21st century. There are the usual design boosts—a brighter
look, bigger suites (our favorite being the two-bedroom Royal)—but it’s the new extras that have
us sitting up and taking notice. The restaurant, which has been a bit of a dead zone for a few years
now, is suddenly a hot spot called Contour that serves cocktails that look like science projects.
And the massive fitness center, set in the former ballroom, is the best place to try out the latest
cutting-edge equipment, Technogym and Peloton toys included. Only the Central Park views have
stayed the same—thankfully. ritzcarlton.com Jackie CaradonioROBB RECOMMENDS...The Ritz-
Carlton
New York,
Central
Park
G2G_Aug_GDS_Part1.indd 36 7/3/19 2:11 PM36 AUGUST 2019
TRAVEL | The GoodsAegean
Oasis
the greek islands have become so
crowded they’re practically a cliché,
but there’s one little isle that, though
wedged between wildly popular
Paros and Oia, seems miles from its
neighbors. Ios has largely been ignored
by the glitz and galavanting—something
the Cyclades island owes largely to
its ill-gotten reputation as a lowbrow
backpackers hideout—but Angelos
Michalopoulos is about to give it new
bragging rights. The Greek native and
his wife, Vassiliki Petridou, started
buying land on the 40-square-mile
island in the early 2000s, not to develop
it but to preserve it. Now, lucky for
us, they will share it with a handful
of visitors seeking a different kind of
Greek vacation.
“We were looking for a place to builda house and came over from a nearby
island,” Michalopoulos says. “Within 20
minutes, we saw six to seven beaches
which were completely deserted. After
half an hour more, we saw 30 more. I
couldn’t believe it. It was untouched—a
paradise in the middle of one of the most
exploited areas in the world.”
Michalopoulos and Petridou now
own roughly one-quarter of the island—
about 6,500 acres—and the couple has
plans that involve looking nothing like
their neighbors, transporting more than
60,000 trees (including 550 ancient olive
trees) that were destined to become
firewood from the Greek mainland and
earmarking 99 percent of their land
for conservation. To fund it, however,
they'll use that last 1 percent: In
July, the 27-suite Calilo (calilo.com)opened as Ios’s first five-star resort—and
a benefactor to its untouched home.
Set in a valley between two hills, just
behind a pristine golden-sand beach,
Calilo is almost Gaudí-esque in design,
with winding stone walls that mimic the
Aegean Sea’s waves and mosaic pools
in bright blue and green. Inside, spaces
are carved almost head to toe from
striking black-and-white marble; outside,
it’s more casual, with palapa daybeds
and an organic garden that provides
fresh produce for the Mediterranean
cuisine. Most of all, there’s privacy and
space—six miles of coastline, five miles
of walking trails and unspoiled scenery
that’s exceedingly rare in these parts.
“That’s what we want,” Michalopoulos
says, “to give people three or four
days in a Greece they’ve never seen.” L.W.Yes,ofcourse you know the Ritz-Carlton. It’s been a bastion of luxury since before you were even
born. But the old favorite is about to become a new favorite after a significant renovation that’s
bringing the 253-room hotel well into the 21st century. There are the usual design boosts—a brighter
look, bigger suites (our favorite being the two-bedroom Royal)—but it’s the new extras that have
us sitting up and taking notice. The restaurant, which has been a bit of a dead zone for a few years
now, is suddenly a hot spot called Contour that serves cocktails that look like science projects.
And the massive fitness center, set in the former ballroom, is the best place to try out the latest
cutting-edge equipment, Technogym and Peloton toys included. Only the Central Park views have
stayed the same—thankfully. ritzcarlton.com Jackie CaradonioROBBRECOMMENDS...The Ritz-
Carlton
New York,
Central
Park