We found this villa through ResponsibleTravel.com and were happy to find somewhere that matched our search for a family-run, low impact holiday dwelling that still felt relaxing and nourishing for the soul! This villa is very beautiful, and the small touches left by owners Simon and Idit were much appreciated (candles, fresh lavendar, mosquito coils etc). The villa is attractively designed with lovely photos and paintings on the walls and fairy lights strung outside on the verandah for ambience. Their swimming pool is lovely, with sea views from the sun deck. We loved staying close to a family, as it made our stay more meaningful and we enjoyed talking with Simon and Idit about life in Greece. Their homegrown extra virgin olive oil was a treat, and the fresh eggs from their chickens were very welcome. Our daughters (2 & 4) loved the tree houses in the garden, and we appreciated borrowing some books and toys from Idit, as we were travelling light (obviously, from the UK!). I would definitely recommend this property to friends or family. In terms of the surrounding area, we went in May, which was low season, so very quiet. Many tavernas and restaurants were already open (although a few had yet to stock ice cream until the season really kicked off!). The Greek people we met were very welcoming and generous. We found a good fruit & veg shop in Methoni village that stocked all kinds of good food (much better than the supermarket) so we cooked a lot and enjoyed all our meals outside. The beaches are pretty: however, if you want "pristine" white sand then you should go later in the season, as early on in May there is still lots of dried twigs and vegetation (bamboo-like plants) scattered over the beaches. This did not bother us at all but some people may prefer to wait for June, when many beaches have been swept and cleared of this. The water is beautifully clear and turquoise: but for good snorkelling you need to swim much further out, or do bespoke boat trips to actually see much sea-life. In terms of other sights to enjoy, we found some beautiful waterfalls in this region, and visited the ancient ruins at Myceni. There are many pretty villages, monasteries and old forts and castle ruins to explore. At the nearest beach to Villa Gaia is a little beach bar and a swimming pool, staffed by lovely Greek guys, playing chilled music and a great bar service!