The Rooster
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THE HOTEL
'Hotel' doesn't feel quite right for The Rooster. 'Resort' is the term it uses but that also lands too heavily.
The Rooster is both more ephemeral and more elemental than either. Its origin story says its founder used to hear a rooster around the bay but there's a double meaning to the name that comes close to capturing the essence of the place. The Rooster is somewhere to gather and rest.
The longer the journey you make into Greece’s Cyclades, the more you are rewarded. Unless you're arriving on the Rooster's helipad, you’ll probably reach Antiparos by ferry from Paros, which is at least three hours by sea from Athens. This is the deep Cycladics. Barely seven miles long and less than three wide, Antiparos is an island of few cars. Once the Rooster has transferred you from the port to its reception, all-terrain buggies or e-bikes are more fun and fitting ways to get around.
Not that you’ll be rushing to leave. Once you’ve dropped off your luggage, find the path that meanders down to the beach. Along the way, there’s a wooden hut dispensing paddleboards, parasols, chairs and drinks. Choose your place on the sand, then immerse yourself in the water.
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THE ROOMS
Accommodation is a loose cluster of low-slung villas built in local stone using traditional techniques. Expertly blended into the surrounding landscape, each one has a pool, terrace and outdoor shower. Privacy comes not from high walls but from tall grasses that sway between the properties. Most are designed for two or three guests, though a couple of larger ones can comfortably take a family of five. Bigger groups should look to the eight-bed Beach House, new for summer 2025 on the other side of the island.
The gorgeous texture of the stonework defines the outside of the villas. With stone surfaces, wooden furnishings and a palette of subtle neutrals, their interiors are just as natural and tactile. You’ll find books, beach towels, Bluetooth speakers and well-stocked minibars inside them too.
THE FOOD
Unpretentious, generous, and deeply connected to Antiparos, the food is an expression of the Rooster’s essential character. Menus are defined by what’s ripe in its garden and what the boats have brought in that morning. Breakfasts are as zingy as the lemon tree that shades the porch on which they are served. Among the eggs, the overnight oats and the still-warm sourdoughs, there was something new for us: melon jam. It should be a staple.
Sunsets on Antiparos are always different and always spectacular. Take in at least one from the Rooster’s open-air bar, before heading into the Secret Garden for dinner. The Cycladic islands can be windy in summer, but this is a walled haven from everything. Spread between trees and around natural rock formations, the tables within are lit by candles, as if to show how sheltered you are now.
The Rooster might not have rooms but it does have room service. You can even invite a chef over to fire up your villa’s barbecue on your behalf. That said, it’s worth leaving your lounger and borrowing an e-bike to make the short trip to the Farm, where a lot of the Rooster’s produce is grown.
This is also where you can sit down to the best garden-fresh meal of your life. Ours was prepped and cooked by Despina, using the wood-fired oven in the Farm’s open kitchen, and hosted by Marina, who would bring her the finishing ingredients from the beds right in front of us. Accompanied by wonderful breads, classic Greek dishes were served in their platonic form.
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THE SPA
The paths and tracks that wind through the Rooster, connecting its villas and outbuildings, give its 30 acres a languid, labyrinthine feel. But there’s no mythological monster at the centre of this maze, just an inner sanctum.
The House of Healing is the spiritual heart. Ayurveda specialist Abhilash has created a space that encourages profound relaxation. We found the quickest route to that blissful state is a massage from the man himself, though yoga sessions, Pilates workouts or a signature facial will all have a similar effect, while holistic therapist Katerina’s barefoot Ashiatsu massage promises to show you a new path to restoration. For something a little more strenuous, there’s also a small gym.
THE EXTRAS
It might be tiny and quiet but there is just enough to do on Antiparos. The e-bikes are great for riding aimlessly around the island, picking your way between smallholdings to find some of its other beaches, but they also put the Cave of Antiparos in easy reach. Dressed in stalactites and stalagmites that are tens of millions of years old, it’s a unique vertical cave offering a glimpse into deep geological time.
The Rooster can also lend you its shapely Riva motorboat and her skipper. It’s a chic way to go for dinner on Paros or they could take you to coves you won’t reach any other way. Surfing, fishing, hiking, wine tasting, even olive oil tasting can also be laid on – and all will enhance your sense of place. Remember too, though, you’re here to slow down.
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THE VERDICT
Many luxe hotels pile on services, facilities and amenities. The Rooster understands that true luxury lies in amplifying what Antiparos already possesses. With a light touch, it reveals the island’s natural gifts, from its lazy rhythms to long sunsets. The cumulative effect of a few days here is narcotically powerful. Worries soften, time stretches and you settle into the present moment. Call it a hotel, a resort or something else, the Rooster is a beautiful place to just be.
Livadia Bay, Antiparos, Greece
Visit THEROOSTERANTIPAROS.COM
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