Rou Estate – Plumbago

The BFB sisters are BIG fans of Corfu and we’ve been on the lookout for baby-friendly holiday gems there ever since our first visit.

We recently stayed in the exclusive northeast and have rarely been so taken with a location. Pine-clad hillsides trickle down into pretty, harbourside villages and beaches all fringed by the brightest of blue seas. Restaurants are plentiful and although we’ve always loved Greek food, the tavernas in this region seem a cut above too. We enjoyed many long and lazy lunches by the water devouring plates of delicious mezze while sipping from carafes of delicious and wonderfully reasonable, local Rose. It was our little slice of holiday heaven and we’ve now found the perfect place for BFB families hoping to experience it for themselves.

‘Rou Estate’ is a dreamy and luxurious village cluster with a host of awards and accolades, including a feature in The Times top 100 places to stay list. Sound special? We like to think so!

Nestled in the foothills of Mount Pantokrator, Rou is the vision of British architect, and Norman Foster protégée, Dominic Skinner and his Dutch wife Claire. Together, they have transformed it from a ruined hamlet into an elegant estate of 14 luxurious villas that combine local charm with contemporary style and family-friendly touches. There’s also a central swimming pool, onsite restaurant, spa, nanny service, gym, and Mediterranean gardens, so pretty that they’ve garnered their own awards.

The estate’s restaurant has a reputation almost as impressive as its sea views with its chef, Mikalis, known to serve amongst the best, local cuisine on the island – the perfect ‘date night’ location..

For other meals, the staff are always on hand to help by arranging a delivery from a local taverna, supermarket, bakery or butcher, or even a private chef to cook ‘in house’ at the villas for a special occasion. On the subject of food, fitness fans will find the estate gym a welcome aid in burning off some of that delicious food. A cool and contemporary space, it has a range of equipment and the staff can help arrange personal trainers, yoga instructors, and more on request.

In need of a little extra relaxation? There’s a wonderful spa onsite which offers a choice of treatments rooms, sauna, steam shower, and hot tub. Treatments can be booked in advance and enjoyed in the spa or in the comfort of your own holiday home (perfect for fitting in a massage while little one’s nap).

Don’t let the properties rural location fool you, although it’s wonderfully tranquil, the property is just a short drive from a choice of pretty villages and tasteful, taverna-backed coves (often pebbly so bring beach shoes). Agni (6km) is unmissable as it is home to one of the area’s best beach front restaurants and has a brilliant little boat hire office allowing for memory-making days out exploring coves and villages along the coast. No trip to the area would be complete without a visit to The White House in Kalami. Once home to the Durrell brothers, the house is now a small hotel with a terraced restaurant, where the food and view are hard to beat.

From lazy lunches by the water, fuelled by little carafes of local rose and freshly caught seafood to hiring your own little boat for a day exploring and picnicking on the water, a holiday to Rou Estate is bound to be memorable. You could simply hole up by the pool for the majority, littles one contentedly playing while you sit back and soak up the views. Whatever you choose to do, it will be impossible not to fall in love with Corfu.

Accommodation Overview
The estate has 14 houses varying in size from 2-5 bedrooms. Each house is expertly equipped and come with their own pools, air conditioning (bedrooms), private terraces, a BBQ, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Plumbago is ideal for larger groups as it sleeps 10 plus infants in five en-suite bedrooms and is located on the edge of the estate with beautiful sea views. The property has a good sense of privacy, an impressive exterior, and bright, comfortable interiors which parents will appreciate.

Guests enter into the upper floor which is home to the living area. There's a good-sized living room with comfortable sofas, beamed ceilings, a lovely little library wall, and doors leading out to the sunny terrace. There's a separate TV room for cosy evenings in (limited satellite channels) and a spacious kitchen diner. The dining area has a large table with plenty of seating for family feasts and the kitchen is contemporary and well equipped with a ceramic cooker/hob, microwave, fridge-freezer, and dishwasher. This room also has doors leading out onto the raised terrace which looks out over to the pool below and the sea beyond.

Downstairs there are five bedrooms, all of which have a sea view and doors leading to the pool terrace. The bedrooms are all spacious and comfortable. Three rooms are doubles of which two have an en-suite bathroom and the other a shower room. The further two rooms are both twin bedrooms with an en-suite bathroom (one shower, one bath). There's also a small walk-in wardrobe off the master bedroom which the owners use as a 'nursery' as it has space for a cot.

Outside there are multiple terraces including the main pool terrace which has sun-loungers and beautiful sea views. The terraces off the upper floor as great outdoor dining spaces and there are comfortable outdoor sofas. The infinity pool is fenced off which is particularly good for families.

Please note: The village gardens and the properties themselves may have small sets of stairs, inclines or steps throughout the interior and the grounds. The property is unsuitable for those with mobility issues and parents with rambunctious children may want to consider that.