“It feels like I’m coming home when I’m here in Greece. I really love the feeling of the warmth,” said Sean from London on our first night, as we all sat around the long table sharing dinner for the first time. That warmth is exactly what I felt after seven days at Nefeli Nine Retreat in Dikastika, Marathon: a warmth that comes from the people, the place and the slow rhythm of the days.

I spent a week with people who felt strangely familiar, as if we’d known each other for years. Or maybe it was simply that we all came here looking for the same thing – a way to slow down from the pace of everyday life, to reconnect with nature, to walk, to move, to breathe.

Nefeli Nine Retreat offers exactly that; it’s a network of luxurious yet down-to-earth yoga, hiking and wellness centers in Greece. Set in carefully chosen, off-the-beaten-path locations, it focuses on physical movement, mindful meals and nature-led exploration, and all in a way that makes the experience accessible to everyone, no matter their fitness level.

Even its name carries meaning – Nefeli comes from the Greek word for “cloud” (νέφος); add the number Nine, and it’s a promise of lightness, of being on cloud nine.

Strangers No More

Most guests arrive on their own, not quite sure what to expect. The first hours include quiet, polite introductions and, a little hesitation around the table, but that doesn’t last long. After the first dinner, something shifts. People start to talk, to laugh, to share small parts of their stories.

Amy, who came with her friend Julie from Bellingham, Washington, had been through a difficult divorce the year before. She told me this was the first truly relaxing vacation she’d had in a very long time – “the first time I didn’t have to plan everything myself.” Being here, she said, felt like being taken care of.

Over the years, the groups have stayed small – never more than eight people – and the mix is always different. Stephania Kontomichalou, the woman behind Nefeli Nine Retreat, tells me about a guest who didn’t join any of the hikes, practiced yoga every day, and left saying it was one of the best weeks she’d ever had.

Stephania said that connection here happens naturally, without effort. “At the beginning there’s always a bit of awkwardness,” she told me. “And then there’s a moment, maybe on the beach or during a hike, when something changes.” I thought of a day when our hike ended on the beach at Sesi. We sat on a pebbled beach, tossing stones into the water and laughing for no reason. “That’s when I know it’s working,” she said.

The retreat brings together people from different cities and countries, but what unites them is the need to slow down. Lian, a surgeon from San Diego, put it simply: “In my job, it’s all pressure and decisions. Here, I don’t have to decide anything. I just follow the rhythm and breathe.”

The Place – Authentic Greece, Just an Hour Away

Choosing the right locations was one of Stephania’s first and biggest challenges. “I wanted places that felt authentic and far away, without necessarily being far away,” she told me. In the Athens area, that search led her to Dikastika, a quiet coastal area less than an hour from both downtown and the airport, easily accessible, yet peaceful and untouched by the city’s pace.

Here stands Villa Nefeli Nine – a light-filled, modern house designed to feel both private and communal. With wide terraces, sea views, and a long table that becomes the heart of the day, the villa is where guests eat, move about and unwind together.

Stephania started Nefeli Nine in 2019, inspired by her own move from London to Greece and her desire to offer something slower and more real. After a brief pause during the pandemic, she returned with a clearer vision: to create retreats that feel like a friend’s home, places where you don’t have to think about anything, where every detail quietly takes care of you instead.

Here in Dikastika, the setting itself plays a major role in that feeling. It’s the Greece of family-run tavernas, homemade food, and people who still greet you like a neighbor. “That’s what I love about these places,” Stephania said. “They’re real. I want to show people the sides of Greece they haven’t seen: the mountains, the quiet, the sense of space.”

Yoga – Movement That Speaks

At Nefeli Nine, yoga isn’t about performance or perfection, it’s about listening to your body. The daily classes are led by Panos Kontis, who has been working with Stephania almost since the very beginning. With more than 11 years of experience, Panos brings a thoughtful, grounded approach to the practice. “You don’t need to know anything before you come. You just start where you are, and that’s enough,” Panos said.

Yoga takes place twice a day: an energizing morning practice that wakes up the body and sets the tone for the day, and a softer evening session that helps everyone unwind after hiking and meals. Each class follows a different sequence, designed to reflect the group’s rhythm and the changing light of the day.

Practicing outdoors when the weather allows, with the sea stretched below and the air still warm from the sun, creates a sense of quiet connection that’s hard to describe. There’s no pressure, no comparison, only a tranquil rhythm shared between movement, music and the surrounding landscape.

Hiking – Movement Through the Landscape

Hiking is at the heart of the Nefeli Nine experience, not as a challenge, but as a way to reconnect with nature and with yourself. Each day brought a different landscape. One morning we set out from the villa in the cool air, heading towards the coast and the beckoning sea. Another day we climbed Mt Penteli, known for its marble and its wide views over Attica – the kind of place that makes you stop for a moment just to take it all in. Midweek, we followed a coastal path from Mikro Sesi to Limnionas, ending with lunch by the sea – simple food, the kind that tastes better after a long walk.

Our trek to the ancient site of Rhamnous took us through olive trees and quiet hills to where the ruins of temples sit facing the sea. On our last day, on the nearby island of Evia, we climbed until we reached the mysterious Drakospita, or “Dragon Houses,” ancient structures built from massive stones, with the wind and the open view reminding us just how small we are in the greater landscape.

Our hiking guide, Ermis Tomadakis, has more than 20 years of experience exploring these trails. Calm and steady, he always seemed full of energy, even on the longest routes. Stephania and Panos were part of every hike, too, walking with the group. Their presence helped link the hiking experiences to the other activities, as if everyone was moving together at the same pace.

Each hike had its own rhythm. Some days felt energetic and social, others quieter, almost meditative. The combination of the movement, the elements and the natural surroundings made every route feel like its own small journey.

Food – Nourishment as Connection

At Nefeli Nine, food is more than just a meal, it’s part of the rhythm of the day. Breakfast appears quietly after morning yoga, lunch is light and unhurried, and dinner brings everyone together around the long table, sharing stories as the evening settles in.

The food is predominantly plant-based, colorful and full of flavor, proving that simplicity can be deeply satisfying. Stephania does most of the cooking herself, drawing inspiration from Greek and Middle Eastern flavors. The villa’s open kitchen adds to the informality, as there’s no barrier between kitchen and table – just a pervasive smell of herbs, the sound of conversation, and a sense of shared space.

Stephania isn’t alone in the kitchen, however. Anafe, who moved to Greece from the Philippines in 1997, has been by her side for years. Warm, steady, and always one step ahead, she helps prepare meals and makes sure nothing is ever missing. Together they create not just food, but atmosphere – the quiet hum of care that fills the house.

Between the hikes, the yoga sessions and the long meals, guests also find time to rest. There’s always the option for a massage – something that, for many, becomes a turning point. “When I got here and had the massage,” Amy told me, “I just started crying. It was one of the first times in a long while that I let myself feel everything. I realized I’d made it through the hard part, and, for the first time, I felt like I was going to be okay.”

By the end of the week, everything had softened – the rhythm of the days, the way we moved, even the conversations around the table. It wasn’t a dramatic transformation, just a quiet shift. I left with the sense that simplicity, when done with care, can be enough to reset everything.

The Woman Behind the Simplicity

Stephania Kontomichalou wears many hats – host, cook, organizer, hiking companion – yet somehow she makes it all feel effortless. What she’s built with Nefeli Nine isn’t just a retreat; it’s an extension of her own way of living.

Stephania grew up in London, where life moved fast, then studied and worked in sports management in the U.S. It was only after moving to Greece that she began to understand what slowing down really meant. “London taught me how to work hard,” she said, “but Greece taught me how to breathe.”

When she started Nefeli Nine in 2019, Stephania did everything herself: cooking, planning and guiding, all while battling the usual doubts that come with starting something new. “Fear,” she said bluntly. “Fear of failing, of not being good enough. But that’s part of it. You have to work through it.” Over time, she learned to see fear as a teacher rather than a threat. One of her yoga instructors once told her, “Fake it till you make it,” a phrase she still keeps close.

At the center of everything she does is one principle: safety and care. “I want people to feel safe. That’s huge for me,” she told me. “I want to take every decision out of people’s hands – what to eat, where to go, when to rest – so that they can just be.”