When the new small-screen adaptation of One Day dropped on Netflix earlier this year, it sparked a flicker of lust in millions of binge-watchers across the nation. Much of that could, of course, be attributed to leading man Leo Woodall—he of the ’90s boy band face and roguish charm (which masked an equally appealing inner vulnerability… but that’s for a different article). But at least some of the longing was reserved for another element of the show: the idyllic Greek island featured in episode four, which finds Em (Ambika Mod) and Dex (Woodall) enjoying a definitely-as-platonic-friends-and-nothing-more holiday à deux in the early ’90s.
The location—all pink bougainvillea exploding over white stucco walls, fishing boats bobbing in a picturesque harbor, and impossibly quaint al fresco restaurants—was Paros, which is less than an hour by boat from the party capital of Mykonos, yet worlds away from its flashy Cycladic neighbor, home to the €150 daybed and the €40 crab leg.
Thirty-plus years on from when the show was set, Paros is now home to many more luxury hotels, but it still has all of the rustic charm that lured holidaymakers such as Truman Capote and Vogue photographer Cecil Beaton in the past. The small boutique property Andronis Minois, on the east of the island, offers both: the low-rise building mirrors traditional Cycladic architecture, but with a sleek and contemporary finish, all fresh white interiors with splashes of ocean blue and terracotta. To step into one of the light, bright, and breezy suites—overlooking either the sea or the serene pool area dotted with palm trees—is to instantly feel your shoulders drop.
The food is a real highlight at this incredibly peaceful spot, from the Greek omelets and delectable orange juice at breakfast—served on a shady, blue and white tiled terrace with a postcard-perfect view of the coastline—to dinner at Olvo restaurant, which serves up simple and delicious meat and fish from the josper oven. Or in other words, exactly what you want to eat outside on a balmy evening by the sea (ideally with a generous helping of the homemade fries).