Once you stand on the terrace of the Maia, you might recall the opening lines of a W.Whitman poem: O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, the ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won. This beautiful poem finds a happy ending in Sveta Nedjelja, with You in the main role.
Villa Features
The true story of Maia, who came to anchor in the village of Sveta Nedjelja, goes like this – three families arrived on Hvar looking for the perfect campground for a two-week adventure with their kids. Waking up the first morning on the south side of Hvar, they immediately felt they had arrived in paradise. Having visited in most of the countries of Europe, the owners were convinced that the south side of Hvar Island had a special magic that was incomparable.
Before the day was over, they were looking for land. In less than a week, they had found a special plot in the village of Sveta Nedelja with a matchless view. It took seven years to plan and build the villa Maia; it was finished in 2015, and 2016 will be its first rental year. The final result blends old world style with modern comfort and convenience; surrounded by the Mediterranean flora, you’ll enjoy the stunning view from spacious terraces, a private chlorine free pool with built-in tanning ledges, and a unique kind of privacy in general, since the villa is situated in a way that you can see everything, and not everyone can see you.
The Maia described in dry numbers looks like this – 1780 m2 of land in total or 120 m2 of interior space, 71 m2 of terraces, 26 m2 is the size of the pool, and 40 m2 is the size of the terrace around pool.
When you reach Sveta Nedjelja, you’ll be faced with a choice – you’ll either take the road that leads to the sea or the road to the right, the one above, which leads to the old village center. Chose the upper road since Maia is the first house on its right side. Leave your car at a private parking lot, and skip over 26 steps that lead from the entrance to the estate to the entrance to the villa over its white minimalist terraces covered with travertine stone.
There are no ceramic tiles in the house – absolutely nothing that is cold and unfriendly. All floor, kitchen backsplash, and bathroom surfaces are travertine stone imported directly from Denizli / Turkey. Because of its unique construction, travertine is never hot, even when directly in the sun, and also is not cold to the touch when the sun goes down. Your bare feet will enjoy the unique soft feel of the surface and your eyes will delight in the natural warm colors of the stone.
The entry door leads you to the central interior of the villa – a spacious open plan kitchen / dining / living room area. An entire wall of the main space facing the south is glass-paneled, so you can enjoy a zen view to the sea without going out to the terraces.
As soon as you walk in, you’ll find steps that take you to the first floor of the villa. Behind the staircase, there is a small toilet and a small storage room. To the right of the entrance, you’ll see the door of the first bedroom with a matrimonial bed and an en-suite bathroom with a shower tray to the left, and an exit to the terrace to the right, directly from the bedroom.
If we take the stairs to the first floor, you’ll find yourself in a hallway that takes you straight or left. To the right, you’ll see the door of a small laundry room. Straight ahead there is a door you can use to separate the part of the house with two bedrooms with a private bathroom. The first bedroom with door to the left has two single beds; one can be stretched, so this room can accommodate three children if necessary. On the right, you’ll see a door to the bathroom with a bath, and straight ahead, a door that leads to a big bedroom with a matrimonial bed.
If we go back to the hallway and turn right – after a few steps you’ll find the door to the master bedroom with a matrimonial bed; on the left side of the room is a door to the en-suite bathroom with a shower tray, and on the right there is a door that leads to a private balcony. And another amazingly beautiful view, of course.
A note – each of the shower trays in bathrooms are made of one slab of solid travertine stone. The hallway on the first floor abounds in light, just like the entire villa. The villa and pool are south facing, giving you maximum sunlight, and the owners also took care that the interiors have as much glass surfaces as possible. Each time you look outside a window, you might get confused by the view, and ask yourselves how you managed to end up on a boat when you reserved a villa. An interesting experience.
The outer terraces and the balcony are well-equipped for a cozy and comfortable stay outdoors – dining tables, coffee and cocktail tables, deck chairs, lounge chairs, and parasols. It’s all here. Even the gas grill and the outside stone sink, and beside the pool there is an outdoor shower with solar heated water. The grounds are terraced with extensive stone walls, hand hewn and built from local stone.
The Maia is as magical as the location. What contributes to the magic is definitely the choice of materials that make this space – quality stone, full wood, cast iron, warm velvet – but also the amazing combination of colors and numerous smaller and bigger details that give a feeling of familiarity, a feeling of one’s own home even during travels. Exactly as it should be if the house is a part of the Villas Hvar VIP collection.
And speaking of travelling and feeling – the sensation of stepping onto the terrace of villa Maia can partly be compared to what a captain feels when standing on the bow of his ship, sailing the expanses of the sea, with nothing but the blue of the sky and the sea on his horizon. We love to travel. Wise people know that it is the path and not the goal that brings joy. Maia will be one of the most pleasant life lessons about travelling. Don’t miss it. While some will learn, some will simply repeat what it’s like to be the captain of their own ship. This is important knowledge, and Maia wields it.
*A few more words on the pool, since it is a special one.
1. The pool tiles are iridescent glass – ordered directly from the manufacturer and imported specially for this pool. This mosaic glass surface feels delightful to the touch and dances with changing colors in the sunlight.
2. The tanning ledge in the pool allows you to stay cool while you are tanning because you sit partially in the water. It is also a great place for children to play, or just to sit in shallow water. There are three holes for parasols to go directly in this area for shade if the sun is too intense.
3. The pool filtration system is a special system that purifies the water through a combination of hydrolysis and ionization. This is the same process that NASA uses for producing clean water in space, and results in water so pure and chemical free that it can be used for drinking. There are NO chemicals, no corrosive salts or harsh chlorine. The pH balance of the pool is maintained automatically at 7.1, which makes the water silky soft and very pleasant to the skin. Just being in the water is an experience. From the pool you have a clear view of three islands and the top of the highest mountain on the island. At the same time, you have total privacy from any road or neighbors. Because of the location on the slope, so you can sunbathe in private with a stunning and sweeping view, right beside your own private pool with no other person or house in sight.
Maia is located directly below the highest mountain on the island with lots of possibilities for hiking. A famous cave with a 500 year old monastery is less than a 30-minute walk away. Svete Nedelja is considered by many to be the best location for wine production in all of Croatia. Wines produced from the vineyards here have won numerous awards, and you can order unique versions of red and white wines directly from the locals. Several outstanding restaurants are a short walk down the hill – one located directly on the harbor specializes in fish and is a favorite destination of luxury yachts and their discerning crews. Read more about location in The Island section / Village of Sveta Nedjelja.
