Folio

The long read, for the few that earn it.

Where Bearings notes a place in passing, a Folio stops and stays: a close reading of a single house, its coast, its rooms, its table, told in chapters. The same bar as the collection. We don't rate, we select.

BenBen by Dhara at dusk, its white terraced rooms lit on the granite of a Nile island, feluccas moored at the water below
Folio No. 102

BenBen by Dhara

Heissa · Aswan · Egypt

A Nubian house raised straight onto the granite of an island at the First Cataract, reached only by boat, within sight of the Temple of Philae. There is no check-in, the rooms open onto the Nile, and the table sits over the water. One idea, done completely. Read chapter by chapter.

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The vaulted bar at La Colombe d'Or, bottles on a stone mantel beneath a painted fresco with a bowl of lemons to one sideNo. 101

La Colombe d'Or

Saint-Paul-de-Vence · Côte d'Azur · France
Villa Belle Époque at dusk, its whitewashed facade and garden terrace lit by lamplight under old trees in Maadi, CairoNo. 100

Villa Belle Époque

Maadi · Cairo · Egypt
A gardener in a straw hat tends the planting beside a grey rendered villa with a timber-slatted terrace at Domes Zeen Chania, CreteNo. 99

Domes Zeen Chania

West of Chania · Crete · Greece
The ochre 1930s façade of Hotel Albergo in Achrafieh, Beirut, blue shutters and creeper spilling from the upper windowsNo. 98

Hotel Albergo

Achrafieh · Beirut · Lebanon
Grad Otočec, the water castle on its islet in the Krka, reflected in the green river with the wooden bridge crossing to itNo. 97

Grad Otočec

Otočec · Dolenjska · Slovenia
La Bastide de Moustiers seen from above, the stone inn in its wooded park near Moustiers-Sainte-MarieNo. 96

La Bastide de Moustiers

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie · Verdon · Provence
The rooftop terrace at Riad Fès at dusk, looking over the Fès el Bali medina to the hills beyondNo. 95

Riad Fès

Fès el Bali · Fès · Morocco
Amyth of Nicosia, the restored mansion with pale blue shutters on honey-coloured stone inside the walled old city of NicosiaNo. 94

Amyth of Nicosia

Old City · Nicosia · Cyprus
Prado Luxury Hotel above the beach at Livadh, the stepped pale building set against the green Ceraunian hills with the Ionian in frontNo. 93

Prado

Livadh · Himarë · Albania
The whitewashed seventeenth-century manor at Quinta do Paral in the Alentejo at golden hour, a crenellated turret above the cobbled courtyardNo. 92

Quinta do Paral

Vidigueira · Alentejo
The long infinity pool of Beresheet reaching out over the rim of Makhtesh Ramon at sunsetNo. 90

Beresheet

Mitzpe Ramon · Negev
Villa Mahal's stone terraces and swimming platforms stepping down to the clear blue of Kalkan BayNo. 91

Villa Mahal

Kalkan · Turquoise Coast · Turkey
The pool at Masseria Moroseta at dusk among the olive groves above OstuniNo. 89

Masseria Moroseta

Ostuni · Puglia
The infinity pool and olive trees on the Minos Palace headland above Mirabello Bay, CreteNo. 88

Minos Palace

Agios Nikolaos · Mirabello Bay · Crete
The pool terrace of a suite at Kalesma Mykonos, loungers and parasols above the AegeanNo. 87

Kalesma Mykonos

Aleomandra · Ornos · Mykonos
An infinity pool at Minthis looking out over the wooded hills of the protected reserve above PaphosNo. 86

Minthis

Tsada · Paphos · Cyprus
A swallow skims the infinity pool at Sigma Residences at golden hour, the Sifnos hills beyondNo. 85

Sigma Residences

Exámbela · Sifnos · Greece
The low white 1950s facade of Les Roches Rouges above the pebble beach at Saint-Raphaël, yellow awnings and the Mediterranean beyondNo. 84

Les Roches Rouges

Saint-Raphaël · Côte d'Azur
Capo resort at Batroun, palms and white umbrellas around a long pool stepping down sandy terraces to the MediterraneanNo. 83

Capo

Batroun · Lebanon
The rooftop terrace at Dar Saïd at golden hour, blue bistro chairs above the whitewashed roofs of Sidi Bou Saïd and the Gulf of TunisNo. 82

Dar Saïd

Sidi Bou Saïd · Tunisia
A stone villa and pool among olive trees in the green hills of Istria at San Canzian, near BujeNo. 81

San Canzian

Mužolini Donji · Buje · Istria
The pink facade of Palazzo Avino on the cliff above Ravello and the Amalfi CoastNo. 80

Palazzo Avino

Ravello · Amalfi Coast · Campania
The village of Crillon le Brave at sunset, honey-coloured houses on a hilltop facing Mont VentouxNo. 79

Crillon le Brave

Vaucluse · Mont Ventoux · Provence
The arched loggia of Palazzo Daniele opening onto a courtyard of palms and orange treesNo. 78

Palazzo Daniele

Gagliano del Capo · Salento · Italy
The rooftop plunge pool and teak terrace at Vander, over Ljubljana's tiled roofsNo. 77

Vander Urbani Resort

Old town · Ljubljanica · Ljubljana
The black, louvred facade of MAP Boutique Hotel a few steps from the Venetian walls of NicosiaNo. 76

MAP Boutique Hotel

Nicosia · Cyprus
The whitewashed farmhouse of Torralbenc above a dry-stone wall on the south of MenorcaNo. 75

Torralbenc

Cala en Porter · Menorca · Spain
Borgo Santandrea stepping down the cliff above the sea, Amalfi CoastNo. 74

Borgo Santandrea

Amalfi · Conca dei Marini · Campania
Aerial view of Espera Suites, the pool and white suites above the channel to Milos on KimolosNo. 73

Espera Suites

Kalamitsi · Kimolos · Greece
The white vaulted hall at Rosselli AX Privilege, a single table set under an arched niche of dark flowers, VallettaNo. 72

Rosselli AX Privilege

Merchants Street · Valletta · Malta
A curved cliff-top pool at Hacienda Na Xamena above the bay of San Miguel, north IbizaNo. 71

Hacienda Na Xamena

Na Xamena · San Miguel · Ibiza
Aerial view of Lazure marina and breakwater at Meljine, the historic stone building along the shore of the Bay of KotorNo. 70

Lazure Hotel & Marina

Meljine · Herceg Novi · Montenegro
Green Coast Hotel at dusk, its stone blocks lit gold above a raked beach of loungers and white umbrellas at PalasëNo. 69

Green Coast Hotel

Palasë · Albanian Riviera · Albania
The dining table at Casa Massina beneath its painting of Lake Kerkini, beside the open kitchen bar and wooden stoolsNo. 68

Casa Massina

Ano Poroia · Lake Kerkini · Greece
The courtyard of Beit al Batroun, a pale stone house with green shutters among olive trees above the sea in North LebanonNo. 67

Beit al Batroun

Thoum · Batroun · Lebanon
Castello di Reschio, a restored medieval castle on a hill above its Umbrian estate at duskNo. 66

Castello di Reschio

Niccone Valley · Umbria · Italy
The courtyard of Dar Ben Gacem seen from below, a green and red tiled cornice framing a square of open sky in the medina of TunisNo. 65

Dar Ben Gacem

Medina of Tunis · Tunisia
The whitewashed, ochre-trimmed facade of Hacienda de San Rafael under olive trees and bougainvillea, between Seville and JerezNo. 64

Hacienda de San Rafael

Las Cabezas de San Juan · Andalusia · Spain
The colonnaded courtyard of Dar El Jeld, stone arcades around an open patio in the medina of TunisNo. 63

Dar El Jeld

Tunis · The Medina · Tunisia
The white hillside village of Anassa above the beach on Chrysochous Bay at dusk, on the edge of the Akamas Peninsula in north-west CyprusNo. 62

Anassa

Akamas Peninsula · Chrysochous Bay · Cyprus
Timber cabanas with a private pool set among umbrella pines at Sublime Comporta at golden hourNo. 61

Sublime Comporta

Comporta · Alentejo · Portugal
La Maison Bleue, a pale-blue villa above agave gardens running down to its Red Sea lagoon at El Gouna in the early lightNo. 60

La Maison Bleue

El Gouna · Red Sea · Egypt
Areias do Seixo lit at dusk, a low run of concrete and glass in the dunes above Santa Cruz under a deep blue skyNo. 59

Areias do Seixo

Santa Cruz · Silver Coast · Portugal
An aerial view of the Ammothines pool, ringed by timber daybeds and sunshades among the dunes at PlakaNo. 58

Ammothines Cycladic Suites

Plaka Beach · Naxos · Greece
The powder-blue façade of Vermelho in Melides, white plaster carved in great curls around the windowsNo. 57

Vermelho

Melides · Alentejo · Portugal
The planted courtyard garden at the heart of Alavya, a pool and loungers among old olive trees and the stone houses of AlaçatıNo. 56

Alavya

Alaçatı · Çeşme Peninsula · Turkey
Elma Arts Complex, a long white Brutalist building stepped into the wooded Carmel ridge above Zichron Ya'akovNo. 55

Elma Arts Complex

Zichron Ya'akov · Mount Carmel · Israel
Kalopanayiotis spread across a green hillside in the Marathasa valley, red-tiled roofs among the pines with the turquoise reservoir and the Troodos ridges beyondNo. 54

Casale Panayiotis

Kalopanayiotis · Marathasa Valley · Cyprus
The Chedi Luštica Bay above its marina, the hotel and pale village rising over the Adriatic on the Luštica peninsulaNo. 53

The Chedi Luštica Bay

Luštica Bay · Bay of Kotor · Montenegro
The rooftop pool of L'Heure Bleue Palais at dusk, a laid table and lanterns above the Essaouira medinaNo. 52

L'Heure Bleue Palais

Essaouira · Atlantic Morocco
The Meneghetti courtyard, wrought-iron tables on gravel between the restored stone farmhouse and its wisteriaNo. 51

Meneghetti

Bale · Istria · Croatia
A light-filled lounge at The Jaffa, mid-century chairs set against the old Jaffa stoneNo. 50

The Jaffa

Old Jaffa · Tel Aviv · Israel
The LD Restaurant terrace running along the old town wall of Korčula, tables set above the Pelješac channelNo. 49

Lešić Dimitri Palace

Korčula · Dalmatia · Croatia
Vila Planinka, a tall honey-coloured timber and stone house at the head of the Jezersko valley, the Kamnik-Savinja Alps rising behind under autumn larchesNo. 48

Vila Planinka

Jezersko · Kamnik-Savinja Alps · Slovenia
The pink 18th-century manor of Monaci delle Terre Nere among gardens and a pool, vineyard terraces and the wooded slope of Etna behindNo. 47

Monaci delle Terre Nere

Zafferana Etnea · Sicily
A candlelit terrace table under a reed pergola at Kasbah Bab Ourika, the red hills of the Ourika Valley beyondNo. 46

Kasbah Bab Ourika

Ourika Valley · High Atlas · Morocco
The pool at Lily of the Valley under umbrella pines at sunset, the bay of Cavalaire beyondNo. 45

Lily of the Valley

La Croix-Valmer · French Riviera
The Bastion Pool at The Phoenicia Malta set against the sixteenth-century fortification wall, Marsamxett Harbour beyondNo. 44

The Phoenicia Malta

Floriana · Malta
Al Moudira on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, a palm-lined path to a domed pavilion at golden hourNo. 43

Al Moudira

Luxor · West Bank · Egypt
The Xara Palace and the honey-coloured bastions of Mdina above the Maltese countryside at duskNo. 42

The Xara Palace

Mdina · Malta
The timber jetties and orange-and-white umbrellas of Casa dell'Arte running out over the clear water of Torba Bay on the Bodrum peninsulaNo. 41

Casa dell'Arte

Torba · Bodrum Peninsula · Turkey
The pale stone building of Manna standing alone in a clearing of the fir forest on Mount Mainalo, ArcadiaNo. 40

Manna

Mount Mainalo · Arcadia · Peloponnese
An aerial view of Bkerzay, a scatter of stone guest houses set low into the pine and oak forest on a shoulder of the Chouf mountainsNo. 39

Bkerzay

Chouf Mountains · Mount Lebanon · Lebanon
Mas de Torrent at dusk, an 18th-century Catalan stone farmhouse with cypresses and a garden terrace on the Baix EmpordàNo. 38

Mas de Torrent

Torrent · Baix Empordà · Costa Brava
The salt-rock lodge of Adrère Amellal strung along the shore of the Siwan salt lake at sunsetNo. 37

Adrère Amellal

Siwa Oasis · Western Desert · Egypt
Torre de Palma from the air at sunrise, a balloon above the vineyards and the whitewashed estate on the Alentejo plainNo. 36

Torre de Palma

Monforte · Alto Alentejo · Portugal
The arched marble rooftop terrace at Efendi over the Mediterranean, Old City of AcreNo. 35

Efendi

Old City · Acre · Israel
El Fenn's roof terrace with striped parasols and the Koutoubia minaret rising beyond, MarrakechNo. 34

El Fenn

Bab El Ksour · Marrakech · Morocco
The stone terrace of Palazzo Radomiri at Dobrota, wrought-iron furniture under a pergola in evening lightNo. 33

Palazzo Radomiri

Dobrota · Bay of Kotor · Montenegro
The fortified 1483 monastery of Lopud rising in pale stone off its own point above the Adriatic, the island village behindNo. 32

Lopud 1483

Lopud · Elaphiti islands · Croatia
The terrace pool at Argos in Cappadocia above Pigeon Valley, the stone village of Uçhisar beyondNo. 31

Argos in Cappadocia

Uçhisar · Cappadocia · Turkey
The emerald Soča running fast between wooded mountains near KobaridNo. 30

Hiša Franko

Kobarid · Soča Valley · Slovenia
The columned veranda of The Romanos at golden hour, white curtains drawn back to the IonianNo. 29

The Romanos

Navarino Dunes · Messinia · Greece
The restored 1920s facade of The Norman on Nachmani Street, Tel AvivNo. 28

The Norman

Tel Aviv · Israel
The pool at Son Brull under a single old tree, the Serra de Tramuntana beyondNo. 27

Son Brull

Pollença · Mallorca · Spain
The Sassi of Matera and its cathedral tower above the Gravina ravineNo. 26

Le Grotte della Civita

Matera · Basilicata · Italy
The turquoise courtyard pool of Apokryfo at dusk, ringed by restored stone houses in LofouNo. 25

Apokryfo

Lofou · Troodos · Cyprus
The terrace pool and cream umbrellas of La Réserve Ramatuelle above the MediterraneanNo. 24

La Réserve Ramatuelle

Ramatuelle · Saint-Tropez peninsula · Côte d'Azur
Maçakızı's wooden sun-decks stepping into the turquoise Aegean on the north shore of the Bodrum peninsulaNo. 23

Maçakızı

Göltürkbükü · Bodrum · Türkiye
Aerial view of the pine-covered peninsula and seafront at Four Seasons Astir Palace, VouliagmeniNo. 22

Four Seasons Astir Palace

Vouliagmeni · Athens Riviera · Greece
The whitewashed village of Su Gologone in its wooded valley below the grey wall of the Supramonte, SardiniaNo. 21

Su Gologone

Oliena · Sardinia · Italy
The whitewashed ranges of São Lourenço do Barrocal on the Alentejo plain below MonsarazNo. 20

São Lourenço do Barrocal

Monsaraz · Alentejo · Portugal
The Mythic Villa estate stepping down olive terraces above the Aegean on SifnosNo. 19

Mythic Villa

Exambela · Sifnos · Greece
The white finca of Menorca Experimental with its long pool, olive trees and green shuttersNo. 18

Menorca Experimental

Alaior · Menorca · Balearic Islands
A swimmer suspended in the thermal Sphere Pool at Euphoria Retreat, MystrasNo. 17

Euphoria Retreat

Mystras · Laconia · Peloponnese
The fortified island village of Sveti Stefan on its rock off the Montenegrin coastNo. 16

Aman Sveti Stefan

Sveti Stefan · Montenegro
Monastero Santa Rosa on its clifftop above the Gulf of Salerno, Amalfi CoastNo. 15

Monastero Santa Rosa

Conca dei Marini · Amalfi Coast
The Capofaro lighthouse rising from the Malvasia vineyard on Salina, with Stromboli on the horizonNo. 14

Capofaro

Malfa · Salina · Aeolian Islands
The indoor wellness pool at the Nao Longevity Hub, Minos Palace, CreteNo. 13

Nao, the Spa Rewired

Minos Palace · Crete
The medieval settlement of Kastro on Sifnos above the AegeanNo. 12

Sifnos, at the Table

Sifnos · The Cyclades
Low timber pavilions and a long pool folded into a pine forest above Maslinica Bay on HvarNo. 11

Maslina Resort

Stari Grad · Hvar · Croatia
Villa La Coste, the low stone hotel among the vineyards of Château La Coste in ProvenceNo. 10

Villa La Coste

Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade · Provence
La Mirande lit at dusk below the floodlit Palais des Papes in AvignonNo. 09

La Mirande

Avignon · Vaucluse · Provence
A plunge-pool terrace at Iniala over Valletta's Grand HarbourNo. 08

Iniala Valletta

Valletta · Malta
Villa Nai 3.3, the seawater pool over the AdriaticNo. 06

Villa Nai 3.3

Dugi Otok · Croatia
Amanzoe above the AegeanNo. 07

Amanzoe

Porto Heli · Peloponnese
La Donaira, a holm oak at sunsetNo. 05

La Donaira

Serranía de Ronda · Andalusia
Dar Ahlam, a candlelit table above a dry riverbedNo. 04

Dar Ahlam

Skoura · Morocco
Cap Rocat, the fortress on the Bay of PalmaNo. 03

Cap Rocat

Cala Blava · Mallorca
Domaine de Murtoli, CorsicaNo. 02

Domaine de Murtoli

Sartène · Corsica
Dexamenes, KouroutaNo. 01

Dexamenes

Kourouta · Peloponnese