Ella Pienaar

Ella Pienaar left Bloemfontein in the sixties, when she was about 45 yrs old, after the loss of her son and husband. They died a month apart. She moved for two years to Italy where she stayed with her daughter, but finally she found her way to Greece.

In Skiathos she bought a plot of land, just outside the village, right above a beach. In those days there were no roads, only a foot path through the olive groves. She bought a mule and slowly started building Villa Ella, carting up all the building materials, along the footpath, from the harbour. With the help of the neighbour and his three sons, she built one of the first guest houses on the island. She was truly a pioneer.

Today the island is scattered with guest houses and hotels, but everybody knows Villa Ella. The Greeks steal nothing except plants, and in every garden you will witness all the plants from Villa Ella and from South Africa. She never left Greece, she stayed on Skiathos until she was in her eighties. Cristiana brought her back to South Africa, when she got sickly. She died in South Africa and was buried next to her husband and son in Bloemfontein.

We loved our stay at Villa Ella. It is simple, yet comfortable, and the garden is magnificent! A must if you ever find your way to Greece!