From the moment we booked this beautiful property until the moment we reluctantly drove away on our way to the airport everything was perfect. The owner was extremely helpful, answering even the most unusual of questions (are there inflatables at the pool?!) quickly and warmly via email. Michalis, who manages the property locally could not have been more helpful. We got lost finding the villa and rather than try and describe the location to us, he drove and found us and accompanied us to the property! Once we knew where it was, we didn’t get lost again though, as it’s not actually that hard to find once you know where you’re going.
The villa itself is lovely. Spotlessly clean, spacious, and with views that are simply breathtaking. The pool is a great size and there’s nothing quite like swimming along whilst looking out across the bay - sublime! And the sunsets…It’s as though they’re being put on especially for the villa! Unreal.
The landscaping of the gardens is stunning, with beautiful fruit trees, olive groves and the kind of planting reminiscent of the tropics. It all made for the perfect place to relax on the days when we weren’t out sightseeing.
We hired a car at the airport and I would definitely recommend it. We used carrental.com and got a great deal with Hertz. Keep checking the prices after you’ve booked though, as a week before we flew, I managed to cancel and rebook the exact same car for £160 less! We drove to the beach and restaurants at Almyrida, 10 minutes away from the villa, several times, and we paid a couple of visits to Chania old town and Rethymno, both of which are well worth visiting. A highlight was a day at Elafonisi beach - stunning clear water and pink sand. It’s a 2 hour drive from the villa, the last hour of which is a bit challenging at times, along winding mountain roads. We left the villa at 7:40am and arrived by 9:40, by which time the beach was already starting to fill up, but we were able to get 4 sunbeds right on the shoreline - plus we could take photos of the sea without anyone in it! An hour or so later and the beach was full, and people were struggling to find sunbeds. Parking was free and sunbeds were €15 for 2.
Cretan drivers can be intimidating at first, but once you accept that it’s normal for them to overtake you on the ‘motorway’ (don’t expect more than one lane!) you get used to it.
We had an amazing holiday and can’t recommend this villa highly enough!
