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Villa Carpe Diem, 400 yr old lower section, lush garden with pool & sea views
| Sleeps | 2 |
| Bedrooms | 1 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Space | 285 sq. ft. |
| Property type | villa |
| Minimum Stay | 7 nights |
Overview
Bedroom with en suite, swimming pool, gym room and additional bathroom
The accommodation comprises of one duel aspect studio room with en suite bathroom with views towards the sea and pool. The main room has a large King size double bed, one sofa with 27' LCD television & DVD player, refrigerator and microwave. Across from your private swimming pool is the second room containing gym equipment and additional bathroom with WC and shower. Both rooms form the lower floor of a 400 year old stone villa and are set in lush gardens, to the rear of the villa, for your sole use only. The garden forms a major part of the living space and is divided into garden rooms, such as lounge and dining areas, which together with the interior provides an extensive living area.
Most people living on Crete tend to use the outside space more frequently than the interior space. This is why we have concentrated on providing comfortable and varied outside living areas. Access to the accommodation, pool and gardens is through a private entrance located to the side of the villa. The sea and mountain views from the pool and garden are stunning, especially as the sun sets directly over the bay of Kissamos. The rooms both have beamed ceilings and are furnished in a style appropriate to the villa. The garden contains an outside cooking area with gas BBQ and various seating areas with tables & chairs making the most of the views over the garden and bay.
About Keith Masson
Retired Teacher with property interests in England, Dubai, Goa and Crete. Lived and worked in London for many years, having originally come from Surrey. My partner and I have been together for 18 years and now spend time travelling between the properties, mainly on the Kent coast and here on Crete. We also spend time in India and UAE. There is one cat resident here at the villa and his name is Puss-kit.
Keith Masson purchased this villa in 2003
Why Keith Masson chose Crete
We have named the house, 'Villa Carpe Diem', meaning 'Seize the day', which is exactly how we felt when deciding to purchase this property. We bought the house mainly for its position and views overlooking the bay of Kissamos and unique nature of this 400 year old stone building.
What makes this villa unique
After living in a new property in England, we were quite excited with the prospect of retiring to a 400 year old villa with exposed beams and original stonework. Every part of the house and garden has elegant vistas of the surrounding mountains and sea, looking down through the vineyards and olive fields providing a sense of tranquility and privacy. Watching the sun set with a glass of wine from one of the many terraced areas or pool is a wonderful experience and at night the lights of Kastelli town and port illuminate the entire bay area.
Amenities
Kissamos Villa Accommodation and Amenities
- villa
- Guests provide their own meals
- 285 sq. ft.
- Max. occupancy: 2
- not suitable for children
- pets not allowed
- non smoking only
- Near The Ocean
- Village
- Away From It All
- Historic
- Romantic
- Sports & Activities
- Tourist Attractions
- Air Conditioning
- Hair Dryer
- Heating
- Internet
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided ...
- Parking
- Towels Provided
- Coffee Maker
- Dishes & Utensils
- Kitchen
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Stove
- Toaster
- Dining ...
- Dining Area
- seating for 4 people
- 2 Bathrooms
-
Bathroom 1 -
toilet
,
shower
Bathroom 2 - toilet , shower
- Both bathrooms are fully tiled wet rooms, floor to ceiling, and contain a shower area, WC, wash basin and wall mounted storage unit with mirror.
- 1 Bedroom, Sleeps 2
-
Bedroom 1 -
1 king
- Bedroom: Double aspect room with view over pool and bay. Beamed ceilings and tiled floors with Persian rugs. 27' LCD Television with DVD player and small living area with couch. Tea & coffee making facilities. This is an old stone built extension, which contains its own bathroom but is not linked to any other rooms in the building, having its own entrance. (in effect detached) Across from the splash pool is another room with en suite, which is used as a gym / pool room. Both rooms are for your sole use. Gym / pool room: Here you will find a cross-trainer and exercise bench with safety bar for sit-ups, tiled floor and beamed ceiling with shower and WC that are convenient for use after swimming or exercising.
- DVD Player
- Stereo
- Television
- Deck / Patio
- Lawn / Garden ...
- Outdoor Grill
- 12 garden chairs
- wheelchair inaccessible
- Private Pool
- bay/sound
- botanical garden
- caves
- churches
- cinemas
- live theater
- marina
- museums
- nude beach
- playground
- pond
- restaurants
- ruins
- winery tours
- beachcombing
- bird watching
- eco tourism
- horseback riding
- paddle boating
- scenic drives
- sight seeing
- walking
- ATM/bank
- fitness center
- groceries
- hospital
- laundromat
- massage therapist
- medical services
- cycling
- fishing
- fly fishing
- hiking
- hunting small game
- jet skiing
- mountain biking
- mountain climbing
- mountaineering
- paragliding
- sailing
- scuba diving or snorkeling
- skiing
- snorkeling
- sound/bay fishing
- spelunking
- surf fishing
- surfing
- swimming
- water skiing
- wind-surfing
Reviews
Exceptional!
5/5 -
(10 traveler reviews)
Peace, poetry and fantasy
Carpe Diem is probably unlike anywhere else you've ever stayed. Apart from the twelve hairpin bends that take you up to the beautifully-named hamlet Lyridiana, this is the most stress-free place you could imagine. A lush tropical garden perched on a cliff, little winding paths and lots of sitting places to catch the sun or shade, sweeping views over the plain and the sea, privacy, an ingeniously perched triangular pool to splash in and cool down, the sunsets; these are the things you'll remember. A lot of thought has gone into providing this restful but also playful environment. The hosts are helpful and welcoming but discreet. The catering facilities and accommodation are simple but, again, ingenious and delightful. If you are very conventional, crave crowds or have major mobility problems it won't be for you - but then you'll know that from the website description. This is a very special place.
Stunning, private, and full of life
We spent a glorious two weeks in Villa Carpe Diem. Keith & Craig were wonderful hosts who were very friendly and helpful, but also discrete. We spent our honeymoon in this beautiful garden and splash-pool.
You do need to hire a car.
The villa is off the beaten track.
The studio apartment is small - but with a lush eden to explore, all you need a place to sleep and the bed was very comfortable. The villa stays cool, despite a heatwave outside.
The garden is the kitchen, lounge, study and dinning room. Filled with plants and wildlife, there is never a dull moment. You will always find something new. Our favourites were the protected tree frogs who sung us to sleep every night.
If you are looking for a tranquil corner of Mediterranean heaven, then this Villa will be perfect for you.
Pint-sized Eden
I can’t get a happy late-April visit to VCD out of my mind, and if that isn’t the basis for a recommendation, I don’t know what is.
It is everything other reviews note: an exquisite little creation made and hosted by a couple who are helpful but unobtrusive. The accommodation is very small but pretty well formed. If you use the garden as your dining room, study, and sitting room – you’ll do fine.
If you use the villa as a base for exploring Crete’s fabulous wild; its splendid variety of affordable restaurants; its classical ruins and – yes – its chi-chi but still evocative and gorgeous Chania, then it’s also perfect.
But a word more about the garden. It is a small Eden: an English cottage garden as made by a retired 1st century Roman politician in exile, perhaps. It is quite camp. But it is also masterful and a masterpiece. I would risk saying that if you don’t like this garden, if it doesn’t speak to you, you are a little too grand or snobbish for your own good.
And a word about the villa and its village and the immediate surroundings. The hamlet is a cul-de-sac up a gently winding hill road. It has its own unfussed life, which will hum and buzz around you. Its tracks will take a walker or biker out into the olives, and up to other villages, higher in the hills. All easy and friendly.
Crete is a special place, obviously. Muscular, weathered, and populated by all sorts of civilisations which still seem quite present. In spring and early summer, it is scattered with flowers and the hills gleam with colour. VCD puts you in just the receptive frame of mind to revel in it all.
Total Bliss
If you're looking for a lively holiday with clubs and music bars, it's not this place. However, if you're looking for a small slice of borrowed heaven, you've found it. The beautiful apartment is small but supplied with everything you need. Keith and Craig are the ultimate hosts - warm, welcoming and witty but equally discrete. Views from the terrace are gorgeous and you can play 'hunt the tree frogs'. Locally, Vangelis's fish restaurant is excellent and the Bleu Bar is perfect for after-beach drinks. Thoroughly recommend exploring the area which is quiet, unspoiled and stuffed full of ruins and magnificent views around every hair-pin bend.
Please don't come here though - we don't want it to get so booked up that we can't come back. And please don't tell your friends or they'll want to come here too.
Just beautiful
We enjoyed our stay immensely at Villa Carpe Diem. It was a very unique place with great accommodation set in amazing garden's. My only gripe was the garden's could have done with cutting back a little to be able to get around easier and enjoy the seating area's comfortably, as my self and my partner are both quite tall. We loved the tranquility of this little village area, the only noise a night was from the wild life (crickets and bat's etc..). My boyfriend is a bit of a sci fi geek so he was captivated by the memorabilia room/gym. We would love to return in the future and have recommended it to our friend's and family. Although there is a bus stop 10 minute walk away, we found it invaluable having our own hire car for the week, given the remoteness of this lovely village.
charmingly eccentric hideaway!
Villa Carpe Diem is a total discovery! From the welcoming owners to the enthusiastic treefrogs (Hyla arborea veluchiensis) we were made to feel at home but most definitely 'On Holiday' too. Craig and Keith were easygoing and happy to go the extra mile which was much appreciated. Set in a tiny hamlet amid olive groves and within easy driving reach of beaches (including small local coves; the beautiful Balos and, a little further away, Falasarna and Elafonisi) as well as the mountains and gorges of South West Crete, it really is a great location. The market in Chania on Thursday was great and well worth a visit for fresh local groceries but there are good local supermarkets and tavernas in Kissamos too.
I would recommend the property to anyone looking to get away from the typical tourist zones, not travelling with children and not needing amenities in walking distance. The property and facilities were exactly as described on the site. We decided to visit Knossos at the end of our trip and we'd recommend booking a night in Iraklion in addition to your stay at Carpe Diem if you'd like to do that.
Map
The property is set in a private garden overlooking the bay of Kissamos and the Gramvousa peninsula. From this location there are both mountain and sea views. There are olive groves and vineyards surrounding the property, which is on the edge of a small, Greek village, located on the slopes leading down to the bay of Kissamos. The area around the property is of outstanding beauty with views of the area. The town of Kasteli, with its numerous restaurants, supermarkets, banks, coffee shops & beaches can be seen from the property, by day and night, when it gives an impressive light show. A short 10 minute drive will take you to numerous beautiful beaches lined with restaurants and bars. Also a short drive away are Minoan, Roman and Venetian ruins dating back 4,000 years. There is also a museum in Kasteli, which houses many artifacts found locally. Ancient Falasarna, a short drive away, offers the ruins of a Minoan town that is alongside one of the most beautiful beaches here.
Other Activities: archeological sites
Photos
Rates & Availability
Kissamos Villa Rental Rates
- Rental Basis:
- per property
- Manager accepts payment in:
- GBP
| Rate Period | Nightly | Weekend Night | Weekly | Monthly | Event | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Early Summer
Jun 1 2017 -
Jun 30 2017
7 night minimum stay
|
|
$699
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Summer
Jul 1 2017 -
Aug 31 2017
7 night minimum stay
|
|
$763
|
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|
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|
late Summer
Sep 1 2017 -
Oct 31 2017
7 night minimum stay
|
|
$699
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Additional information about rental rates
| Fees | No additional mandatory fees |
Prices for the property are in UK pounds sterling and a 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure the booking, with the balance due one month prior to arrival. If clients wish to pay the full amount due, 50% of this would be returned, should they wish to cancel up to one month before the date of the booking.
10% cancellation fee will be applied in all circumstances.
Manager's Cancellation Policy
- 100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date.
- Available
- Unavailable
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