A Stone Villa With Wonderful Sea View, Just 250m Away From The Sandy Beach

The villa is exactly as described in the listing. The villa itself is just one big room, with the sleeping area on a mezzanine, making it feel spacious, open and airy. The views from the villa across Souda bay are amazing, marred slightly by a new building being constructed. The pool is cleaned thoroughly every morning, the surface is skimmed using a net and a robot cleaner trundles around the bottom of the pool for an hour or 2. The owner, Katarina, welcomed us to the villa with a lovely hot meal, and also regularly sent more great food during our stay. We didn’t hire a car as the walk into Kalyves only took about 15 minutes. Kalyves itself is a pleasant little town with many bars and restaurants, a supermarket and beach concessions. For a change of scene Almyrida is 4 km along the coast, and the lovely Venetian harbour town of Chania is accessible by bus if you don’t have a car. Take plenty of insect repellant and a torch.

We stayed in the villa for 9 days and enjoyed every single minute we were there!! The villa is stunning and exactly as the photos portray it. The kitchen is massively stocked with every piece of crockery, cutlery and utensil you need (other than a toaster) together with a good supply of extra bedding, robes and towels. The villa has lovely views over the bay and out to sea and is set in a large piece of land full of trees and is not overlooked. There is a large pool but it is not heated. We arrived late in the evening on a bank holiday and the owner had very generously stocked the fridge and cooked a warm meal which was in the oven. The villa is located on the outskirts of Kalives but you can walk to town in about 20 minutes. There are also two restaurants and a supermarket within walking distance of the villa. The main town of Chania is approximately half an hour away by taxi (25 Euros each way) and is full of shops, a large market, restaurants and a beautiful harbour. We would recommend this villa if you want a quiet and relaxing break away from the hustle and bustle.

As a family of 3 who wanted a relaxing time in our own space at our own pace, this villa was a fantastic find. The villa is spacious and very well decorated. There really are so many different spaces to sit and relax, eat drink - in the sun or shade, by the pool or inside under the aircon. Each space has its own furniture, so no need to worry about moving stuff around. The photos and description on the HomeAway website really do the place full justice, it's a very impressive, spacious and nicely decorated property. All facilities were modern and in full working order - large fridge freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, filter coffee machine, air con., and the kitchen was well equipped with all pots, pans, glasses, crockery, cutlery & utensils we would ever need. The pool was large enough and deep enough to allow us all to get some exercise, and the pool cleaning lady was around working quietly even before we woke up! The beds were comfortable with lovely crisp clean bed linen, while face, bath and pool towels were all provided - all to a 4 star hotel standard of cleanliness. All furniture was immaculate and comfortable. There are no separate bedrooms and the beds are located at opposite ends of the mezzanine floor. I'd suggest that this property would not suit 2 couples, but definitely suits a family. Katarina the owner was incredibly helpful and friendly - she knew we were arriving(VERY) late at night, but still stayed on to welcome us, show us around and give us some food after our long day of (easyjet) travel. The location of the villa was perfect for us - away from main roads, close enough to walk (and run) to the little bustling town of Kalives in one direction, a supermarket, beach hotels and restaurants, and the main highway to Souda & Chania the other. Local beaches were completely clean and accessible by foot. We had a car for the week, but really only used it to get to/from the airport, the bigger shopping trips and an amazing road trip to the Samaria Gorge. The Cretans were friendly and helpful, and neighbours were quiet and considerate - we were probably the noisiest family around! Even the pretty kittens who live in the surrounding olive groves (we named them Pepsi and Shirley) were quiet and friendly - if a little shy. All in all we would thoroughly recommend this villa to anyone who wants to unwind and relax, and will seriously consider returning in the near future.