Description
The villa is privately situated along a track at the entrance to the village of Douliana, in the Apokoronas near Chania, Crete. Perfect for a taste of authentic Greek life in a very friendly village, it is also close to several good beaches, one just a short 10 minute drive or away, or a 20 minute walk downhill. The garden is an oasis, well screened from other properties, and is always colourful, with a variety of fruit trees, palms and one ancient olive. This beautiful old tree is just one of several areas of shade around the house, its leaves fascinating as they change from silver to green in at the gentlest of breezes. The bougainvillea covered pergola at the front of the villa provides a popular al-freso dining experience, with a panoramic view over a pine clad green valley and glimpses of a distant sea.
Villa Eleni is designed as a traditional Greek home, with a large airy open-plan sitting room with a high wooden beamed ceiling.
Two comfortable sofas are arranged round a low coffee table to offer comfortable TV viewing on the flat screen TV (with satellite channels), or relaxed reading of some of the many books that fill our two bookcases.
A WiFi Router is installed with free internet use. A wood-burning open fireplace occupies one corner, a useful supplement to the central heating for cosy evenings at each end of the season. There are two sets of French doors for welcome ventilation in summer, one leading to the balcony overlooking the pine-forested valley, and the other to the garden and a crystalline turquoise infinity pool. Pool dimensions 7 x 4 metres, Depth 1.1 to 2.1 metres.The pool is for the sole use of visitors to the villa and both are cleaned and maintained to a high standard.
FREE WiFi!
The kitchen is fully equipped, with an extensive range of cooking utensils, crockery and glasses, good quality appliances and a selection of picnic plates and tumblers for use near the pool to ensure your safety.
Six-seater dining tables both in the kitchen space and on the terrace provide a choice of eating al-fresco or indoors, both with a view of the sea. There is also a mosaic table at the side of the pool with a beautiful panoramic view of the forest down to the sea, and of the swallows visiting the pool for refreshments.
The two double bedrooms are light and airy, one with a king-size bed with a comfortable pocket sprung mattress, an en-suite shower, and French doors leading to the balcony.
The second has comfortable twin beds and a sunny double aspect. Both rooms have plentiful wardrobe and drawer space and each has a a safe.
The sparkling and spacious family bathroom has a full size bath with handles and a glass screened shower. All plumbing is UK standard, so toilet arrangements are not of the Greek bag-and-bin variety.
All linen is changed twice weekly during the season. Fresh, clean white sheets, bath and hand towels, and blue pool (not beach) towels are supplied.
The extensive roof terrace with marble table is accessible via an outside staircase, and has a spectacular view over the pine trees to the sea. Equipped with marble table, sun umbrella and sun-beds, this area is ideal for sunbathing, as below the level of the parapet it is not overlooked, except by the birds in the surrounding pines.
The gardener may visit briefly, by arrangement. The pool is serviced twice per week.
****The house is suited to visitors with limited mobility. Cars may be parked at the bottom of the drive, from there on everything is on one level with the exception of the roof and the wild terraces. However, it should be noted that There is no assistive equipment in the bathrooms.
VILLA EQUIPMENT
Washing machine/ hair-dryer/ portable fan/ air-conditioning in bedrooms/ ironing board and steam iron/ safety deposit boxes/ free Broadband/ Satellite TV/DVD player/ I-Pod speaker deck
Full size Neff oven with ceramic hob/ small dishwasher/ fridge-freezer/ microwave/ filter coffee maker/ cafetière/ toaster/juicer/ small food mixer. Weighing scales for serious cooks!
Oil central heating to radiators in all rooms, solar heating for water and a supplementary water heater for cooler days.
Sun loungers and umbrellas at the pool-side and on the roof terrace/outdoor dining tables.
Blue towels for use by the pool, but not at the beach, and toilet rolls ARE SUPPLIED and silky-soft white cotton sheets are changed twice per week.
A Weber electric outdoor oven is available for barbecues.
The cost of rental is based on four sharing. We do not charge for two and then add a supplementary amount for any visitors above that. Four is also the maximum number of visitors of any age. Extremely young children are not normally encouraged, due to the accessibility of the unfenced pool, and the drop to the terrace below.
The house is on the edge of a friendly, quiet village, and the well planted and tended gardens provide relative seclusion from neighbouring houses. The garden is tended out of season by organic means at the hands of a Greek gardener, so a free supply of oranges, lemons, guava and bay leaves is available in season.
Below the house is a wild garden which is home to Cretan wildlife such as Martens and badgers, the latter being kept from the garden by secure gates. A wander down the terraces is a glimpse of the real Crete, largely untamed and populated by untended olive trees, bay, asphodel, and tiny bee orchids in Spring. The scent of wild thyme wafts around you as you brush past the plants. Quiet and peaceful walks abound around the village, that is until you meet Andreas the shepherd with his flock on his daily expeditions.
The villa is licensed by the Greek Tourist Organisation, as all holiday accommodation should be, by law.
EOT LICENSED: MHTE 10 42 K 9 2003245501