Villa Asteria not overlooked, 3 min drive to beach

Our 'Villa Asteria in Saint Basil Olive Grove' in Crete is located between the family-friendly seaside resort of Almyrida and the traditional Cretan village of Gavalochory which is only a few km inland at our private and fully gated estate. We have 4 villas available: the others being Helios, Angelos and Selene, each with a private pool and gated to help with child safety. The space Quiet yet not remote, this private villa has a pool and patio that is not overlooked by other properties. It is located in our fenced and gated olive grove, just a few minutes drive from the safe and sandy beach at Almyrida Bay, and a 15 minute walk to the traditional Cretan village of Gavalochory where you can buy groceries and enjoy two excellent tavernas. Perfect for privacy it has plenty of space and is surrounded by olive trees and palms. It is priced competitively for 2 - 4 people, with reasonable additional charges for extra guests. In total it sleeps up to 8 persons in 4 double/twin bedrooms and has a private swimming pool 9 metres x 4 metres. For people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility, the downstairs double bedroom is ideal, being next to the downstairs shower room and W/C with commode available. British plumbing and WC - no small pipes! IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN! This villa has a downstairs kitchen which looks out directly onto the gated pool. This means you can see your children playing in the pool while you are preparing lunch! Many other villas in the area have not been designed with holidaymakers like you in mind because they have an upstairs (Greek Style) kitchen which means you may have to balance a meal and a drink on a tray while walking down a flight of stairs with a toddler following behind you or under your feet! We designed this feature BEFORE the houses were built - you are not an afterthought! Our guests often comment that this villa is in the perfect location: within walking distance from two villages, close enough to enjoy their facilities but not too close to be disturbed by barking dogs, crowing cockerels and noisy human nightlife that happens in any and every Cretan village or town. The villa is located in a peaceful private olive grove of 4.5 acres (17,000 square metres). It is one of only 5 villas in the olive grove, all of which are owned by us. The olive grove is secure, being fenced and hedged by colourful oleander, and surrounded by olive trees. It is the perfect base to explore the picturesque Apokoronas area on foot or by car, with its tiny white hamlets nestled on green mountainsides. Apokoronas is a designated area of natural beauty, protected in a similar way to a National Park. At all times there are breath-taking views of the White Mountains which are snowcapped until late May. Literally on your doorstep there are numerous foot-trails through this most spectacular area of Crete, a genuine walker’s paradise. Close to the villa are two villages. Almyrida, by the beach, is only a 3 minute drive away or you can walk it in half an hour. Gavalochori, further inland, is only a 1 minute drive away and you can walk there in less than 15 minutes. GROCERIES ON ARRIVAL We can arrange for basic groceries to be ready in your villa on request. This is useful if you are arriving late and may not be able to visit the shops in time before they close (normally around 10pm in Almyrida). Our English-speaking staff will be in direct contact with you by email before you arrive and you can organise this with them. They will leave the till receipt in the kitchen and you can pay in cash during your stay ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE We will visit mid-week during pool cleaning for a quick mid stay spruce up at a convenient time for you. Other than this we will of course not disturb you during your stay, unless there is an emergency or an appliance which requires immediate attention. SWIMMING POOL Your swimming pool is sanitised with chlorine tablets and other chemicals dissolving in the recirculating water mechanism. Viruses and bacteria cannot survive in this environment. SUN LOUNGERS We provide one pool towel per person, per stay. Please do use them to place between yourself and the lounger. Not only is this more comfortable for you but it helps keep the sun loungers free from sun-cream (which can be difficult to remove) Guest access You have access to all areas of the house and outside space Other things to note REVIEWS Although Villa Asteria is new to AirBnB it is a long established self catering holiday home (since 2006) with plenty of great reviews on other similar rental platforms which you can easily find elsewhere online. However, we can reproduce some of them here: Lovely villa in a peaceful olive grove 5/5 Stayed Sep 2021 Lynn M. The villa is clean and spacious and as described in the listing. The kitchen is well laid out with a good supply of crockery and utensils. The pool area is a good size and the covered patio is a lovely place to sit and eat lunch or have a nightcap. The owners clean the pool regularly and were always responsive when I had a query. A car is handy but if you don’t mind walking or taking buses you can manage without one. The village of Gavalochory, which has a couple of good restaurants and a small supermarket, is a 15 minute walk away, you’ll need a torch at night as there are no streetlights. Almyrida, on the coast, has many restaurants, shops and bars and is a 30 minute walk away, a little longer to get back as it’s uphill. A taxi from Almyrida to the villa is 9 €. There is a bus service to Chania, which has a Venetian port and is a nice place to visit. Hosts response Thanks Lynn. It was great to see you. Good tip about bringing a torch, it can be very dark but this also means you can see some amazing stars at night - and you can often see the International Space Station zipping along overhead. The Milky Way is spectacular when viewed from our loungers around the pool. We are lucky to have very little light pollution around the villa so stargazing is a very popular activity! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Very enjoyable stay 5/5 Stayed Jun 2019 Charlie N. Really enjoyed staying at this property. Very clean on arrival and the pool was lovely. It's 2 kms from the small town and beach and less to a village with a good taverna, so easy access to shops and restaurants but a quiet place to stay. When needed the air conditioning made the house comfortable when very warm outside. The host was extremely helpful with information prior to the visit and very quick to respond to any queries. Host’s response: Many thanks for your review and thanks for staying with us. The peace and quiet is a key part of a stay with us but you are never far from food or drink ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reviewed 20 September 2018 5/5 Stayed June 2018 Guy B Awesome villa in secluded olive grove The villa in it's setting of the olive grove, with private pool, is a wonderfully secluded retreat, there are other villas in the grove but the spacing is such that they do not intrude and the driveway isn't shared. The villa itself we found spacious and clean, the beds were comfortable, and there was an excellent covered patio with table and chairs for outside dining, which we mainly used for breakfast, tending to eat out in the evenings. When you go to Crete, you know what you're going to get weather wise in the summer months, days of unbroken sunshine, which gives a great guarantee, you know what you're getting. There is a lovely village about 20 minutes walk away, with some traditional taverna's serving Cretan dishes, or the beach town of Almyrida is a short drive giving a more seaside feel to the holiday plus a couple of supermarkets and a bakery for supplies. This is our third time visiting, and I have no doubt it won't be our last. Host’s response: Many thanks for your detailed review. You were wonderful guests! We hope to welcome you back again soon ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fantastic villa, everything there!!. 5/5 Stayed May 2016 Brian W. This is our second visit to Villa Asteria which has all the amenities we require for that perfect holiday. The pool is so spacious and kept clean by the property manager, we found the villa very well equipped and with satellite TV, you want for nothing. The owners give excellent information on the villa and surrounding area, the views are out of this world, mountains one way, olive trees the other, the sound of mountain goat bells in the distance. We have enjoyed this villa so much I have just booked for another two weeks in August of this year after our three weeks in May!. Prices are good as well hence our repeat bookings Host’s response: We are delighted to be welcoming these guests back later this summer. The views really are wonderful and ability to relax and enjoy the views is a very important part of the holiday experience. 18 other reviews available Registration Details 1042K91002923301