2-Bedroom Coastal Maisonette above the Cretan Seas

Villa Koukouvayia's Guest House typically sleeps 4 but can accommodate families of 5 with three children under 12. Set on a quiet farm road surrounded by olives; removed from tourist noise yet 5 minutes to spectacular local beaches, tavernas & the town of Kissamos; only 25 minutes from historic Xania & 45 minutes from air transport, the Guest House offers a rare combination of economy, privacy, luxury & convenience, and is easily joined with other Villa Koukouvayia listings for larger groups. The space Built in 2013, the villa’s Guest House is modern, well-furnished and efficiently laid out, with an open-plan ground floor boasting a second bathroom, spacious living and dining areas, and a fully equipped kitchen. On the second floor two bedrooms typically accommodate 4 adult friends, a couple with 2 children, or a family of 5 when the children are younger than 13. From the master bedroom’s queen bed there are sweeping views of the Aegean, and glass doors that open onto a 4-meter wrap-around balcony with outdoor shower and spiral stairs that lead up to a private roof terrace. The 2nd bedroom has two built-in bunks (sized and engineered for adults) with each bed built into a 2-meter window that looks out onto the Gulf of Kissamos. This bedroom also enjoys a private balcony overlooking the Tyflos valley and Crete’s famous mountains, rising to the south. Both bedrooms share the second floor with a large, full bath, boasting a two-person shower, a washer, and a laundry balcony to handle all your domestic needs. A private garden joins the four-meter verandas that surround the house, providing your choice of sun or shade at any time of day, with plentiful outdoor furniture to allow sitting, dining and entertaining, or simply sunning by the adjacent plunging pool. Like all the Villa Koukouvayia Farm residences, along with its own private yard and garden, the Guest House shares the farm’s deep plunging pool, whose waterfall feeds a toddlers splashing area, and includes, at no charge, board and lawn games, bicycles, and beach-gear for when excursions call. In the spring, summer and fall, lounge by the pool, play a game of croquet, or simply relax and listen to the sound of the breeze through the olive trees and the splashing of the waterfall. Or come in winter, leave the colder northern latitudes behind and take advantage of our off-season rates. From October to May beach-beds give way to beach-walks and mountain trails, to biking, birding and evenings settled into local tavernas, reading or playing cards with glasses of wine in hand and a good book to read. Avoid the tourist crush and enjoy the bustling olive harvest in autumn, or the explosion spring’s wildflowers and rainbows; and all with clear-air views of surf and snow-capped mountains. The best museums, shops and restaurants remain open and share the most authentic of Cretan culture, gifts and food. The stars dance sharp and clear throughout the cool nights, and the sun rarely tolerates rain-clouds for more than a handful of hours before warming the valleys and forcing sweaters and jackets back onto coat-hooks. But whenever you come, know that we love sharing with our guests this cozy home, the first of Villa Koukouvayia’s three estate residences, along with the special region and special Island where it rests. And know that you’ve secured an ideal place to explore, create, celebrate and even work, alone or with those you love. Guest access Easy private, on-site parking (limited to one vehicle, so please check if you plan to bring more.) Walking distance to the villages above and below us, with a network of quiet walking and running trails accessible from our gate. The pool is adjacent to your verandas, and the private yards and gardens that surround the Guest House are available for your family's exclusive enjoyment. Beyond Villa Koukouvayia, the public KTEL bus stops in the village of Kaloudiana several times a day en route between Chania and Kissamos. We are within walking distance of the village, but can often meet you at the bus stop when the short walk up the hill to the villa is a burden. Other things to note ACCOMMODATIONS NOTES UNIQUE TO THE GUEST HOUSE: As mentioned in other places on the listing, AirBnB's description "menus" often limit our communications with you. In this case, those menus force us to display only a “maximum” accommodation-count for the Guest House’s space and possible sleeping accommodations. But although the Guest House’s two bedrooms, queen and single beds "typically" host four adults, quite often families enjoy the economy of staying with 3 younger children in the house—and we happily cooperate by providing an extra rollaway bed in the 2nd bedroom at no charge. Because we can’t list both these "typical" & "maximum" guest-numbers, we post the maximum of 5 within the AirBnB listing. This ensures that a family of 5 can see the listing, and then these notes ensure that they and others can accurately consider if the home will meet their needs. FEES & TAXES: We charge no extra or hidden fees, but we must collect and return to the Greek government two taxes that affect your costs. We charge no extra or hidden fees, but we must collect and return to the Greek government two taxes that affect your costs. The first are easily calculated short-term rental taxes that total 18%. These are applied to your rental charges after applicable discounts are subtotaled, and easily expressed/understood on your bill. The other is Greek’s recent “Climate Mitigation Tax,” an appropriate tax which directly funds the extra firefighting infrastructure that recent climate changes have demanded to keep tourists (and all of us 😊) safer. But charged as a nightly vs. % fee, and varying by size of the rental property and the time of the year (the tax ranges from €2--€8/night, its calculation is complex, and the result is harder to clearly invoice. (In fact, AirBnB provides no capacity for us to share a “nightly” charge as anything other than a “fee” we charge you, not a tax the government charges us. ☹) So, to solve this quandary transparently, we have added this tax into your base nightly rate. Please consider that when you compare those initial costs with other rental options that might add that mandatory tax later, only on your final invoice. Because other sites where Villa Koukouvayia is listed (like our own) allow this tax to be separated from the initially displayed rate, the displayed rate on other sites may appear lower than AirBnB, at least until the final stage of booking. But please note that the prices we submit to all booking platforms are the same, and if your charges vary from one platform where you review our listing to another, it’s the result of the booking platform’s fee & invoicing structure, which we do not control. Always, our goal is to create pricing that is simple, clear and fair—even when other entities add layers of complexity and cost to your final expense. So in any case where we’ve not achieved that goal, please let us know directly, and we’ll happily resolve your questions! INDIVIDUAL BARGAINING OVER STANDARD PRICE: Although we understand a guest’s desire to get a “better” deal than others, please understand that in our interactions with each guest we must consider all our guests. So, we simply do not make individual “deals” that favor guests who request special prices. If we did, we would effectively overcharge guests who fail to negotiate a lower price—guests who correctly trust us to set & publish prices that provide good value and reflect our honest rates. Instead, we simply work hard to make sure our prices are low. And for anyone wondering about our value, we recommend they look around at comparable lodgings and read what other customers have said about their experience with us. Our reviews can be easily found online and have not been selected or edited. We post every review written by guests, and we are proud of the consistency with which they agree about the value of staying with us. YOUNG CHILDREN & INFANTS: We have an unfenced pool, stairs, and various heights from which children can stumble and fall; but the fact is that families with young children and infants have great experiences here, with nature nearby, safe areas for all kids to explore, and stars at night that leave kids with lasting memories. We have cribs, high-chairs, and lots of toys that get used constantly. So, while you must keep an eye on your young kids, you can also be assured they'll love you for the time here! THE VILLA’S OWN PETS: Villa Koukouvayia has two mascots and ambassadors. Logan's a well-trained, happy, quiet and family-friendly dog; and Oliver is a typically innocuous cat. They're loved by all guests, (and often cited joyfully in reviews more than we are!) But for anyone uncomfortable with even the friendliest dog, or with allergy issues, you can rest assured that Logan is easily restricted, and neither pet is ever allowed in our "Pet-Free" Guest House, allowing you to feel completely 'animal-free' during your stay. Registration Details 00002670996