Villa Asteria, Almyrida. Near Beach/tavernas Private Pool & Quiet

OCTOBER SUNSHINE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This was our fourth stay at Villa Asteria. We usually stay in May/June but this year took a later break. The weather was lovely. Booking (with the owner) has always been quick, efficient and friendly. Mark and his team look after the villa well and answer any queries quickly. There have been improvements to the villa over the years and anything we have mentioned has been put right by the following year. We feel totally relaxed the moment we arrive - lazing round the pool, lunches by the sea in Almyrida and eating in the evenings in Gavalachori. This year we took a trip to the Botanical Gardens of Crete,up in the hills south of Chania which were interesting but possibly not on very hot days! The description of the villa is accurate but words cannot express the feeling of calm and peacefulness that one gets from the surrounding hills and the views of the mountains - and the wonderful sound of the cicadas in the evenings. We love the area and would not think of taking any other villa.

NOT TO BE MISSED Reviewed by: j0hnkiely from Bristol, United Kingdom Reviewed on: 10/15/2015 for their stay in 10/2015 Villa Asteria with private gated pool Was there 1st week Oct really warm still - so the pool was very handy, there are 4 double bedrooms all with their own terrace to sit out on and admire the mountains or the coast. The villa was extremely well equipment with plenty of plates, cups etc (especially wine glasses!). Each room had air con and there were two bathrooms as well as a washing machine which is very handy. The BBQ was bult in and there was lots of chairs and pool side recliners. The local village which is showcase for tour buses is a 10/15 min walk away and is beautiful, with great eating out in the taverns there. Also the lovely beach resort Almirida is only minutes by car, it has some brilliant eating places as well. The food was excellent and great value and the locals are extremely friendly. What more can I say, go and enjoy this villa in the Olive grove (they have 4 villas there) the price and location are superb.

QUIET VILLA IN LOVELY LOCATION We enjoyed our stay at the villa. It was private and very restful - rarely heard distant voices from the other villas and pool felt very private even allowing for occasional passing traffic. Also spacious, which was important to us as a couple with three teenagers in the party. This allowed us to stay downstairs and get up earlier and leave them undisturbed! Good facilities in the kitchen and comfortable seating area - nice to have proper sofas rather than sofa beds which are often impossible to relax on. Good location for visiting other parts of this area of Crete - lots of interesting places within 30 minutes drive. The restaurants in Gavalochori were great. People were all very welcoming. Our favourite was the Grill House, with Astimari a close second. We did find the walk longer than described, but that reflects our poor level of fitness as desk-bound people 48 weeks a year - the teenagers nipped up and down happily. Fantastic views of the mountains, especially in the mornings. For a 15 year old boy to mention that as one of the highlights, the view must be spectacular! Would recommend this villa to families who are looking for a comfortable home, in a quiet location with good access to beaches and places of interest when you do want to go out.

PERFECT LOCATION FOR PEACE AND PRIVACY My wife and I chose this villa primarily because of the location. It is situated between two greek villages, one called Almirida on the coast and the other called Gavalochori few miles inland. We had stayed at Almirida on two other occasions but found the villas there are a little cramped for outside space and it can be a little unsettling to look over the fence at other people enjoying their pool and barbeque, just a few yards away. With this in mind, we were both delighted to discover VillaAsteria has a very private pool as the nearest other house on the olive grove is several hundred meters away and really cannot be seen at all from where we were staying. (Yes, you can still hear children in the other pool, but it is a long way away and really not a problem at this distance). Walking to either village was never a problem, even for us oldies as we are quite fit and we enjoy walking anyway, but I would recommend a car for people who cannot manage a hill or two especially in the heat of the summer. We would often walk down to Almirida for an evening meal by the beach (typically around 15 euros a head, including wine, which is exceptional value) and then get a taxi back (10 euros between 4 of us). Overall, a most wonderful and relaxing holiday, the best in fact for many years and we are planning to return with our grandchildren in 2015. One final thing to say is that we had excellent service from the local staff who changed the sheets during our stay and made sure the pool was clean. Review Submitted: Jan 3, 2015. Date of Stay: Jun 2014