Pictures do not do this villa justice: you have to see it and experience it. One of my favourites ever. It is an absolute gem and also the perfect get away from it all. The people that own it have turned it into something very special. We visited this beautiful villa in the Apokoronas in October 2008. It is deceptively large: I estimate it is about 175 m2. Downstairs there are three bedrooms (2 doubles and one twin). The double rooms each have their own balcony and the twin room has a door leading to the patio in front of the pool. The last room has a private bathroom with a shower and toilet and there is also a small study incorporated. All the bedrooms have a tv and there is airconditioning. On the ground floor is also one of the most tasteful bathrooms that you have ever seen, with a big bath, double wash basins, a toilet and a washing machine.

Up the stairs is the very large living / dining room with an open plan kitchen. A special eye catcher in the living room is the glass covered feature on the floor where you can see sand, sea shells and stones from different places and island in Greece. On the top floor you also find an extra toilet. The kitchen is very complete with a large refridgerator, a dish washer, a micro wave, a coffee machine, an electric water cooker, a cooker and cupboards containing lots of everything (plates, glasses, bowls, pots and pans, coffee cups and I found even a good non sticky frying pan). Much of the furniture like the cupboards and the kitchen was hand made by the owners (Renata and Theodore - I will talk about them later).

There are sliding doors that lead to a large veranda with a dining table and chairs and there are sliding doors to another balcony on the other side of the house. The view is a very nice mountain view. The villa is situated on a very quiet road (with almost no traffic at all since it doesn't lead to another village and stops after a while and turns into a path). The area is green with olive trees and there are just a couple of houses in the neighbourhood. The village of Megala Chorafia is at a 5 minutes walk distance and here you find a couple of tavernas (with very nice people! Try Taverna Aptera on your right hand side). There is also a mini market for your groceries. Somehow the villa Renata made us feel very much at home and it felt really good: good vibes. The house has many light features and dimmers to create the mood that you want.

The stone walls of the terraces gave it something extra and made it stand out from the averidge house. The fact that it had sliding musquito nets with each door and window (that worked easily) was also a big plus: no bites! If you like peace and quiet, if you like luxury, if you like either to cook yourself or you prefer to make a short walk to have dinner in a nice taverna than this is the perfect spot.

The Villa Renata has got an electric fence (mainly to keep out the occasional sheep that sometimes walk by - since they seem to like the olive trees on the terrain). At the end of the drive way you will find a place where you can park your car. On the ground floor in front of the villa there is a veranda with a couple of seats and there is the 40 m2 (10 x 4) swimming pool surrounded by its grounds and the garden. In this garden you can find many herbs like basil, parcely and mint, and there is a small vegetable garden with mais, aubergines, peppers and tomatoes all for you to pick for free, use and eat if you like to. There are cactus fruits as well if you like those. Inside the villa (or outside if they are already set up) you will find sunbeds, chairs and umbrellas and there are benches set along the pool. With balconies and verandas on three sides of the house and with the umbrellas that you can put where ever you want there is always a place where you can sit in either the sun or the shade.

The villa Renata is owned by two sweethearts, Renata Saridakis and her husband Theodore Saridakis. They have two daughters and they are hard working people. The family lives in the town of Chania at a 10 / 15 minutes drive away from the villa. The reception at the villa was both very friendly and hospitable as well as professional. Renata showed us around and explained how things worked an where things could be found in the villa and she showed us the garden with its herbs and vegetables. The villa was immaculately clean and the sheets on the bed were crisp and ironed to perfection. Renata and Theodore were easy to get along with and had a good sense of humour. One of the evenings we stayed here they invited us out for drinks in the town of Chania, where I hadn't been in a long time. It was really nice to see it again and relax a bit in the harbour. Thanks Renata and Theodore for taking such good care of us and we hope to see you again soon!

Villa Renata is easy to find. You have to take the road up the hill at the sign that says "Megala Chorafia" which can be found on the main high way at 8 kilometers distance from the town of Chania (towards Rethimnon). If you drive from Chania towards Rethimnon you will see it on your right hand side. The road up the hill is a curly one taking you past a small stone church and after a couple of minutes you will see a sign saying "Aptera" - as if you are now driving into the village of Aptera when in fact you are driving into the village of Megala Chorafia. Immediately on your left hand side you will see a mini market and the you see tavernas on two sides of a "fork" with roads leading into three different directions. You take the road on the most right side and the after about 200 meters you will see the big red sign of Villa Renata and you are there.

Welcome to villa Renata, a newly built villa located just 9km from the town of Chania, in Megala Chorafia, in Apokoronas area, in the island of Crete. The villa was built in 2008 and is open all year. In Villa Renata quests can have a relaxing holiday break, in an outstanding and quiet mountainous location. The villa provides a swimming pool and verandas with a unique view to the Apokoronas area, as well as a private parking area. The ground floor has two comfortable double bedrooms, each with it's own balcony, one child bedroom with two beds, and two bathrooms. All bedrooms have air-condition. The upper floor, with an open plan space, consists out of a spacious living room with fireplace, a dining area, one shower room and a modern kitchen fully-equipped with a big refrigerator, an electric kitchen, a dishwashing machine and a dining table. Moreover, it has a spacious veranda with a gorgeous mountain view. Villa Renata is located only 2 km away from the sandy beach of Kalives. Traditional tavernas and a mini-market are less than a five minute walk away. Moreover, the ancient town of Aptera is located a 15 minutes walk away.

Megala Chorafia is a picturesque hilltop village surrounded by green countryside with panoramic views of the magnificent White Mountains and the Aegean, and it is located 9 km away from Chania. Megala Chorafia is developed in two cores; the first core is around the junction that leads to some of the traditional villages of Apokoronas (Samonas, Stilos, Provarma, Machairoi) and the second core is developed next to some of the ruins of the ancient city of Aptera (the ruins are spread out over two hills. While staying in Megala Chorafia you can go for swimming or entertainment in the excellent sandy beaches and the lovely waterfronts of Kalives (3 km) and Almirida (8 km). If you want to eat something you can try the traditional tavernas located in the first core (there is a mini-market here, too). The village is well-located to make excursions in the nearby, traditional, (in the countryside) villages of the Apokoronas district; in Stilos you can have a drink in the shady cafes, in the Samonas village you should visit the lovely isolated church of Ayios Nikolaos with fantastic medieval frescoes) exploring the traditional Crete; you can see wild flowers unique in Crete or walk in many small gorges in the Apokoronas district. From here you can also explore the rest of Crete since the distances are small; Megala Chorafia is next to the National Road leading you everywhere in Crete.

Tel.: +302821072040, +306936703473 Fax: +302821072040 - Send an e-mail to Villa Renata in Megala Chorafia.

Check availabilities and prices & book Villa Renata in Megala Chorafia - click here.