Chania and Olea Villas - Crete

My recent trip to Crete took me to Chania the western side of the island, which is the second largest city in Crete. Chania has an international airport with scheduled flights from the UK, the main tourist season is from April to October. Ferries also sail to and from Athens (Pireas) daily - the port for ferries for Chania is at Souda, a few kilometres away. Getting around Crete is convenient if you have a car. Hiring a car from Rental Center Crete is simple and easy to do and will make exploring the island much more accessible.

In Chania, you will find the medieval architecture around the Venetian Harbour- the old port. The two most prominent sights are the Venetian light house and the Turkish quarters. Lining the harbour are the waterfront restaurants and cafes, bars and tourist souvenir shops. As you venture away from the old port you will discover leading off the old town, narrow alley ways leading to cobbled streets, old buildings, museums, churches and crafts shops.

Venetian style town houses stand tall and proud with age old shutters, pastel paint work and balconies. Houses are entwined between cafes, tavernas and shops where you can sit and enjoy a meal or a coffee and listen to the gypsy accordion players busking in the Greek sunshine.

Heading further away into the new town, you will find many larger department stores, designer shops, banks, supermarkets, hotels and many more restaurants. Another must visit in this part of the town is the undercover Municipal Market hall known as "Agora" that houses many stalls selling delicious Greek delicacies, olive oil and olives, fish, meat, herbs, spices, Raki, gifts, house ware and souvenirs. 

Whilst in Crete, our home for seven days were the beautiful Olea Villas in Loutraki-Chania. Set in picturesque surroundings overlooking the hills with olive tress and the Loutraki Bay which is only 170 metres away, the villas are stylishly furnished in a modern decor with all the facilities you will need to make your stay comfortable and luxurious for a family holiday.

Photo supplied by Olea Villas

Contemporary and sleek in look, the two three bedroom villas are adjacent to each other, each  accommodating 6 persons. Both villas are on three split levels, the lower ground floor has two bedrooms one double and one twin room; both rooms have sea facing balconies with a table and chairs. 

                                                                       Photo supplied by Olea Villas

On this level there is also has a media room with a 3D Home theatre, Satellite TV, a Blu-ray player and movie collection and Xbox 360 console and Nintendo DS. This will certainly keep the kids entertained. 

The third bedroom is a double bedroom located on the first floor. All three bedrooms have marble ensuite bathrooms, ceiling fans, air conditioning and tv’s.

On the ground floor there is a fully equipped open plan modern kitchen and a terraced dining area with a barbecue on one side.

                                                                             Photo supplied by Olea Villas

The views from the terrace are breathtaking, making eating al fresco so enjoyable at any time of the day.

On the opposite side of the kitchen is a large sitting room that opens out to an outdoor sitting area, leading to a secluded private infinity-edged swimming pool, landscaped gardens with a children’s play area and hot tub where you can relax and soak up the sunshine in style

.There is full wifi access, a laundry room with a washer and dryer, a full security alarm system and remote controlled entrance gates to the property making it totally safe and secure.  

The Olea villas are easily accessible from the airport, 16km from Souda port and 17km from Chania Centre. Nearby the villas there is Marathi Beach 1.3 km away, where there are a couple of beach front restaurants. The nearest village is 2.9 km away and has a small supermarket and a pharmacy.

It is highly recommended to hire a car to get around the island as the location is a little secluded and set away from the hustle and bustle.Whilst we were in Chania, we used the services of two car companies, Kappa Rentals  and Joyriderentalcar.

The Olea villas also have another larger Villa  sleeping 10 people approximately 10 mins walk away. The Villa Alexandros is set on cliff tops boasting panoramic views of the hills and sea. Built on three levels the property has in total 5 bedrooms, sitting rooms, fully fitted and equipped kitchen, a covered sun terrace and swimming pool.

 Photo supplied by Olea Villas

Two of the bedrooms are on the lower ground floor and three are located on the first floor. The villa is beautifully furnished to the highest standard with all mod cons and come with a maid service.You can also arrange the services of a private chef to come and cook for you. I will feature this service in my next post. I went on the trip with Heidi Roberts from kitchentalkandtravels.com, you can read all about her account here.

The villa owners, Mr George Koletsos and his wife live at the Olea villas. They are very friendly and are always at hand to ensure your stay is comfortable. They even spoils you by bringing piping hot Greek treats straight from their oven for breakfast.

For more information you can visit the Olea Villas  and Villa Alexandros websites  to check out the availability and prices.

I was a guest at Olea Villas, all views  and opinions shared are of my experience. In my next post I shall be sharing things to do in Crete.

NB- All the photos unless marked are taken by citrusspiceuk . The photos supplied by Olea villas are clearly marked.

In collaboration with Rental Center Crete.

To read about my Crete adventures you can check the below posts in the series:
A Greek Feast at Olea Villas.
Botanical Gardens at Fournes
Hand Picked Greece