Villa Metapothia, Gavalochori, Crete

For many years it was the dream of Diane, our area manager for Crete, to build with her husband Yiannis, the perfect holiday villa. Diane started repping for Freelance in 1988 at the tender age of 19 and four years later married Yiannis, a builder by trade. Finally, they pooled their experience and created a villa to be truly proud of!

With soft ochre walls below a neat ensemble of terracotta tiled roofs, Villa Metapothia stands on a quiet hillside overlooking the village of Gavalohori in prime position to enjoy magnificent vistas towards Crete's distant White Mountains and sea views down the green and wooded valley to nearby Souda Bay.

Given Diane's credentials, it will be no surprise to learn that the villa is extremely well appointed, furnished and equipped down to the minutest detail. On the upper two floors, all four bedrooms have the bonus of air-conditioning and en-suite facilities as well as French windows to their own individual terraces, complete with patio furniture and sea or mountain views. Three of these bedrooms have twin beds matrimonial style with en-suite shower rooms, whilst the master bedroom has a large double bed and an en-suite WC and wash hand basin with a hydro massage bath, cheekily located, in a corner of the bedroom. This wayward bath also has a shower attachment and comes complete with its own window with sea views down the valley!

At first floor level the main entrance leads into the extensive open plan living area. To one side, a comfortable sitting room has sofas and an easy chair grouped around a large fireplace set in an attractive wall of local stone, plus a massive picture window to make the most of the views down the valley.

At the far end of the living area, a breakfast bar separates the superb fitted kitchen, designed by Diane rather than Yiannis, with an abundance of storage cupboards and work surfaces, plus all mod cons, including eye level oven, ceramic hob, large fridge freezer, dishwasher, microwave and espresso coffee machine. To the rear of the kitchen is a guest WC and wash hand basin and also a washing machine.

The formal dining room, set between the kitchen and sitting area, has its own large picture window with views over the village to the mountains as well as a useful little bar to one side, complete with a C.D. Hi-Fi system. Doors from here and the kitchen, open onto a covered terrace, with a large marble topped patio table for informal meals and from where steps lead down to the beautiful 9m x 5m pool, with a Jacuzzi in one corner, plus adjoining children's pool. Below the living area at pool level and with their own entrance doors are two further spacious twin bedrooms, without air conditioning, but both with en-suite shower rooms. One has its own covered terrace overlooking the barbecue area, whilst the other faces towards the entrance driveway and is furnished with sofa beds as a day room, ideal perhaps for teenagers needing their own space!

The lawned gardens of the property are surrounded by high stone walls and terraced down the hillside. There's a lovely shady olive tree in one corner, whilst in a sheltered spot to the far side of the villa is a purpose built barbecue area with a huge table.

In the lounge there is a satellite TV with a choice of DVD and VCR.

A lane from the village winds gently up the 130 metres to the villa past a number of neighbouring houses and is just a whisker too narrow for a normal car, although this is not really surprising in a village where, until recent times, donkeys were the favoured form of transport! The obvious advantage of course is that Villa Metapothia has no passing traffic apart from the long eared, four-legged variety, but it's worth suggesting here, that you travel fairly lightly and use suitcases with wheels!

For Parties up to 8 persons
Excluding the High Season, the top two floors of the villa are available at a reduced rental, with the two ground floor bedrooms remaining locked and unoccupied. Please see price list.

 

Gavalochori, Crete
In the centre of the scenic Apokoronou Penisula, 3.5 km inland from Almirida and at the end of a green and wooded valley leading down to the sea, the beguiling little village of Gavalohori has enjoyed something of a renaissance over the past 10 years. This is in part thanks to a woman’s co-operative where they make and sell local handicrafts such as lace and silk products. Many of the houses have been renovated in traditional fashion and the village has a pleasant air of both rural charm and prosperity. ...More about Gavalochori >>

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