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Spilia

Nearby property - Villa Stefanos, Maleme

A thirty minute drive west of Chania, Spilia is one of many small and timeless Cretan villages happily set back just far enough from the coast road to remain virtually untouched by tourism. It nevertheless gets a mention in some guide books for its impressive church, Panagia Mertiotissa where there is also a tiny museum housing a small collection of Byzantine icons. The village actually takes its name from a group of caves in the hillside above the village, one of which contains the little chapel of Saint Yiannis. It really is a serene little spot with shady trees, plus rustic tables and benches - perfect for a picnic. The land around the village is particularly fertile and covered with a patchwork of olive groves and vineyards, punctuated by small vegetable gardens. The local wine is certainly powerful stuff as you may well discover if you meet Yiannis your landlord, who lives locally and keeps enormous barrels of the native vintage in his cellar!

For many years Spilia’s list of amenities consisted of two tiny village stores plus a part-time taverna playing Cretan music and open 2 nights per week! Finally, last year, the painstaking restoration of a group of old village houses was completed, producing the marvellous little Hotel Spilia with its own atmospheric taverna open to the public every night! For a change of scene, the nearby seaside village of Kolymbari, famous for its monastery, is no more than a 5 minute drive away, and offers a good choice of waterfront tavernas, noted for their fresh fish! Here you will also find a large supermarket, plus a butcher, baker, bank and even a post office!

Nearby property - Villa Stefanos, Maleme

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