Villa Hermes, Tavronitis, Crete

Crete is all about the mountains and the sea and at Villa Hermes you can enjoy marvellous panoramic views of both from the peace and tranquillity of your poolside.

Set on the brow of the pine clad hilltop above the small rural village of Polimarchi, this recently built three storey villa, with light ochre stone walls, has the classical lines of a 19th century Cretan manor house, somewhat belying its youthful status and 21st century comforts.

Antonis, the urbane English speaking owner is a doctor by profession but also an apparent adept at multi tasking, for when visiting patients at local hotels he noted details of attractive or practical design features to incorporate into his villa. The results speak for themselves and you would be hard pushed to find a finer or more beautiful property anywhere on the island and certainly the only one to our knowledge with its own elevator, giving easy access to all three floors.

Wherever you choose to relax at Villa Hermes, the views of the mountains and sea are incredible and change subtly throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. In the early evening it can be truly magical, for as the sun dips towards the welcoming sea, the mountains appear out of the haze to reveal every small contour, gulley and crevice, sometimes tinged mellifluous shades of pink.

The gardens of the villa are particularly attractive with raised flower beds bordered by local stone and spacious patio areas and pathways of the same natural material in subtly contrasting hues. The 8m x 5m pool incorporates a children's pool and Jacuzzi and is bordered by lawns, beyond which is a huge covered barbecue area in an appealing rustic style. On the far side of the villa is a kitchen garden with seasonal vegetables which guests are welcome to pick. Do try the cucumbers; the smaller ones are particularly crisp!

The porticoed main entrance door leads into a spacious L shaped, open plan living area, with a large fireplace in one corner, plus 2 generous sofas and easy chairs grouped around a large coffee table. Beyond the sitting area is a formal dining area, whilst to one side is a very well equipped kitchen with a further dining table & chairs, plus fridge-freezer, electric cooker with ceramic hob, microwave, dish washer and ample cupboards for storage. To one side of the kitchen there is a guest WC which also contains a washing machine.

The villas five air conditioned bedrooms include 3 twins and 2 doubles all with en-suite facilities, including 2 turbo massage baths and 2 turbo massage showers. All bedrooms have a satellite TV as well as a DVD player and all have furnished terraces or balconies. Two of the twin bedrooms are particularly spacious and have additional, small single beds suitable for children.

There are 2 doubles and 1 twin/triple at first floor level and a further twin/triple on the ground floor which has a shower room suitable for wheel chair use.

At lower ground floor level there is a twin bedroom with en suite turbo massage shower. This bedroom has sliding patio doors to a quiet terrace and lawn area to the side of the property.

Also at this level is the spacious games room and gym, presently equipped with a pool table, exercise bike and treadmill.

Sitting by the poolside to enjoy the views soon becomes a way of life and further entertainment is provided by the resident squadron of swallows who swoop, barrel and dive, kamikaze fashion to scoop the tiniest drops of water. Overhead a pair of buzzards will often be spotted gliding imperiously over the valley, whilst in the quiet, warm darkness of the night, the villa, pool and gardens are subtly stage lit and hillside villages near and far slowly materialize like small clusters of diamonds. 

5 minutes drive from the baker in Tavronitis via "the short cut" it's always possible to have fresh bread for breakfast or even an early morning swim in the sea if you wish. Via the new highway the bright lights and shops of Platanyas are a 15 minute drive away whilst Chania itself is only a further 10 minutes, so if you're looking for peace and tranquillity but others in your party favour a little action, Villa Hermes is an ideal compromise.

Michael Ross Cousens Oct 2008

"The position and views from Villa Hermes was unbelievable - and I have travelled quite widely in my time. "Stunning" doesn't cover it. Indulgence is lying by the Villa's pool under the Cretan sun, with the smell of the lunchtime barbeque from the delightful barby area wafting across you with your pre-lunch aperitif in hand! It is also a great country walk (30 mins) down to Tavronitis for fresh bread every morning. What a place!"

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Tavronitis, Crete
30 km west of Chania, the village of Tavronitis stands at the point where the north coast road sends an exploratory spur wriggling southwards over the mountains to Paleohora. Tourism still remains pretty low key and the village retains an authentic ambience with particularly friendly shopkeepers delighted to have the opportunity to practise their English. ...More about Tavronitis >>

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