Villa Avra, Vrisses, Crete

From its lofty vantage point 2kms uphill from Vrisses, guests at Villa Avra are able to marvel at the fine views across terraced hillsides planted with olive trees and down wooded valleys to the sea at Georgoupolis, 6km distant.

Completed during 2009 this beautifully finished Villa offers spacious accommodation laid out over three levels. Achieving a fine balance between privacy and isolation, it shares its hillside position with a select few individual villas, which are sufficiently spaced not to overlook each other.
 
At garden level, the lower floor of the Villa is given over to an innovative inside/outside living area furnished with comfortable rattan seating which has ample space to accommodate a table tennis table for the more active. This shaded area is entirely open to the prettily laid out gardens featuring a terraced rock garden, lawns, a splendid covered barbecue area furnished with dining table and chairs and of course the lovely 9m x 5m pool.

Stairs from the open ‘garden room’ lead directly to the first floor of the house. At this level, a dining bar/table separates the living area from the smart and well equipped kitchen. Sliding picture windows on two sides of the sitting room produce a particularly light and airy space, where a huge fireplace, stone walls and traditional Cretan effects seamlessly blend in a fusion of traditional and modern, with a little raised study area at one end. A balcony, overlooking the garden and furnished for dining leads directly from the kitchen.

The second outside living area is at upper floor level, where the three bedrooms share access to a very generous covered terrace with elevated views down a wooded valley to the sea. Each of the two tastefully adorned double bedrooms has an attractive en suite shower room and the occupant of the single bedroom has the use of a shower room on the first floor.

The little villages of Maza and Filipos are almost within wandering distance and although they offer little in the way of facilities other than a small taverna and a cafenion, Vrisses, five minute drive away, has everything you could expect from a small town  - bank, butcher, minimarkets, (rather wonderful) baker as well as a handful of tavernas. If you would prefer not to stray far from your lovely surroundings then Despina, the owner of Villa Vallia lives locally and  will happily prepare and deliver a Cretan Dish or two at a reasonable cost -  and we do recommend setting the table on the upper balcony to really enjoy the occasion.

If you like Villa Avra you may also like one of these other 4 properties in Crete
Villa Eleni** Sleeps 4 £730 £620 to £1595 per week Location: On the edge of Douliana. Accommodation: 2 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms Villa Ionaida** Sleeps 5 £695 £495 to £1575 per week Location: Douliana Accommodation: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath/shower room, 1 seperate WC	Villa Nynemia ** Sleeps 6 £850 £680 to £2195 per week Location: Almerida Accommodation: 3 bedrooms, 3 ensuite shower rooms Villa Petra Sleeps 6 £1050 to £2030 per week Location: Vrisses Accommodation: 3 bedrooms, 2 bath/shower rooms

Georgioupolis / Vrisses, Crete
Although Georgioupolis with its lovely sandy beaches is now a thriving seaside resort it still retains a pleasing rural ambience and leisurely pace of life. Numerous tavernas and cafes surround the bustling village square whilst in little side streets you will find a number of small shops selling jewellery and local pottery. In Vrisses, huge Plane trees line the road where you will find mini-markets, a bank and a bakery (do try the cheese pies). In the morning this is a bustling little town, but by mid-day the pace slows and the tavernas spread their tables out towards the banks of the river Voutakis, where you can relax in the shade and enjoy a bowl of creamy local yogurt and honey, for which this area is famous. ...More about Georgioupolis / Vrisses >>