Villa Giovanta

Enjoying plenty of charm and the most magnificent endless views across olive groves and the Cretan Sea to the Kissamos Peninsula and beyond, Villa Giovanta is perfect for large families or groups of friends. With five bedrooms in total, including a separate ground floor apartment, this spacious villa is ideal for ten guests. Villa Giovanta is perched on the gentle hillside above the lovely village of Kontomari and close to both Maleme and the buzzy resort of Platanias. Just 1.5km from the villa is the gorgeous deserted beach of Pirgos Psileronou. The delightful resort of Maleme sits between the villages of Tavronitis and Gerani with a three kilometre beach. The gorgeous Venetian harbour and Old Town of Chania is only twenty five minutes away with its waterfront bars and restaurants, its dreamy buildings and its charming, bougainvillea draped cobbled alleyways. Three of the island's most spectacular beaches, Balos, Elafonisi and Falasarna are within easy of the villa. For an alternative day out, you can head to the phenomenal Samaria Gorge.

Set within a grand estate carpeted with ancient olive trees, guests staying at Villa Giovanta enjoy total seclusion and peace. The villa boasts a beautiful garden with colourful borders, a lush lawn and mature towering trees. It also offers picturesque outdoor terraces which all boast amazing views across the countryside to the sea. The pool is larger than average and offers a shallow children's section. The pool is surrounded by loungers where you can totally unwind, enjoy the Cretan sunshine and read your holiday books. Your barbecue chefs can cook a feast in the outdoor cooking area with its built-in barbecue and wood-oven and there is also a bar where you could arrange a tasting of delicious local wines.

When you arrive at Villa Giovana, you take the stone steps up to the first floor for the main villa. Here you will arrive at a charming double height living space with an intricate staircase leading up to some of the bedrooms on the second floor. The living room enjoys a comfy curved sofa, a feature fireplace and a very airy feeling with its superb height. Doors open to a wonderful balcony where you will be mesmerised by the fantastic vistas as you enjoy a cup of tea, a pre-dinner drink or perhaps a meal. There is a separate dining area with traditional dark wood furniture and a cosy country kitchen with a breakfast table. There is also one double bedroom on the first floor with guests using the family bathroom.

The rather grand staircase takes you upstairs where you will discover another three bedrooms. Here you will find one double room with a private bathroom with a hydromassage bath, another double with a private bathroom and a single bedroom. The rooms are fairly simple in their design with gorgeous views from the windows.

The ground floor apartment would be perfect for grandparents or a couple wanting a little independance. It comes with a sitting area with two sofas, an open plan kitchen, a single bed tucked in one corner which would be ideal for a child, a double bedroom and a bathroom. It enjoys a lovely outlook to the pool and garden and enjoys a small terrace with a table and chairs, perfect for your morning cup of coffee.

Features

The Villa
Villa Giovanta is a 5-bedroom villa sleeping 11 guests, located in the village of Kontomari, just a short distance from Maleme.

Ground Floor Annexe

• Sitting room with additional single bed
• Kitchenette
• Bedroom with double bed
• Family bathroom

First Floor

• Sitting room
• Fully-equipped kitchen
• Dining room
• Bedroom with double bed
• Family shower room

Second Floor

• Bedroom with double bed and en-suite shower room
• Bedroom with double bed
• Bedroom with single bed
• Family bathroom

Exterior Grounds

• Private swimming pool (9m x 4.5m, depth of 1.35m – 2m)
• Terrace
• Sunloungers
• Barbecue

Additional Facilities

• Wi-Fi
• Air conditioning
• TV
• Hairdryer
• Washing machine
• Iron & board
• Baby cot available on request
• Safe deposit box
• Parking

Location

Villa Giovanta enjoys an enviable position just above the village of Kontomari and just 1km from the pretty, lively resort of Maleme. It is also close to the buzzy resort of Platanias and the Rodopos peninsula. Within easy reach are Chania, Kissamos, Balos Beach, Falasarna Beach and Elafonisi Beach. Snorkelling, fishing and horse riding are available locally and there are some mini-markets and tempting tavernas in the local villages. The foothills behind Maleme are excellent for fresh country walks perfumed by the wild thyme and oregano. An hour's ramble out of Maleme takes you to the charming hilltop village of Deres with its whitewashed church and inviting taverna. Maleme is famous for being the place where German paratroopers attacked Crete in 1941. Maleme is a peaceful haven but if you are looking for some livelier entertainment, you can head to its neighbour Platanias just along the road.

The buzzy tourist resort of Kissamos sits on the edge of the Gramvousa peninsula. Kissamos is also known as Kastelli Kissamou in reference to the former Venetian fortress that used to dominate the town. Kissamos enjoys many tavernas, beaches and plenty of shops. Surrounding the town are fertile olive groves and vineyards. The main beach is Mavros Molos which is sprinkled with trees, sunbeds and parasols. The Archaeological Museum of Kissamos is located on the main square, Stratigou Tzanakaki, boasting an impressive collection of local discoveries from a wide range of historical eras. A little further north of the main port of Kissamos is the quaint, colourful Old Port of Kastelli Kissamou which is brimming with brightly coloured fishing boats, a photographer's dream.

On the Gramvousa peninsula, Balos Lagoon Beach is absolutely stunning and one of the most photographed beaches in Greece. The lagoon of Balos has silvery white sand and exotic, white, vivid blue and turquoise waters. The sea is very shallow and warm. Beyond the rocks at the boundaries of the lagoon, the water is deeper and ideal for snorkeling. The lagoon and wider area with rare species of flora and fauna are protected under the Natura 2000 programme. Eleonora falcons, shags and cormorants nest in the caves and the area is a shelter for protected monk seal and loggerhead sea turtle. You will think you are in the Maldives or somewhere as it is so beautiful. Balos can be reached by car, though be prepared for a bumpy ride or you can take a boat trip to the beach. North of Balos, in Cape Korykon, there are remains of the small Roman town of Agnio with the temple of Apollo and the picturesque chapel of Agios Sostis.

At the western base of the stunning Cape Gramvousa, 17km west of Kissamos, you will discover Falasarna Beach, another fabulous Cretan gem. The beach has been voted as one of the ten best beaches in Europe in the past. Falasarna Bay actually consists of five consecutive dazzling, silver-sanded beaches. It is huge as well as gorgeous and has such a dazzling, clear, turquoise blue sea. At the northern end of the beach there are ruins of the ancient Grecoroman city of Falasarna. There are several companies offering watersports including Falasarna Activities who offer wakeboard and jet ski tuition.

Elafonisi is also a magical place that consists of a small islet with white and pink sandy beaches. Visitors can wade out to the island to enter another world. The island is an internationally classified nature reserve and home to more than one hundred rare plants including summer flowering sea daffodils that look like white cups. The island is a nature lovers paradise. To the left of the sandbank, windsurfers enjoy the prevailing winds.

The charming and picturesque Old Town of Chania is roughly twenty five minutes away in the car. Its atmospheric 14th century Venetian harbour, old port, narrow, cobbled shopping streets, colourful bougainvillea and waterfront restaurants make this a top-notch evening out. The sunset views are breathtaking with the Venetian lighthouse a focal point. You can walk along the harbour wall to the lighthouse.

Samaria Gorge is the longest gorge in Europe at 16km which would take roughly six hours to pass along the whole gorge. Otherwise you can drive to Chora Sfakion and take a boat to Agia Roumeli and walk at few kilometres at the end of the gorge. The Imbros Gorge is also very beautiful and takes approximately two hours. You can combine this walk with swimming in Fragokastelo Beach.