Thomas House is a charming, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa with fabulous views over the sea and mountains. It has a sunny, private plunge pool and two terraces to relax and watch the sun go down. Only a 40 minute scenic drive from Chania and the airport, this is the best area of Crete with great beaches, food, history and walks nearby.
The house stands at the end of a small terrace overlooking Souda Bay to the west and the rugged White Mountains to the south. The private plunge pool (3m x 4m) and deck area get the sun all day but are cooled by the breeze from the sea. There are sun loungers, umbrellas and shades and a charcoal grill for evening barbecues.
A few steps lead up to the lower terrace where you can sit, eat and chill with a glass of something cold, watching the sun go down over the bay. Inside is cool with a fully equipped kitchen, seating area with TV, a dvd player, books and cds and a separate dining or work room. There is also a wc and a second shower room on the ground level. There is full wifi throughout the house.
Upstairs are two large double bedrooms with new beds, air conditioning, loads of cupboard space and fresh linen. Both rooms have large doors onto the covered upper terrace overlooking the sea and mountains. The second bedroom has a roll-away single bed suitable for an additional guest if required. A cot can be supplied upon request.
There is a bathroom with full bath en-suite to the master bedroom and a washing machine.
The house is modern and tastefully decorated with mostly white walls and tiled floors. It is fully equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay. Traditional Greek it is not! There are numerous interesting pictures, books, photos, cd’s and objets d'art collected by the original owner. Madonna, Cassius Clay and U2 were here (almost!)
Parking is right outside but the lane down to the house is steep and care is needed when turning. A small or medium car is generally best on Crete’s often narrow roads.
The Neighbourhood
Kokkino Chorio is a tranquil and traditionally Greek village around 40 minutes drive from Chania, in the west of Crete. (It was the setting for the film classic "Zorba the Greek" starring Anthony Quinn). There is a small supermarket run by Georgos and his mother (try the eggs, yogurt and honey) about 5 minutes walk into town, together with a small, family taverna. There is also an interesting glass factory with an excellent taverna next door.
Plaka, just a short stroll down the hill is marginally busier with three excellent tavernas in the centre (Takis is our favourite currently) and a few shops, including a supermarket.
Almyrida, another 5 minutes down hill is a bustling seaside village with a long sandy beach, ideal for families and the young-at-heart alike. There is a wide selection of beach-side cafes and restaurants with everything from pizza to the best catch of the day. There are many shops of every description, a chemist, ATMs, day trips, watersports, a dive shop, spa, taxis and car rental outlets. Buses run to Chania from here also.
There are numerous villages, spectacular mountain drives, walks, secluded beaches, ancient monuments and fabulous tavernas to discover within easy reach.
Chania is a delightful town with museums, shops, street markets and restaurants to explore, all set around the historic Venetian harbour. We will be pleased to let you have our personal recommendations for places to visit and things to do when we hear from you.
Getting Around
The house is reached by a winding and sometimes steep road so a car is very useful for access and exploring the island. Once there though it is often tempting to just hang out in the area with lots of good tavernas and things to do within walking distance or a short taxi ride.
There are a few steps up to and within the property so it is not wheelchair accessible unfortunately.
Here's some typical comments from two of our recent guests:
"We had a great time in this charming villa! Ed and Sue provided very nice and detailed directions for arrival and instructions for the use of the house's amenities. This house is up in the mountains with an amazing view! You can see the sea from all the rooms, and the lights of Chania and little towns around the island. The house had everything we needed, it is a very comfortable place, and our kids had a lot of fun in the pool!! We were also provided with a list of recommendations for guests: where to go for groceries, which tavernas to try for dinner, how to get to nice beaches etc... We went to some of the recommended places and had great experiences there, with some really good food. All in all, we were more than happy with our choice, and for sure, when we go to Crete again, we would love to stay in this beautiful and very quite place again. Thanks for everything!! "
"We spent a great week in this beautiful holiday home. The owners, although not on-site, were considerate and friendly. Our thanks for the ample set of information about the house, driving instructions and local recommendations. The house is located beautifully: Restaurants and small stores for groceries are within walking distance. By car it only takes a few minutes to get to the next beach. The house and the terrace(s) had numerous comfy seating options. The view across the bay is really stunning. We also did enjoy the pool, which was clean and looked after."
