** Under new ownership in 2025 with updates and improvements being made.
*** Pool heating is available for an extra fee or €175 per week, payable in cash to the house manager.
Situated on a large plot on a hillside above the traditional village of Tsivaras, Boutique Villa is a chic and desirable hideaway which is ideal for couples who are looking for both seclusion and also close proximity to the sandy beaches and excellent amenities at Kalives, Almyrida and Kera, and the charming inland villages of Vamos and Gavalohori. The far-reaching views from this villa are quite mesmerising, encompassing the glittering azure waters of Souda Bay, the monumental White Mountains, and rolling hills covered in silver and green olive trees for as far as the eye can see.
Boutique Villa has no immediate neighbours and has been cleverly architect-designed in order to bring your living area into the outdoors, so that you can fully appreciate the panoramic vista at all times. Al-fresco living has never been more delightful because there is a wealth of furnished balcony and terrace space with either sun or shade, giving our guests plenty of room to spread out and either have fun together or take time out for moments of quiet solitude. There is a lounging area and a rustic pergola-covered patio that has a swing basket chair, a dining area, an appealing built-in barbeque, a traditional bread/pizza oven, a sink, and cupboards. Leisurely lunches and laid-back dinners made from delicious locally grown produce can be prepared and enjoyed outside in the fresh air, warm sunshine, and enchanting moonlight.
Taking prime position in the middle of a verdant lawn is an exceptional pool made from 2-tone mottled stone, with a swim jet system and massage jets, which will suit guests of all swimming levels. There is a gentle gradient into the poo, whilst the swim jet is the equivalent of a swimming treadmill - creating a strong underwater current that you can swim against for general exercise or even swim training. Unusually for pools on Crete, there is optional heating available during the low and mid seasons (when it is often needed) for an extra fee of €175 per week (payable in cash to the house manager). Alternatively, a soothing hydro massage in the cooling waters of the pool on a hot day is positively therapeutic, and romantic couples might even want to take advantage of the relaxing massage jets on a balmy summer night. In addition to its other attributes, the pool at Boutique Villa has a salt generator to clean and disinfect the pool water which results in soft, silky water that is gentle on the eyes and skin (compared with a full chlorine system) whilst only having 1/10th the salinity of sea water.
The split-level grounds have a perimeter wall made from the same creamy local stone that has been used for the exterior of the ground floor of the villa, the terraces, barbeque, and summer kitchen. Whilst much of the spacious 2400m2 garden has been laid to lawn, the lower terrace has been planted with young fruit trees including orange, lemon, mandarin, pear, apricot, and pomegranate. Flanking one side of the villa are a bank covered in flowering mesembryanthemum and a gravelled section with a centre piece of natural rocks, a carob tree and, in the Spring, wild flowers.
Boutique Villa is a modern and stylish villa. The owners have created an attractive and welcoming home by combining comfortable furnishings and fittings with many thoughtful touches. Subtle decoration throughout the villa using in-vogue soft grey tones and polished concrete appearance paint that has been specially designed for an urban and contemporary atmosphere. The 120m2 villa is compact and uncluttered despite having many modern comforts including a ceramic hob with a downdraft extractor which rises out of the central island worktop at the push of a button, a built in oven, a fridge, a freezer, a microwave oven, a dishwasher, a Tassimo machine, a washing machine (in a garage just off the plot, air conditioning, electric shutters, solar powered hot water with a back-up immersion heater, super fast free unlimited WIFI via Starlink, an I-fone dock with speakers that is operated via bluetooth, a Smart TV to which you can download your preferred apps, and/or use your memory sticks with previously downloaded movies or TV shows. For the winter months and those cooler nights early and late season, the A/C units also act as heaters and there is an ecosmart fireplace that uses effective bioethanol fuel which doesn’t smell, smoke, or create environmental pollutants, and is therefore the most efficient and green energy source available.
There are many walking trails spanning out from Tsivaras, and Boutique Villa is the perfect starting point for exploring the countless sites that West Crete has to offer as it is only a few minutes drive to the National Highway.
*** As of January 01, 2024, the Greek government have replaced the old “bed tax” with a new tax that is applied to all stays in short-term rental accommodation in Greece. The Climate Resilience Levy is a response to the devastating forest fires and floods that Greece has experienced in recent years, with the government hoping to generate extra funding that will go towards financing reconstruction, supporting victims, and increasing the country’s defences against future natural disasters.
The owners of all short-term rental accommodation are legally obliged to collect the Climate Resilience Levy as a separate tax for all overnight stays (per villa) as follows:
€15.00 per night on stays between March 01 and October 31, and €4.00 per night on stays between November 01 and February 28/29.
The Vrbo system does not yet have a section for collecting the Climate Resilience Levy and we have, therefore, had to add it to the billing section as an extra fee which will show on the booking as a Host Fee/Administrative Fee.
Whilst we understand the potential budget concerns of our guests, this tax/levy is beyond our control and we encourage our guests to see this as a way of contributing to the protection of the planet and the beautiful area where they are holidaying.