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Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views

Photo gallery for Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views

Villa Athina pool
Villa Athina south side
Lunch at the pool
Sitting by the pool
Aerial view of villa Athina

Reviews

9.8 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 10% of guest reviews in this area
4 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 10300 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioning

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Bedroom 1

2 Single Beds and 1 Child Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds and 1 Child Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed and 1 Crib

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed and 1 Crib

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 3

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Jetted bathtub · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 4

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Jetted bathtub · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Separate dining area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views

Villa Athina is a stone-built villa in the traditional village of Gavalochori, 25km east of Chania Crete. Its unique architectural style is combined with modern facilities in order to provide an ideal environment for your holiday. The villa features 300 m2 of living space on a 1000 m2 plot of land. It offers complete privacy with its own parking space for two vehicles, garden and pool. The villa can accommodate up to 10 guests. It offers a stunning view of the White Mountains. The nearest beach of Almyrida is 3km away while the nearest shops are 200m away.

Cleaning Service: Price includes daily maid service (bathrooms and bedrooms only), change of towels and linen twice weekly (more often if requested) and general cleaning once weekly.

Free WiFi coverage throughout the villa. Beach towels are provided. The pools operate from March 1 to October 30.

Catering Service, groceries delivery: We can arrange for daily delivery to the villa of meals of the finest Greek and local Cretan cuisine. We can also arrange groceries delivery from local supermarkets, butcher shop, fruit stands and bakery.

Further comments about the area:

The villa is located on a hillside in the village of Gavalochori in West Crete. Gavalochori is a traditional Cretan village situated in the Apokoron region about 3km inland from the coastal village of Almirida. Its location is 25 km east of Chania which takes about 20 minutes' drive along the National Road. Gavalochori is an old historical village with approximately 500 residents which has retained its color and way of life. Several family run tavernas offer the visitor tasty dishes of Cretan cuisine. Near the small village square and within walking distance from the villa there is a coffee shop, a bakery, a mini mart, two tavernas and the Folk Art Museum. The surrounding area has several beautiful nature paths for walking or biking which lead either towards the sea or towards the White mountains. The coastal village of Almirida is less than 10 minutes driving distance. In Almirida you may find all basic facilities, such as a supermarket, pharmacy, post office, bakery, ATM, gas station and taxi service. It has a wonderful sandy beach with crystal clear water and a shallow section particularly suitable for small kids. This Blue Flag rated beach is organized with sun beds and umbrellas and sea sports services. There are several seaside tavernas and bars offering exquisite sea food and night entertainment. The large town of Chania of course offers the visitor a wider range of choices for shopping, dining and night life mostly centered around the old Venetian port. Some interesting monuments in Chania town are the covered Municipal Market, the Venetian fortifications, the Egyptian Lighthouse, the Synagogue, the Fortress of Firkas, the Arsenals, and the Orthodox Cathedral.

The villa can be used as a base for visiting several points of interest in the area:

3km to nearest beach of Almirida
10km to the exquisite beach of Georgoupolis and Kournas lake
25km to Chania town for shopping and night life
15km to seaside village of Kalives
20km to port of Souda
45km to Chania airport (code CHQ)
60km to Rethimno town
150km to Heraklion airport (code HER)
45km to the west coast beaches of Falassarna, Gramvousa and Balos
70km to south coast beaches of Elafonissi, Paleohora and Sougia
60km to Omalos Plateau and starting point of the Samaria Gorge

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 22
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
Property Registration Number 1042Κ10003146201

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 500, due to national regulations; for further details, please contact the property using the information in the booking confirmation
A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Apokoronas

Located in Apokoronas, this villa is near a water park and near the beach. Historical - Folklore Museum of Gavalochori and Eleftherios Venizelos' House are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Ancient City of Aptera and Agios Nikolaos Fort. Jet skiing and scuba diving offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with cycling and mountain climbing nearby.
View more Villas in ApokoronasOpens in a new window
Map
Chania,, Crete

What's nearby

  • Historical - Folklore Museum of Gavalochori - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Almyrida Beach - 7 min drive - 3.8 km
  • Lake Kournas - 24 min drive - 15.6 km
  • Port of Souda - 25 min drive - 19.7 km
  • Agia Marina Beach - 35 min drive - 37.6 km

Getting around

  • Chania (CHQ-Ioannis Daskalogiannis) - 51 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Στου Μπανανα - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Καφέ Ουζερί Καλή Καρδιά (Kali Kardia) - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪KOHILI - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Nektar - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Παρασιά - ‬6 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

How much does it cost to stay at Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views?

As of 30 Mar 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views on 29 May 2026 start from AU$604, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Is Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Athina - Apokoron Villa with Large Private Pool and Great Views located?

Situated by the sea, this villa is 0.2 mi (0.4 km) from Historical - Folklore Museum of Gavalochori and within 3 miles (5 km) of Almyrida Beach and Kera. Art of Living Glass Factory and Kalyves Beach are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 29 out of 33 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 33 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 33 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 33 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 33 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Oskar L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic villa

The villa was bigger than expected with a great location near the small village with good restaurants. Also, great beaches nearby, within 7-20min we could choose between several nice beaches.We can really recommend this to others!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

James T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Excellent well equipped large villa with superb pool.The steps down to the pool would make it challenging for smaller children and it could do with some black out blinds in the bedrooms but overall rating is excellent,
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

simon d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

great holiday

great week at the villa for our family and friends. near to the lovely village of Gavalochori with great restaurants, gift shops and mini supermarkets. will hopefully get the opportunity to return next year. highly recommend .
Stayed 8 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Malcolm B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Spacious comfortable villa with a real ‘wow factor’. Ideal location close to village with great amenities. Mrs Froso the property manager was helpful and communicative. We did think the villa needed a bit of work as it was showing its age (difficult door locks, shower fittings, scuffed paint)
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dave B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cretan Serenity

What a wonderfully serene setting for our family. Villa Athina met all of our expectations. Gavalohori is a lively and quiet village. Thank you Christos!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrew & Susie M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely house, great wee village too

Even though our weather was untypically grey and a bit chilly, Mrs Froso provided us with warm blankets and we still had a great time. The taverna down the hill (5 min walk) was absolutely lovely, food and service both great. Almyrida restaurants and ice cream parlour also worth a visit! Enjoyed seeing kingfishers and terrapins at Lake Kournas too...about a half hour drive away. Crete itself was lovely and everyone we encountered was very warm & welcoming.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Enora G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect stay

Incredible week in a beautiful home with all amenities needed. The home is beautiful, the pool is large and the space around it really enjoyable. The person who welcomed us is really nice and took care of the home regularly during the week. The home is situated in one of the nicest village around with good restaurants and nice little shops. To be perfect beds and suns beds could upgrade - but nothing to be disappointed about.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Mindy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely villa in quaint village not far from beach

Enjoyed staying here during our holiday in Crete. House is very spacious allowing privacy especially for mixed family groups such as ours. Besides driving down to the local beaches, we loved walking the village and especially the local taverns, shops and bakery. Pool is very lovely (though inner pool has some sharp edges that are not kid friendly). Owner and housekeeper were very responsive to our needs. Some minor updates / upgrades (more kitchen equipment, shower curtains in bathrooms, blinds) would further enhance guest experience. Overall we really enjoyed our time in Crete and at the villa
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cheyenne P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Crete holiday

Great location to use as a home base to explore this region of Crete. We had an amazing time. Galvalahori is a perfect home base. The village amenities are welcoming and it’s isn’t touristy at all. Great meals, coffee and grocery stores. It’s storybook charming! Don’t miss the museum. The villa has an awesome view and really nice pool. The only negative for us was that the kids space was quite small for our 6 kids. Only one shower for them to share and two had to sleep on cots. Overall lovely place, great hostess and unforgettable holiday!
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic!

The villa is superb and the pool is sublime! It met all our expectations and Mrs Froso was lovely and very helpful. There is so much space and storage and the kitchen is extreme well stocked. The BBQ is effortless and everything was spot on. There is only one very small criticism and its not really a problem but we would have preferred proper showers and not the baths or maybe shower curtains but I see with children, a bath would be a must. Overall it was great and perfect location especially with a car. I will definitely recommend this place to others!
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

VICTOR MANUEL R.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Buena, se ajustan las fotos a la realidad, la piscina impresionante

Sugerimos corregir algunos detalles, poca luz en los baños de las habitaciones, falta de espejos y enchufes en los baños pequeños,
Stayed 9 nights in May 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Justin F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

2 weeks in Gavalochori

We had a great two weeks stay here. The house is lovely and the views amazing. Plenty of room inside (we were two families, 9 people, had 3 children in one bedroom). Lovely pool. A/c in all the rooms (which we needed in August). Housekeeper lives very locally and came everyday for a quick sweep and empty the bins. The house is in a little development of about 5 identical villas all in a row. We were slightly worried by this pre-holiday, but actually nothing to worry about - at no point did we hear any neighbours. The village is lovely - two great tavernas walking distance, plus 2 mini-mini-markets and an old-man's-backgammon cafe and an upmarket gift shop. We frequented each taverna 3 times, and it felt that people were driving from other villages in order to come to them. There is a lot of driving on windy small roads in Crete. The beach at Almyrida is less than 10 mins drive with many bars / cafes / restaurants. We wished we had booked watersports in advance as boats etc got booked up quickly. The little taverna and rocky cove (snorkelling) at Omprogialos was a highlight for us. Would recommend this villa / Gavalochori / Crete for anyone looking for an interesting villa holiday.
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

imane o.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Très très bon séjour

La maison est juste splendide, la piscine est bien plus grande en vraie que sur les photos. La maison est propre et est adapté pour des amis/famille. La communication avec le gérant est très facile.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Emilie A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Such a beautiful property

We absolutely loved our two-week stay in Villa Athina. We spent the first week as a family of four (including two teens) and were then joined by two other family members. Communication with the property owner, Christos was excellent from start to finish. He reassured our concerns regarding last minute free cancellations due to Covid restrictions and even arranged the housekeeper to get me crutches when I sprained my foot. He answered endless questions that I had before reaching the property and was incredibly helpful. The picture of the property do not do it justice. It is huge and we loved our stay. The housekeeper, Mrs Froso was brilliant and even though she will come and clean every day, we just asked her to come two days a week which was ample. Everything was provided - loo roll, soaps, hairdryers, towels, pool towels, floats for the pool. When a toaster broke, it was replaced almost immediately with a brand new one. We did not hire a car as we knew that the furthest we were going to venture was the beach town, Almyredia. The great guys from Almyredia Taxis charge €10 each way and €15 for a minibus. There were some fantastic beaches and loads of good restaurants down in Almyredia. The town of Gavalochori where the villa is based is absolutely enchanting. It is around five minutes’ walk from the restaurant and has three mini markets, a baker and two superb restaurants. You really feel emmersed in village life In Gavalochori and Monica at Monica’s Tavern and Anastasia at Arasmari could not make you feel more welcome. The food at both restaurants is very affordable and cooked to perfection. The villa bedrooms were large and all had balconies. The outside eating area was a beautiful place from which to watch the sunsets and the kitchen was well-equipped even including a sandwich maker and a blender. We loved our stay at Villa Athina and would definitely return as it ticked so many boxes. Thank you Christos and Mrs Froso!
Stayed 14 nights in Aug 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

andrea m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Villa Athina

A wonderful two week stay with family and friends at villa Athina 1st - 15th August 2020 From booking the holiday to the day we departed the service has been fabulous - the villa is stunning with amazing views and great facilities including one of the biggest pools we have ever had when hiring a villa The village is lovely and the people can’t do enough to welcome you - we will absolutely be returning We would highly recommend the Apokoron villas they are well appointed and private providing us with the perfect location for a superb summer retreat Mrs A Mitchell, family and friends
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jochen F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

...einfach schön!

...wir haben eine sehr schöne Woche in der Villa Athina verbracht und die Villa, das Dorf, die Tavernen sowie die Sonne sehr genossen. JF
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Everything was great!

Everything went well ! No issues what so ever! Enjoyed it very much!! Only complaint too much walking & steps for old people! Lol
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Diana G.

Perfect family spot

We loved the village. The people were so welcoming and the beauty overwhelming. The house owners were very helpful. We did not want to leave. You can take lovely walks from the village and there is a wonderful taverna in the square that serves the best Cretan food.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Roger L.

Our Crete Holiday in Gavalochori

Lovely villa spotlessly clean and very comfortable. Just up a very steep hill, known locally as cardic hill from a lovely greek village, we had many evening meals in the village and all freshly cooked and delicious. The swimming pool meet all our needs and was well used by the family that also was spotlessly clean. Being on the edge of the village you felt you were part of it especially when being awoken by the local cockerals. Our cretean holiday was a great success and would certainly return to this lovely villa
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dinah M.

Wonderful in every way

I can't recommend this villa or its owner, Christos, highly enough. Everything about it was as good or even better than expected, and between Christos in the run-up to our holiday (who responded to multiple emails speedily and helpfully) and the wonderful housekeeper Froso during it (who did countless things to make our stay as easy as possible, including finding a birthday cake!), we couldn't have asked for more. The location is perfect - a few miles away from the busy coast but within walking distance of a couple of small shops and two or three fantastic restaurants. The villa itself is spectacular and so cleverly designed - you would hardly know it was in the middle of a line of four similar properties. There was ample space for our party of eight both inside the villa and also in and around the pool, where many of our group spent most of their time. If you're thinking of hiring this villa then just go ahead and book it - you won't regret it. We had a wonderful break and look forward to hopefully returning one day. Thank you Christos and Froso!
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2017
Archival

8/10 Good

Cheryl M.

Pros, great property!!!

The only reason I did not give a 5 was due to the beds being hard. Otherwise it is a fantastic property!!!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Gunnar S.

beautiful villa, large, lots of space, close to nice village

Great place and excellent value for money! We used the villa with 4 adults and 5 kids and really appreciated having lots of space. It is well-equipped (fire wood, washing machine, dryer, no need to by toilet paper or detergent, etc) but starts to wear off a bit around the edges (a toilet door did not close well, corkscrew broken) - we did not mind and did not even ask to fix anything. I am sure the owner and lovely housekeeper would have helped because they were very responsive to any needs. The pool is very large and beautiful. Water was already a bit cold in end-October, we did not stay in much longer than a couple of minutes - but friends had the same experience in other villas. The Mediterranean was actually a bit warmer. The villa has a very nice view and is a 5-minute walk from small, charming Gavalochori, where you can find several shops and Tavernas with great food. Several nice beaches (Kera!) some 20 minutes by car.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2017
Archival

8/10 Good

Helga R.

relaxing holidays

we had very relaxing holidays with the great pool in our house and also a fantastic view. Enjoing the sunset we sit in our garden area and had a very good time in gavalochori. Also the little village of gavalochori was very nice and we love it.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

claire t.

Location de charme

Superbe maison idéale pour deux couples avec quatre enfants. De beaux espaces et une vue magnifique ! Location au calme dans une petit village très charmant.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Robin G.

Wonderful place to stay with family and friends!

This villa has everything you need for a family vacation. The rooms are beautiful and spacious. I especially loved the sunset views of the valley and White Mountains. The villa is tucked away in a small village and is off the beaten path. We thought this was a definite plus and the beach was only a few miles away. There is a grocery store, bakery and excellent restaurant within walking distance of the villa. My kids loved the pool and fruit trees in the gardens! We would definitely stay here again in the future.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2017

About the host

Hosted by Christos Skalkos

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Languages:

English, Greek

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