Hilltop Villas

Rooms

The two free-standing villas come with open-plan living spaces, full-height French windows and wraparound balconies to maximise the awesome views. Best of all, each has its own pool, dining terrace and barbecue. Miltos runs a construction company and prides himself on the quality of his fixtures and finishings. There's A/C for the summer and huge wood-burning stoves for chilly autumn or spring evenings; well-equipped kitchens and spacious living rooms with sofa, armchairs and TV-DVD players. Built in the 1980s, they do show some signs of their age, but they are comfy and functional.

Perched on a pine-shaded hilltop, looking down over scattered villages and rolling farmland, the smaller villa (sleeps 4-5) is the pick of the pair. The 3 bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin, 1 single) are set at the back of the villa. Decorated in sunshine yellow, the master bedroom has a brass four-poster bed, romantically cloaked by muslin drapes, plus a spacious ensuite bathroom with a shower. Two doors down, the cream twin room is basic but comfortable, with terracotta floor tiles and chintzy touches; it shares a bathroom with the small single room. There is also a small library.

300m down the hillside, and tucked out of sight, the larger villa (sleeps 6-7) consists of a main house for up to 7. Craggy stone walls surround the swimming pool; pine and fruit trees provide ample shade. Living areas open onto a vast balcony, which offers a stunning panoramic of the Ayios Sillas plains. The master bedroom is romantically decorated, with cerulean blue print curtains surrounding the four-poster bed, a wicker chair, and an ensuite bathroom. Across the hall, the split-level triple bedroom has a single bed on the main floor, and an open-plan attic mezzanine containing twin beds. The ceiling of this is quite low, so it's best suited to children. This triple shares a bathroom with an additional single room, also on the main floor, and an extra single bed can be provided.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Microwave

Eating

Prefer to self cater? The villas' kitchens are spacious and well equipped in terms of utensils and basic ingredients (herbs, olive oil, bin bags, sponges etc are provided). Both have gas cookers, electric stoves, coffee-makers, kettles and toasters (rare in Greece), as well as dishwashers - heaven on a group holiday. There's no shortage of shady spots to dine al fresco (or inside if it's chilly); and each villa has its own barbecue. There's a supermarket 1km away in Malades, but one of the highlights here is the hospitality: the owners leave fresh produce for the guests - fruit from the gardens, olive oil from the farm, home-made marmalade and freshly laid eggs.

Prefer to be spoilt? It almost seems churlish to cook when you could be eating home-made Cretan specialities. Miltos's wife, Stella, offers a vast array of traditional dishes Monday-Saturday (on request, at additional cost). Prepare for your day by the pool with a hearty continental breakfast (fruits, yogurts, cheese etc), all of which are produced by the farm or locally. At lunchtime, hop aboard the train to the communal villa and dine alfresco on salads, cheeses and moussaka. Then return in the evening for a 4-course feast accompanied by local wine, served on a candlelit table by the pool.

Prefer to eat out? There are several tavernas within a short drive, and Heraklion (12km away) has a wealth of restaurants and bars where you can mingle with the bronzed and beautiful Cretan crowds.

Features include:

• Children's meals
• Microwave

Activities

• Wander around the 50-acre farm - explore the tranquil fruit orchards, visit their nearby bee hives, then go horse riding along a trail from the nearby stables (5 minutes away by car) before cooling off in your private swimming pool
  
  
• Persevere through messy concrete sprawl into the heart of Heraklion, Crete's bustling capital (15 minutes' drive), to sip iced coffee around the 17th-century Morosini fountain, and explore the Venetian sea walls and fortress
  
  
• Don't miss the excellently revamped Archaeological Museum nor, of course, the Bronze Age palace of Knossos (20 minutes' drive away), the Minoan site where most of the artefacts on display came from
  
  
• Head to the beach: Agia Pelagia is beautiful but bustling, Ligaria is equally stunning but more secluded (both are about 30km away)
  
  
• Or drive to the south coast - it's only an hour away - to see the ex-hippy-hangout of Matala and the stunning seas of Komos
  
  
• Hire a bicycle in nearby Kokkini Hani (4km away) or hike up the nearby summit of Giouhtas, sacred to Zeus. Further afield, the 2450m-high Mt. Ida conceals the cave where Zeus was brought up
  
  
• Take the kids to a water park - Water City and Aquasplash are both 30km away - or show them the octopi and sea horses at Thalassocosmos (www.thalassocosmos.gr)
  
  
• Play a round of golf at the picturesque Crete Golf Club (30km away)
  
  
• Go wine tasting at a local vineyard. Boutari (www.boutari.gr) near Skalini offers organised tours with an audio-visual presentation and is popular with tour groups, or Alexandros can arrange a visit to a smaller, less commercial vineyard
  
  
• Help Stella prepare your dinner, and pick up a few Cretan cooking tips

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Golf
• Hiking
• Horse riding

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome. Kids will love riding the horses at the nearby stables and splashing about in a large private pool, so this is an ideal place to holiday with a young family. Cots are available free of charge.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Either villa works as they each sleep up to 5. They both cost the same (for 4-5 people), with a small extra charge for each additional person. Both bathrooms have a bathtub.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 20 minutes
• Doctor: 15 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The villas are in central Crete, 12km south of the capital Heraklion, off a steep road above the village of Malades, overlooking the Ayios Sillas plain and suburbs of Heraklion.

By Air
From April to October, there are charter flights from various airports to Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (15km away). There are also year-round scheduled flights to Heraklion via Athens. Click on the links below for details of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
Most people drive (see below), but the owners can arrange transfers if required - enquire when booking.

By Boat
Alternatively you can fly into Athens and take an overnight ferry from Piraeus (Athens' port) to Heraklion. There are daily or near-daily departures.

By Car
You'll probably want to hire a car on Crete, as it's a large island and there's no public transport to the villas - see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you once you book through i-escape.com.

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