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Villa Elia
Amazing and authentic villa for rent in Chania, Crete
An authentically restored 3-bedroom Cretian house made entirely of native limestone from the surrounding land.
Exclusive luxury villa in Chania, Crete
A stylish and cossetting serviced holiday villa, designed with your absolute comfort in mind. Calming white stone walls and an interior of rich earth tones, with artisan furniture, inspirational paintings by renowned artists and locally crafted ceramics. Coco-mat beds, pure cotton bed sheets, fragrant toiletries by Rituals. A relaxing and private outdoor space, with a saltwater pool and terraces sporting wide uninterrupted valley, mountain and sea views. Enjoy the scent of pine and peppermint from an open window, lunch on the terrace, potter in the studio, sunbathe and dream.
Our Chania villa characteristics
Accommodates comfortably 6 adults
Bedrooms:
Upper floor consists of 2 master bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and a large terrace. The middle floor has a bedroom with two single beds and a separate bathroom. All bedrooms are fully air-conditioned. All bedrooms are furnished with 3 layered coco-mat beds.
Living Room:
Open living room with kitchen. One balcony with wide views. One big terrace with dining table.
Kitchen:
Fully equipped kitchen including dishwasher, oven, microwave, toaster and coffee machine. Round dining table with six chairs.Nespresso machine
Private Pool & Terraces:
Private pool and pool area with spectacular uninterrupted views. Living room terrace overlooks Gavalochori village and the master bedroom terrace overlooks the valley and the distant Aegean sea. Pool size: 8x4m Max depth: 1.80m
Other Facilities:
- Central Air-condition with autonomous controls.
- Free high speed internet Wifi.
- SAT TV and DVD.
- Sound dock.
- Ample parking.
- Security system and monitoring.
- Central automatic gate.
- Hairdryer, slippers.
- Bath, face and swimming pool towels provided.
- Washing machine, iron and ironing board.
Cleaning and Linen change:
Mid-week
Enjoy More Services: (at extra charge)
- Daily maid service (Mon-Frid)
- Baby sitting
- Superb massage treatments
Top floor
Middle floor
Bottom floor
Villa Elia, Chania, Crete at a glance
Sleeps 6
3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Comfortable for a family or a group of friends, with space to gather and room to retreat.
Pool 8 x 4 m
Private, salt-treated
A private saltwater pool for long, unhurried swims at home.
Stone house
The estate's original building
The estate’s original building, restored with care, and still the heart of the property.
10 min walk
To Gavalochori village
A short stroll to tavernas, a café, and the quiet rhythm of village life.
10 min drive
Almyrida and Kalyves beaches
Two of the area’s loveliest beaches are just a short drive when you want the sea.
45 min
From Chania airport (CHQ)
The estate’s original building, an easy 45-minute transfer from CHQ.
The house
The original estate house – a standout among villa rentals in Chania.
Villa Elia is the original house at Bleverde – built from limestone quarried out of the surrounding land, and restored rather than replaced. The stone is still doing the work: thick walls that hold the cool through August, a stone arch left where it was, floors that stay comfortable when the terrace is too hot to stand on.
Inside it is calm rather than grand. White stone walls, an interior of rich earth tones, artisan furniture, paintings by Manousos Chalkiadakis, locally thrown ceramics. Three-layer Coco-Mat beds and pure cotton bed linen in every room. There is a curated library that guests keep mentioning in their reviews, and a studio to potter in.
Three floors, arranged so that the bedrooms and the living space are properly separated. Villa Elia is one of two houses on the estate, see how it compares with Levanda on our Crete villas page, or read what the wider region offers in our guide to villas in Chania.
Who Villa Elia suits
Villa Elia is the better choice if you like older houses – stone, shade, thick walls, some history in the fabric. It holds the cool well, which makes it the more comfortable of the two houses in high summer. The separate twin room with its own bathroom makes it work for a family of four or five, and the two equal master bedrooms make it work for two couples travelling together.
It is a three-storey house with stairs between every floor and no lift, so it is not the right choice for anyone with limited mobility. The beaches are a ten-minute drive rather than a walk, and you will need a hire car. If you want more space, more light and a bigger pool, look at Villa Levanda, the contemporary villa. Guests who have stayed in both tend to say Elia holds the cool and Levanda holds the light, and several have booked one, then come back for the other. More on staying here with children in our guide to family villas in Crete, or on taking a whole house for two in villas for couples.
What guests say about Villa Elia
The pool and landscaping is stunning, with so many wonderful levels and terraces to relax on. Our 6 and 8 year olds loved the pool and the pool toys that were kindly left out. The villa suited our family of 4 perfectly, with the two main bedrooms being next to each other on the top floor.
A fabulous villa in a beautiful location. We had 3 glorious weeks on the Bleverde Estate and spent most of our days relaxing on the numerous terraces, enjoying the sunshine and super clean pool. Villa Elia had everything included and was like a home from home.
Rates, availability and booking
Villa Elia is let by the week, minimum seven nights. Rates are per villa, based on four sharing, with a supplement of 50 Euros per night for the fifth and sixth guest. VAT and all taxes are included, along with the welcome basket, mid-week cleaning and linen change, all towels, toiletries, wifi and parking. Check-in is from 16h00 and check-out is at 11h00.
Questions about Villa Elia
Questions and answers on the house, the pool, nearby beaches, and staying in Gavalochori.
Does Villa Elia have its own private pool?
Yes, and it is not shared with Villa Levanda. Villa Elia’s pool is 8 metres by 4, 1.80 metres at its deepest, and treated with salt through an electrolysis unit rather than dosed with chlorine chemicals, so the chlorine level is much lower than a conventional pool.
How many people does Villa Elia sleep?
Six adults, in three bedrooms: two master bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms on the top floor, and one twin room with its own separate bathroom on the middle floor. Rates are based on four sharing, with a supplement of 50 Euros per night for the fifth and sixth guest. Prices for each season are on the rates page.
Are all the bedrooms en-suite?
The two master bedrooms are en-suite. The twin room on the middle floor has its own separate bathroom rather than an en-suite. If you need all three bedrooms en-suite, Villa Levanda has that arrangement.
What is the difference between Villa Elia and Villa Levanda?
Elia is the older stone house: three floors, two en-suite master bedrooms plus a twin with its own bathroom, an 8 by 4 metre pool, and it stays notably cool in high summer. Levanda is contemporary and larger: all three bedrooms en-suite, an 85 square metre open-plan top floor, and a 10 by 5 metre pool. Both sleep six. See the other house on the Villa Levanda page.
Is the pool safe for children?
The pool is not deep enough for diving, the tiles are slippery when wet, and children and inexperienced swimmers need to be supervised at all times. There is a good supply of floats and pool toys, and a changing and shower area downstairs so nobody tracks water through the house. If you are travelling with very young children, ask us before you book and we will tell you exactly what is and is not in place. Travelling with children? See our family villas in Crete page.
How far is the walk to the village?
Ten minutes downhill to Gavalochori, where there are tavernas, a bakery and a village shop. Uphill on the way back, which is worth knowing after dinner. More on the village in our Gavalochori guide.
How far is the nearest beach?
Almyrida and Kalyves, both sandy, are 4 to 6 kilometres away – about ten minutes by car. Our guide to the best beaches in Crete covers the rest of the coast.
Do we need to hire a car?
Yes. The estate is uphill from the village, the beaches are a ten-minute drive, and there is no practical bus service. Almost every guest hires a car at the airport.
How far is Villa Elia from Chania airport?
Forty-five minutes by car. Heraklion airport is two hours, so fly into Chania (CHQ) if you can. Our guide to Chania airport transfers, car hire and getting to Gavalochori has more.
Is there air conditioning and WiFi?
Yes to both — central air conditioning with autonomous controls in every room, and free high-speed WiFi across the estate, along with satellite and internet television.
Can we rent Villa Elia and Villa Levanda together?
Yes, subject to availability — twelve guests across the two houses, each with its own kitchen and its own pool. It is the usual arrangement for extended families and groups of friends. Tell us when you enquire and we will hold both. Check which weeks are free on the availability calendars. The whole estate is also taken for small weddings at a wedding villa in Crete, and for wellness retreats in Crete.
Is there a minimum stay?
Seven nights, with a fixed changeover day. Check which weeks are free on the availability calendars.