What guests say about Bleverde

A wonderful week!

We just had a wonderful week at this lovely villa overlooking Gavalochori. It has fantastic views, a superb open plan living room/kitchen on the top floor and two well appointed en suite double bedrooms and a twin bedroom. It has multiple terraces for secluded reading/chilling and a lovely pool .

Beautiful Family Holiday

Elia is a beautiful villa, with beautiful views!!!

It is well kept and managed. The villa has the feel of a traditional venetian arched home. The pool is spectacular and makes an ideal place to relax and chill out. The beds are comfortable and the air conditioning is efficient and quiet. The windows are of a high standard that blocks sound well and keeps the rooms cool and mosquito free. The information folder is thoughtful and welcoming and informative, the hosts have really put a lot of thought into making the villa a great place to stay. The TV and sound system are state of the art. If you read the guest book you can see how much Villa Elia has been enjoyed by the guests.

Loved everything!

We stayed in Villa Levanda. Beautiful spacious villa, tastefully furnished in light tones of white and grey. Enjoyed every corner, all the views from every balcony. And the pool is amazing. The village is lovely and the tavernas serve delicious food. Can’t wait to come back!

Ps. We adored the fish painting! We wish we could take it home.

Just wonderful

The photos do not do the place justice! We stayed in the larger of the two villas, Villa Levanda, and it was much larger than anticipated. The design and layout of the villa enables breathtaking views from every window, and the terraces and gardens allow you to escape the main pool area if you want some peace and quiet to read or write.

If travelling with extended family and/or friends, hiring the two villas together provides the perfect set-up. However it is worth noting that whilst the villas are in close proximity to each other, they remain very private with their positioning and clever landscaping.

The owners were very thoughtful with finishing touches such as the well stocked welcome basket. The villa was very clean and fresh bedding and towels were provided mid-week. The village is a 10 minute walk and so you have access to groceries, tavernas and bars.

Superb villa in a fabulous location!

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.

It was a pleasure meeting Penelope, the owner, and the rest of the management team were efficient, friendly and kept everything spick and span. The village of Gavalochori was a pleasant 10 minute walk, with a couple of local tavernas well worth a visit for traditional Cretan cuisine and music evenings. Our best villa experience so far, and definitely considering a return trip in the future.

Excellent return visit to Bleverde

We first stayed here 6 years ago, loved it — it’s a superb villa (Villa Levanda) and location, and have always wanted to return. We were lucky to get a slot this year due to a late cancellation and stayed 11 days. All the positives about the villa noted by other reviewers are true; it’s totally lovely. The weather at this time of the year (June) is, of course, perfect and the pool was a good temperature for regular dips.

The villa provides a panoramic view over the Gavalochori valley down to the sea. The 2 key cities of Chania and Rethymno are both conveniently about 45 minutes away, and we spent much time at Almyrida, the local seaside village — which is a perfect blend of a small village, beaches and restaurants (our favourite this time was Psaros).

We were exceedingly well looked after by owner Penelope and property managers Mark and June, and very much hope to return again before too long.

Chill out week at Villa Elia

Really relaxing quiet time. Great location with stunning views. The villa is well maintained and equipped with everything you could think of. Well proportioned rooms and ample, private, outside space.

Possibly the best place we’ve ever stayed

What a superb place to stay! One of the nicest places, if not the nicest, we’ve ever gone to. Hosts were really accommodating for our needs, lots to do in the area, absolutely beautiful place. Absolute bliss.

Perfect villa, wonderful views

Just back from a two week stay at Villa Levanda, Bleverde Estate. Villa Levanda is on a hillside with spectacular views. There were many little touches — bathrobes, toiletries, candles and much more. The accommodation was first class, beautifully furnished.

We enjoyed our discussions with the owner, Penelope, and also Peter and Anne who looked after the villa so well. We had wonderful weather the whole two weeks. The local village has a bakery and several small tavernas where we ate most nights. All in all a very relaxing holiday and highly recommended.

Absolutely stunning villa

We had an amazing holiday at Bleverde. Every detail is thought of in this stunning villa, and the town itself is gorgeous — a small town where you feel like you come home each night to dine at a local taverna after a day exploring Crete.

Breath-taking. Perfect. The ideal villa.

Villa Levanda, part of the Bleverde Estate, is a place that inspires superlatives. Set on a hillside overlooking a sweeping green valley, with the azure sea gleaming in the distance, it is a gorgeous natural setting, with olive groves, fragrant herbs and laden lemon trees gently scenting the warm air and stunning views from every window and terrace.

The villa itself is a haven of peace and airy modern elegance — the owners, Penelope and Danny, are artists and have an eye for a clean line and a striking splash of art, while also providing everything you could wish for to make your holiday perfect. It’s ideally equipped from kitchen to yoga mats to a fully stocked library, and you could spend days holed up here, splashing in the turquoise pool, eating the local produce and counting your blessings.

You don’t have to go far afield to enjoy the delights of Crete though — despite the feeling of perfect rural isolation, it’s less than a 10 minute walk to the local village, where you can enjoy delicious food at the local tavernas (the cheese pies and moussaka at Arismari being my favourite). Ideally located 45 minutes from the airport and the lovely port of Chania, this may well be the perfect destination. Like so many others, we’ll definitely be going back.

A stunning villa!

This is the third time my family and I have stayed at Villa Levanda and once again the accommodation was outstanding. Such a beautiful setting, with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, together with the wonderful aromas of lavender — the whole vicinity is superb for relaxing.

The villa has evolved majestically over the years we have stayed there, both inside and out. As ever, the interior is cool and stylish with glimpses of the magical views everywhere you turn. Outside is just a delight too, either by the stunning swimming pool or on one of the numerous balconies. We fully appreciated the seclusion and privacy the villa offers, and it almost goes without saying that it was spotlessly clean.

Despite its remoteness, we loved the fact that you can walk in 10 minutes to the authentic Greek village of Gavalochori from the villa and enjoy a super meal at one of the village’s tavernas.

We were hosted so warmly by the owners, who made us feel so special. They genuinely care about you and your holiday and nothing was ever too much trouble for them. So another fabulous family holiday in the luxurious Villa Levanda, and we will return for sure.

Another fabulous stay!

Another year of a week in paradise! We love everything about our stay in this beautiful villa — it’s all perfection. Sad to be leaving, but hope we will be back one day.

The most magical stay!

The villa is perfect – high quality, well thought out, amazing amenities (air con, a brilliant kitchen etc), we felt so relaxed and at home. The lovely touches from the owners make it extra special.

Location is super to explore the island by car and the nearest village has everything you need like great restaurants and little shops, but within ten mins you have lovely beaches, supermarkets and much more.

We rebooked for next year before we even left! Think that’s a sign of how great it is! 🙂

Back on our happy place!

We have really enjoyed staying in this amazing estate in different times of the year. The gardens are particularly beautiful, filled with butterflies dancing among the colourful flowers and various herbs. As usual we have not ventured far — except maybe for enjoying breakfast in Almyrida one morning. We just really enjoy swimming in the pool and reading books (the villa library is highly recommended). We end the day at the front terrace with a glass in our hands, spotting stars and enjoying the small lights across the bay. See you soon!

The villa is gorgeous!

We have had the most wonderful week! Our first time in Crete and we will be back. The villa is gorgeous, the views, the sunsets, the gardens, the village down the road. All so beautiful. Thank you so much for all offered! We plan to come back!

An amazing place!

We came in Villa Elia to celebrate my sister’s birthday, who was staying in Villa Levanda, so we had the opportunity to experience both villas. You have gorgeous properties. The attention to detail is fantastic. Highly recommend these villas to anyone who looks for a relaxing vacation. We are sad to leave and we plan to come back to create more special memories.

Just fabulous!

Our first visit to Villa Elia was supposed to be in 2020, but of course Covid managed to put paid to that! Penelope couldn’t have been more helpful and allowed us to roll over our booking to 2021. We had a fabulous time — everything you have read about the estate is so true and I can add no more superlatives to it.

This year we stayed at Levanda and enjoyed it so much we have already booked for next year. I also recommended it to friends in 2021 and they will also be making their 3rd visit next year! Need I say more?

Wonderful stay at Bleverde

One of the best villas I’ve ever stayed in — perfect location, glorious views, and every mod con. Close to a charming small village with an excellent taverna (Monica’s). Penelope our host was incredibly welcoming and helpful at all times. Highly recommended.

Absolutely wonderful stay, we would love to return!

This is a wonderful place, and so relaxing. We felt very lucky to be here in the autumn sunshine of the end of October and November! 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, plus the very handy utility space off the main kitchen area was great for family life!

We loved the location. Gavalochori is a lovely village, with a little village shop stocking everything you need really, including fresh things. Despite us being there semi off season, we were made to feel very welcome and had lovely meals out at the restaurant too.

Aside from the house and the pool, our highlights were Rethymno, Lake Kournas, and the family friendly beach at Georgioupoli, plus a visit to Chania at the end of our stay. We would love to return to explore more. Thank you to Penelope and Danny for making us feel so welcome.

Just perfect…

Another wonderful stay at the Bleverde Estate. Peaceful, relaxing, and some of the best views in Crete. Every detail is thoughtful and well executed.

Villa Levanda is a lovely, bright, spacious villa with home comforts and more. The pool area is fabulous. Full of the Cretan wildlife, beautiful gardens and amazing views.

We cannot wait to return next year (already booked!). Thanks to Penelope and the team for another great holiday!

Amazing villa, perfect location

The most relaxing holiday we’ve ever had. No doubt at all, and this was mostly down to the wonderful Villa Elia and everything that it, and its kind and thoughtful owners Penelope and Danny, gave us.

An elegant, yet modest and traditional Cretan villa, Villa Elia sits wonderfully poised on the hillside overlooking Gavalochori village, the beautiful olive groves of the Apokoronas and, on the horizon, the bay of Souda glistening in the sun. A warm and gentle breeze met us each morning, making the ten minute walk down to the village for bread and cherries a wonderfully pleasant one.

The pool was even better than in the pictures — the water was soft, warm and clean, with very little chlorine residue left on swimsuits. An excellent array of pool floats were supplied for the children, and having an area downstairs to change and shower in was a great touch as it meant no wet feet slipping in and out of the main house.

So many wonderful areas to sit down in the shade and take in the views. Lovely quality seating and a stunning garden to admire. All the planting had been so carefully considered and the evenings were doused in the glorious scents of rosemary, jasmine and lavender.

The lovely Maria welcomed us with a friendly smile and answered all our questions with thought and care whilst giving us our space to arrive in peace. A wonderful welcome basket was there for us, with bottles of olive oil made here on the Bleverde Estate! The villa itself was faultless. Spotlessly clean and well thought out in presentation. The nicest thing being that the two main bedrooms were equal in size and layout — often it’s the case that there is one main bedroom and the others are much simpler and smaller. Not the case here.

The kitchen was very user-friendly with everything you could possibly need, and the BBQ was much easier to use than the traditional Greek ones built into the wall. The house was cleaned regularly and to a very high standard, and it was great not to have to drag any towels out with you — all supplied here.

The village of Gavalochori is pretty and welcoming with many traditional crafts still being practised here. A range of good quality tavernas and little shops make it the perfect destination for a spot of lunch and a glass of retsina! We have visited many places around this beautiful part of Western Crete but we can truly say that this has been our favourite spot. A truly wonderful holiday. Thank you Bleverde.

The best villa I’ve ever stayed in!

My wife and I and our children (aged 8 and 6) and our friends, another couple, have just returned from a week at Villa Levanda, one of the two villas on the Bleverde estate in Gavalochori.

This property is extremely difficult to fault. The pictures on their website look impressive, but we’ve seen pictures before of other properties that have flattered to deceive. No such problems here. The villa in the flesh is even better. The top floor, which is the main entrance, consists of an extremely large open-plan kitchen and living room; it’s significantly more spacious than I was expecting. There’s a fantastic north-facing balcony for fresh air and a cooling breeze, and a terrace leading to the swimming pool, which was the obvious spot when eating in.

The pool area is immaculate, and again the pool is larger than it may appear in some pictures. The quality of the outdoor furnishings is outstanding.

For cooks, the kitchen has plenty of prep space, a very modern four-ring electric halogen hob, a large fan oven and a secondary convection/microwave oven, both built in. There’s a good size fridge and proper freezer, and in a small utility room a washing machine and separate dryer.

Both main bedroom suites are brilliantly spacious, with top-quality en-suites (only the middle floor has a bath, but the showers are excellent), and stay naturally very cool. Both also have balconies or terraces, and the lower suite has its own small lounge. On the same floor as this suite is a smaller bedroom which is perfect for children; ours shared this very happily. This room is plenty spacious enough for them to play in when the outdoor heat gets a little too much. This bedroom also benefits from a separate en-suite shower room.

I’ve stayed in a fair few villas and generally compromises have to be made — but not here. If I tried to search around for any negatives, the most I could come up with would be that in my ideal world there would be a built-in barbecue (although there’s a perfectly effective Weber kettle barbecue), and that the road up from the gates can be a bit rattly on the car’s suspension. If that’s the most I can come up with then this place must be amazing — and it is. The best villa I’ve ever stayed in, bar none.