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Two villas, two pools and a run of terraces above a Cretan village, on exclusive use. Twelve people sleep on site.
Sleeps 12
Across the two villas
Exclusive use
The whole estate, one gate
Let by the week
Minimum seven nights
45 min
From Chania airport (CHQ)
In short. Bleverde is a private two-villa estate in the hills above Gavalochori, near Chania, available on exclusive use. It suits small weddings, elopements and the quiet few days either side — twelve people sleep on site, the estate is let by the week, and there is nobody else on the property. It is a house rather than one of the Crete wedding venues with packages and a coordinator, and the page below is honest about what that means.
What we provide
The estate on exclusive use: two villas, two private pools, gardens and terraces at several levels, and one automatic gate with nobody else inside it. Twelve beds across the two houses, each with its own fully equipped kitchen. A welcome basket, mid-week cleaning and a linen change, all towels, wifi and parking. Owners who live with the place and will answer your questions themselves.
What we do not provide
We are not a licensed wedding venue and we do not sell wedding packages. We do not employ a coordinator, we do not handle the legal paperwork for a civil ceremony, and we do not have an in-house caterer, florist or celebrant. Those are all things a good local wedding planner arranges, and you will want one. What we can do is tell you plainly whether the estate fits the day you are picturing.
A wedding villa in Crete, not a wedding venue
Most Crete wedding venues are hotels or event spaces, with packages, a coordinator and a set menu. Bleverde is a private wedding villa in Crete instead: a whole estate you take for the week, with the day itself organised by you and a local planner. It suits:- Elopements and very small weddings that want privacy more than a package
- A celebration after a ceremony elsewhere, for close family and friends
- The days either side, with twelve people staying on the estate
The estate on exclusive use
Both villas can be taken together, subject to availability. That gives you the whole property: Villa Elia, the estate’s restored stone house, and Villa Levanda, the contemporary one, with a pool each and a minute’s walk between the front doors. The two houses are positioned and planted so that neither overlooks the other, which matters when half your party wants a late night and the other half does not.
Twelve people sleep on site. Anyone beyond that stays nearby — Gavalochori, Vamos, Almyrida and Kalyves all have rooms within a few minutes’ drive, and a taxi from the village up to the gate is short.
Both houses are let by the week, minimum seven nights, with a fixed changeover day. In practice that shapes the whole thing: a wedding here is not a Saturday booking, it is a week in Crete with a wedding in the middle of it. Most couples treat the days either side as the point rather than the padding.
The pool terraces
Each villa has one, open to the valley with nothing built between it and the view. Villa Levanda’s dining terrace runs straight into the pool area under a reed pergola; Villa Elia’s sits below the house with the village beyond.
The top terrace
Above Villa Elia, the widest view on the estate — olive groves, the terracotta roofs of Gavalochori and the sea beyond. The obvious place for a small ceremony or for drinks while the light goes.
The gardens
Ten years of planting: olive, orange, lemon and clementine, rosemary, lavender and mint along the stone paths. Cypresses, stone walls and steps between levels. Guests write about the scent in the evenings more than anything else.
On numbers. We would rather not publish a seated capacity we have not measured with a real table plan, so we will not. Tell us how many people you are thinking of and what you want to happen — ceremony, drinks, a seated dinner, or all three — and we will tell you honestly whether the terraces carry it or whether you need a marquee, a nearby taverna, or a different venue altogether.
What you would need to arrange
Because we do not sell a package, here is the honest list of what sits outside what we do, so nothing is a surprise later.
A local wedding planner. Worth it even for a very small day. They handle the pieces below and they know which suppliers actually turn up.
The legal side. A civil ceremony in Greece means paperwork lodged with the local municipality, documents from home that need translating and apostilling, and lead time. We are not qualified to advise on it and we would rather not guess at the current requirements — your planner or the municipality will give you the accurate version. A great many couples marrying abroad marry legally at home first and hold a symbolic ceremony here, which removes the paperwork entirely.
Catering and hire. Neither villa has a commercial kitchen. Caterers work from marquee kitchens or bring food prepared; tables, chairs, glassware and linen come from hire firms in Chania.
A celebrant or registrar, flowers, photography, music, hair and make-up. All available locally and all arranged through your planner.
Transport. The estate is up a hill on a rural road. Guests staying off site will need taxis or cars, and it is worth booking them in advance rather than on the night.
The best months for a wedding here
May, early June, September and early October. Warm rather than punishing, long light in the evenings, and a sea that is worth getting into — September has the warmest water of the year. The gardens are at their best in May.
July and August are hot, and a midday ceremony on an unshaded terrace in August is a real consideration rather than a theoretical one. If those are your only possible dates, plan around the heat: late-afternoon ceremony, dinner after sunset.
More in our month-by-month guide, and on the area itself in our guide to Gavalochori and the Apokoronas.
Villa Elia
Sleeps 6 · pool 8 × 4 m
The estate’s original stone house, restored from limestone quarried on the land. Two equal en-suite master bedrooms sharing a terrace, plus a twin with its own bathroom. A library and a studio downstairs. It holds the cool through August. More about Villa Elia.
Villa Levanda
Sleeps 6 · pool 10 × 5 m
The contemporary house. Three en-suite bedrooms, a master suite with a whole floor to itself, and an 85 square metre open-plan living floor that is the obvious place for everyone to gather if the weather turns. More about Villa Levanda.
Both are described in full on our Crete villas page. If you are travelling as a couple rather than a party, see our Crete villas for couples.
Can we get married at Bleverde?
You can hold a small private celebration on the estate when you take it on exclusive use. We are not a licensed wedding venue and we do not arrange the legal side, so the ceremony itself is something you organise with a local wedding planner — either as a civil ceremony through the municipality, or as a symbolic one after marrying legally at home.
How many people can stay on site?
Twelve, across the two villas: six in Villa Elia and six in Villa Levanda. Each house has its own kitchen and its own pool. Anyone beyond twelve stays nearby — there are rooms in Gavalochori, Vamos, Almyrida and Kalyves within a few minutes’ drive. Compare Villa Elia and Villa Levanda.
How many can we seat for dinner?
We would rather not publish a number we have not tested with a real table plan. Tell us how many you have in mind and what you want the day to look like, and we will tell you honestly whether the terraces carry it.
Can we book just for the weekend?
No. Both villas are let by the week, minimum seven nights, with a fixed changeover day. In practice that means a week in Crete with the wedding in the middle rather than a two-night hire. Check which weeks are free on the availability calendars.
Do you have a wedding coordinator?
No. You will want a local wedding planner, and we would encourage one even for a very small day — they handle the paperwork, the suppliers and the timings, and they know who actually turns up.
Can caterers work at the villas?
Neither villa has a commercial kitchen, so caterers generally work from a marquee kitchen or bring food prepared. Your planner will know how the local firms prefer to operate here.
Is the estate private during our stay?
Completely, if you take both villas. One automatic gate, nobody else on the property, and the two houses positioned so neither overlooks the other.
What is the best time of year?
May, early June, September and early October. Warm, long evenings, and the sea at its most swimmable in September. July and August are hot enough that a midday outdoor ceremony needs real thought. Our best time to visit Crete guide goes month by month.
How far is the airport?
Chania (CHQ) is forty-five minutes by car and Heraklion is two hours. A taxi from Chania airport is around 50 Euros one way. Our guide to Chania airport transfers, car hire and getting to Gavalochori has more.
How do we start?
Email us with your dates and roughly what you are picturing. Penelope and Danny, who own the estate, read those themselves and will tell you straight whether it fits.
How does Bleverde compare with other Crete wedding venues?
It is smaller and more private. Bleverde is a two-villa estate taken on exclusive use for a week, not a licensed venue with packages, so it suits elopements and small weddings rather than large ones. Twelve guests stay on site. See Villa Elia, Villa Levanda and the availability calendars.
Tell us what you are picturing
Send us your dates and your numbers. If the estate is not right for the day you want, we will say so.
Email us
Check availability