Luxury Villa Review: Domes Luxury Residences
They say Greece represents many countries rolled into one. From the serenity and tranquility of the mainland’s remote rural regions, to the islands with their picturesque bays and bustling towns, there’s plenty to choose from when trying to decide where to visit. Especially if you have the great fortune to pick Crete.
To many people, this most southern of the Greek islands- just a hop and skip from the north coast of Africa- equates to a nation in itself. The biggest of them all, it’s not without good reason that people often come back waxing lyrical about the sheer breadth of variety in terms of landscape. Inland mountain roads meander through impossible peaks, whilst the coastal areas are renowned for their endless beaches. We opted to head for the much sought after spot of Elounda on our most recent (fifth) trip to this wonderful destination, and immediately felt calm, relaxed and in the holiday spirit.
This is, after all, one of the most beautiful spots on Crete. With traces of a settlement in the area dating back to an ancient city, Olous, today it’s a small and thoroughly charming fishing town comprising several villages, along with the small islet of Spinalonga- a former leper colony that’s well worth a day trip if you feel inclined to take in some of the regional history. Put to use as recently as the early-1900s, it makes for a somewhat chilling but truly fascinating insight into times gone by. As do the ruins of Olous, which have long since been reclaimed by the sea, but are still visible if you go scuba diving- a veritable Atlantis, if ever we saw one.
Ultimately, though, we didn’t feel inclined to do too much given our exceptional accommodation. We stayed in the Domes Luxury Residences, a unique offering that combines the ambience of a private villa, but with the full service you’d expect from a luxury hotel. The kids loved having their own pool to play in, and on that note the whirlpool and waterfall certainly added to the entertainment factor. That’s when we weren’t on the beach, which is just under half a kilometre away from the resort itself.
On site the restaurant served some exquisite dishes, but we’re also big fans of exploring the true meaning of local cuisine. And this spot was perfect for doing just that. Aghios Nicholaos is close by, a resort town that may lack the character of the island’s big hitters such as Rethymnon or Chania but makes up for it with an abundance of fantastic tavernas and a real welcoming spirit about the place. We ventured in twice during our seven day stay, and certainly didn’t regret it. That said, we could easily have stayed put at the Domes, and spent the week wandering through the beautiful grounds, admiring the exotic foliage, sitting out in the evening and stareing at the impossibly stunning Cretan sky, and making the most of the marble-clad bathroom that helped each day begin in the best possible way.
A home from home, in the truest meaning of the phrase, needless to say we didn’t want to leave.
For more on these beautiful villas see http://www.edgeretreats.com
