Villa Platanias Greece

Villa Platanias is beautiful, smart and elegant. It is nestled in an upmarket area of Platanias, just 350 metres from the wonderful Agia Marina Beach and 750 metres from the gorgeous sweeping sands of Platanias Beach. This thoroughly modern, trendy villa offers sumptuous contemporary furnishings, top-of-the-range fittings, a delightful garden and a fabulous swimming pool. Its living spaces are open plan in design and drowned in natural light. With three gorgeous bedrooms, the villa is perfect for both families and groups of friends. Entertainment, bars, restaurants and shops are on the doorstep, and the villa is perfectly situated to explore this stunning north-western coast of Crete.
Platanias and Agia Marina have plenty to offer and the delightful resort of Maleme, between the villages of Tavronitis and Gerani, also enjoys a three-kilometre beach. The gorgeous Venetian harbour and Old Town of Chania are within easy reach with its waterfront bars and restaurants, its dreamy ancient buildings and its charming, bougainvillaea-draped cobbled alleyways. Three of the island’s most spectacular beaches, Balos, Elafonisi and Falasarna, are an easy drive away. For an alternative day out, you can head to the phenomenal Samaria Gorge.
The living space of Villa Platanias is beautifully presented in neutral colours with the occasional vivid colour splash, be it the bright turquoise corner sofa or the brilliant green kitchen splashback. There are also some vibrant, modern artworks to catch your eye. Guests can cook in a stunning kitchen which offers the best of appliances and dine inside or on alfresco on the terrace. One of the double bedrooms is located on the ground floor with direct access to the pool terrace. It enjoys a comfy kingsize bed which is beautifully dressed in crisp cotton and colour co-ordinated throws and cushions. Its fully tiled contemporary ensuite bathroom boasts a large walk-in shower with plenty of fluffy towels and dressing gowns.
A modern staircase with a stainless steel balustrade takes you to the two remaining bedrooms. Both offer gorgeous ensuite bathrooms and access to a fabulous furnished terrace. Here you can relax on the alfresco lounge furniture, enjoying your morning cup of coffee and views of the pool, the dramatic hillside and the sea. One of the bedrooms enjoys a sumptuous kingsize bed, and the other twin beds sit side by side. Again, they are adorned with luxury linens and gorgeous soft furnishings.
The outside spaces of Villa Platanias are superb. The upper shaded balcony offers a quiet relaxing spot, and below, you will discover a pretty garden area and a smart, secluded terrace. The pool is wonderful with its shallow children’s section. Alfresco dining can be enjoyed on yet more contemporary furniture using the barbecue facilities. Though it will be tempting to stay put in this idyllic haven, the glorious sandy beach is just moments away, as is Platanias Square and the astonishing Agios Dimitrios Church.
Villa Platanias enjoys a wonderful location in the buzzy tourist resort of Platanias. Within easy reach are Chania, Maleme, Kissamos, Balos Beach, Falasarna Beach and Elafonisi Beach. Platanias boasts a lively strip and an old town together with its endless sands. To the north, you will find the beach lined with bars, restaurants, nightclubs and hotels with the charming old town climbing up the surrounding hillside. Where Platanias Beach ends, Agia Marina Beach begins. It too offers sun loungers, umbrellas and beach bars. It enjoys a jet-ski centre too for some thrilling fun. Snorkelling, fishing, cycling and horse riding are available locally.
The foothills behind Maleme are excellent for fresh country walks perfumed with wild thyme and oregano. An hour’s ramble out of Maleme takes you to the charming hilltop village of Deres with its whitewashed church and inviting taverna. Maleme is famous for being the place where German paratroopers attacked Crete in 1941.
The buzzy tourist resort of Kissamos sits on the edge of the Gramvousa peninsula. Kissamos is also known as Kastelli Kissamou in reference to the former Venetian fortress that used to dominate the town. Kissamos enjoys many tavernas, beaches and plenty of shops. Surrounding the town are fertile olive groves and vineyards. The main beach is Mavros Molos which is sprinkled with trees, sunbeds and parasols. The Archaeological Museum of Kissamos is located on the main square, Stratigou Tzanakaki, boasting an impressive collection of local discoveries from a wide range of historical eras. A little further north of the main port of Kissamos is the quaint, colourful Old Port of Kastelli Kissamou which is brimming with brightly coloured fishing boats, a photographer’s dream.
On the Gramvousa peninsula, Balos Lagoon Beach is absolutely stunning and one of the most photographed beaches in Greece. The lagoon of Balos has silvery white sand and exotic, white, vivid blue and turquoise waters. The sea is very shallow and warm. Beyond the rocks at the boundaries of the lagoon, the water is deeper and ideal for snorkelling. The lagoon and wider area with rare species of flora and fauna are protected under the Natura 2000 programme. Eleonora falcons, shags and cormorants nest in the caves, and the area is a shelter for protected monk seal and loggerhead sea turtle. You will think you are in the Maldives or somewhere as it is so beautiful. Balos can be reached by car, though be prepared for a bumpy ride, or you can take a boat trip to the beach. North of Balos, in Cape Korykon, there are remains of the small Roman town of Agnio with the temple of Apollo and the picturesque chapel of Agios Sostis.
At the western base of the stunning Cape Gramvousa, 17km west of Kissamos, you will discover Falasarna Beach, another fabulous Cretan gem. The beach has been voted as one of the ten best beaches in Europe in the past. Falasarna Bay actually consists of five consecutive dazzling, silver-sanded beaches. It is huge as well as gorgeous and has such a dazzling, clear, turquoise blue sea. At the northern end of the beach, there are ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Falasarna. There are several companies offering watersports, including Falasarna Activities, which offers wakeboard and jet ski tuition.
Elafonisi is also a magical place that consists of a small islet with white and pink sandy beaches. Visitors can wade out to the island to enter another world. The island is an internationally classified nature reserve and home to more than one hundred rare plants, including summer flowering sea daffodils that look like white cups. The island is a nature lovers’ paradise. To the left of the sandbank, windsurfers enjoy the prevailing winds.
The charming and picturesque Old Town of Chania is roughly twenty minutes away in the car. Its atmospheric 14th-century Venetian harbour, old port, narrow, cobbled shopping streets, colourful bougainvillaea and waterfront restaurants make this a top-notch evening out. The sunset views are breathtaking, with the Venetian lighthouse a focal point. You can walk along the harbour wall to the lighthouse.
Samaria Gorge is the longest gorge in Europe at 16km, which would take roughly six hours to pass along the whole gorge. Otherwise, you can drive to Chora Sfakion and take a boat to Agia Roumeli and walk a few kilometres at the end of the gorge. The Imbros Gorge is also very beautiful and takes approximately two hours. You can combine this walk with swimming on Fragokastelo Beach.
Popular day trips from Villa Platanias include trips to the ancient ruins of Aptera, where you can tour a huge cistern, and ten minutes away, a hilltop Byzantine castle overlooking the ocean. The farming town of Theriso is also popular, with a gorgeous drive to get there, passing lush green wilderness and the towering Theriso Gorge.
At Excellence Luxury Villas we pride ourselves on going that little bit further for our guests. If there is anything you would like to arrange for your stay, please contact the Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team who will be happy to help. We can usually put you in touch with the right people arrange any of the following: 
– Cook/
catering –
Maid service/extra cleaning – Local day-trips or tours – Airport pick-up/drop-off –
Babysitting service – Welcome hamper/
pre-stocked fridge
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so please just contact Excellence Luxury Villas Concierge Team to help you arrange any of those little extras that can really make the difference.