Villa Anise Greece

It’s all about the light, when you vacation at the artist studio Villa Anise, located in the village of Ammoudi, on the north coast of the Greek island of Crete, a jewel in the Aegean Sea. This contemporary two-storey villa has three spacious double bedrooms, and can comfortably accommodate up to eight guests, ideal for a family or group of friends sharing. The villa is built out of local stone, set into a gently sloping hillside, with stunning azure Aegean Sea views. Villa Anise is set in its own small terraced grounds, surrounded by stone walls for privacy, and home to a sea view private infinity pool. The property comes with garage parking, and complimentary air conditioning and Wi-Fi throughout.
The villa is uniquely arranged with the living space on the upper level, and the bedrooms on the lower level, with immediate access to the pool terrace. Villa Anise is light and airy, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that open onto the terraces, and reward the guest with breathtaking sea views. The property has been furnished with contemporary pieces, lots of natural wood, and decorated in a classic clean crisp white throughout. There is a relaxing vibe about Villa Anise, a casual luxury that makes it a welcoming holiday home from home.
Park the car in the garage, and enter the villa at the upper level, where you will find a bright and breezy open-plan living space, with WoW factor sea views. The room has a high vaulted ceiling with wood beams and double doors that open onto the top terrace. The very spacious seating area has two big squishy white sofas, a scattering of white coffee tables, an artist’s easel, a flat-screen television, and an open wood-burning fire for those cooler months and evenings. The adjacent fully equipped kitchen is super smart and fitted with all the appliances you will need to cater for your holiday, including that must-have morning coffee maker. There is an indoor all-white dining set, perfect for breakfast and making plans for the day. A glass-fronted terrace runs the length of the upper floor and is home to a six-seater dining set, that has straight out to sea views, just right for feasting alfresco under the stars. Take the stairs to the lower level where there are three beautifully-appointed double bedrooms, with sliding doors leading onto the pool terrace. There are two modern bathrooms, one with a bathtub, and one with a walk-in shower.
The sea view tiled terrace has a decked pool area and a small well-manicured lawn. The infinity step entry swimming pool has an easy shallow entry and is long enough for a few lengths before breakfast. A white canopied pergola is a home to a deep cushioned sea view day bed, whilst classic sun loungers and handy side tables surround the pool. There is a shady soft seating spot, ideal for relaxing with this year’s best-seller, or meeting for cocktails at sunset when you can raise a glass to the most memorable holiday.
Villa Anise is a thirty-minute drive from Heraklion International Airport, a half hour scenic coastal route drive to your holiday home from home. Located in the North of Crete, the island is equidistant from east to west, you’ll have no difficulty getting to any attraction of your choice. Whether you are looking for a relaxing time sunbathing on sandy beaches, yearning for some culture and visiting archaeological sites in the cradle of civilisation, or trek the trails through the local flora and fauna, before dancing the night away, there’s something for everyone with a holiday on the island of Crete. The villa is within a few minutes drive from the village of Mades. with its beautiful horseshoe bay sandy beach, crystal clear waters, and populated with sun loungers and shady parasols, and some sail and fishing caiques too. Other notable beaches within the vicinity can be found at the quiet Agia Pelagia, Liguria with its beach bars, scuba diving and water sports, and the splendid Gulf of Heraklion. In the village, you will find provisions to cater for your holiday, family-run tavernas serving traditional Cretan food, and lots of cosy bars for a glass of local wine and people-watching.
For those who love walking, explore the three hundred caves the island hides, hike over hillsides, streams, and rocky ravines to discover watermills and ruins, and stop along the way at a local winery and taste the fruits of the many vineyards The area is soaked in history, particularly Minoan and Dorian, Crete was conquered by the Venetians in the fifteenth century, who built fortresses to keep the Ottoman pirates at bay, then finally gaining independence in the nineteenth century and becoming part of Greece. If you prefer the sea to land, all aboard a boat trip where you can scuba or snorkel underwater ruins, and strap on your jet skis or paraglide with one of the many water sports clubs.
The town and port of Heraklion is a short drive from the villa, don’t miss a tour around the ancient Palace of Knossos, a visit to the Archaeological Museum, a walk along the Venetian walls, and a stroll through the old quarter, where you can shop for souvenirs, before enjoying a souvlaki and ouzo like a local. Go further afield to Vai, Crete’s easternmost tip, where you will find lush forests and a unique date palm. Explore Psychro Cave, reputedly the birthplace of Zeus, and rock climb Mount Ida to find the Ideon Cave. Sitia Geopark is three hundred and fifty square kilometres of the island’s diverse ecosystem, where you can trek through gorges, bathe on beaches, walk the wetlands, become a bird-watcher, and be at one with nature. Get active and hike the Richtis Gorge, and stroll through streams to reach the twenty-metre waterfall, where you can cool off in the inviting pool. Find peace and solitude in the fifteenth-century Toplou Monastery, where you can see beautiful Byzantine icons.
Take a boat tour to visit the intriguing island of Spinalonga, a former leper colony until as recently as the 1950s, home to a Venetian fortress, and now an open-air museum. No visit to Crete is complete without a trip to Agios Nikolaos, a harbour town that uniquely houses a lake in its centre, is home to the archaeological museum of Minoan treasures, and is full of tavernas, shops, bars, and restaurants, in which to sit and watch the local life go by.