Villa Cloves 4 Greece

There’s a retro vibe to Villa Cloves 4, an ultra-luxury beachfront holiday home, overlooking the tiny village of Mades, on the north coast of the Greek island of Crete. Villa Cloves 4 is the fourth of five elegant, architect-designed, connected properties, created in a wave-like structure, to reflect the natural surroundings. These three-storey villas are built out of traditional stone, with tall walls for privacy and security. The properties have their own parking spots and come complete with complimentary air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
The Villa Cloves are uniquely and individually designed, maximising minimalism, with sharply angled walls, furnished with uber-contemporary pieces, eclectic modern art and artefacts, and some seriously funky lighting. The décor throughout is soothing earth tones of subtle shades of beige and greys, with a contrasting monochrome of crisp whites and deep blacks. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors flood the properties with lots of natural light and give access to private pool terraces, and sea-view balconies. Each villa has its own private infinity swimming pool and spacious sea-view exterior living space. This small complex comes with a Guest Centre and a concierge service team that can arrange well almost anything, from limousine transfers and private chefs to yacht charters and yoga lessons. The very best thing about Villa Cloves 4 is the breathtaking beachfront location, simply step out of your villa, take a few steps to the shore, and dip your toes into the azure waters of the Aegean Sea.
Villa Cloves 4 has four stylish ensuite bedrooms, and can comfortably accommodate up to eight guests, perfect for a large family or a group of friends sharing. Access the villa via the ground floor, where you will find a light and airy open-plan living space. The living area has picture windows that open onto the pool terrace and rewards the guests with stunning sea views. The seating area is furnished with a super long grey flannel sofa and contrasting toffee brown armchair, with asymmetric coffee tables, facing a flat-screen television. The oval wooden dining table, with black upholstered chairs, would make for some impressive indoor entertaining. A brown wood and white, fully-equipped, galley-style kitchen, is fitted with all the latest appliances that you will need to cater for your holiday. T
ake the glass-fronted staircase to the first floor, where you will find two beautifully appointed double bedrooms. Both bedrooms have large double beds, fitted wardrobes, and ultra-modern ensuite bathrooms with walk-in showers. Sliding doors open onto a furnished wrap-around balcony with uninterrupted sea views. The stairs to the lower ground lead to two further sophisticated bedrooms suites, with superb rain shower bathrooms. A second sitting room has a dove grey three-seater sofa, two matching two-seater sofas, handcrafted wooden stools, and a coffee table, with a small kitchenette. The sea view terrace has a centrepiece ladder entry infinity swimming pool, with a tiled surround, and a small lawn populated with modern mesh sun loungers. A shaded soft seating area is the ideal place to meet for morning coffee and cocktails at sunset. Feast alfresco at the outside dining set, and watch in wonder as dusk falls, the pool lights start to work their magic, and the stars come out to shine.
The villa is twenty-six kilometres 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 trekking 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 Cloves are superbly sited on the beautiful beachfront of the tiny village of Mades on the north coast of Crete. The villas have immediate access to the horseshoe bay sandy beach, and the crystal clear waters of the Aegean Sea, populated with sun loungers and shady parasols. 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 are 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. End your day dancing the night away in the holiday hot spot of Malia, a twenty-five-minute drive from the villa!