Villa Athina is a charming stone villa that is dramatically positioned on a cliff-top terrace with absolutely spectacular views of Souda Bay, the Akrotiri Peninsula, The White Mountains and the quaint villages that are dotted along the coastline below. The villa has been cleverly designed to ensure that the 3 of the 4 outdoor terraces enjoy these views with both privacy and a choice of sun or shade. In order to make your stay completely stress free, traditional features such as honey-blonde stone walls and arches, beamed ceilings, and pergolas made from local bleached cypress wood, blend effortlessly with every possible modern comfort including a fully equipped kitchen, satellite TV, and 3 fully tiled bathrooms. Set on the outskirts of the quaint white-washed village of Kokkino Horio, Villa Athina is within walking distance of the excellent taverna and well stocked mini-market on the pretty village square, and the glass blowing workshop and organic taverna, or a short drive to the sandy beaches and many amenities at the seaside resort of Almyrida.
The villa has been named after the Greek Goddess Athina who ruled the arts, literature, intellectual activity and reason, and you will understand why once you have spent a fantastic holiday relaxing at this very special villa. The artistic Australian owners have spent a considerable amount of time creating a very attractive and comfortable home which has air-conditioning in the living room and 2 upstairs bedrooms, and thanks to the stone walls and north east corner location, the downstairs bedroom stays naturally cool and has a fan. For the cooler nights at the start and end of the season the A/C units double up as heaters and there is a fireplace. The intelligent layout over 2 floors means that none of the spacious bedrooms share an adjoining wall, which may particularly suit families who are sharing but still enjoy moments of peace and solitude.
Villa Athina has quality contemporary furnishings that have been chosen to beautifully co-ordinate with the pale cypress wood beamed ceilings and kitchen cabinets. The lounge has comfortable couches, a WIFI hub with Free WIFI access, a wall mounted LCD TV with a built-in DVD player, and a satellite box, and the fully equipped modern kitchen has every possible appliance including a ceramic hob, a fan assist oven, a dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer, a microwave oven, a kettle, a toaster, and a coffee maker. In keeping with the rest of the villa and the surrounding landscape, the doors, windows, and shutters have been made of bleached wood. For entertainment purposes a selection of books, DVD’s, books, and games for both adults and children have been thoughtfully supplied, and beautiful flower arrangements, candles, and pretty ornaments complete setting.
Despite the villa’s elegant and welcoming interior, you will probably want to spend most of your time relaxing outside on one of the villa’s many outdoor areas whilst taking in the infinite sea views. The property has been carved into the rock and creatively landscaped in order to incorporate the natural stone outcrops and stone walls, and maximise the privacy. There is a grass lawn at the rear of the property, and a selection of colourful oleander bushes, fuchsia bougainvillea, geraniums, and small fruit trees.
The elevated hillside position means that the villa is often blessed in the summer by refreshing breezes that come in off the sea, and on the occasional windy day there is a rear terrace that is perfectly sheltered by the villa itself and is shaded by a bamboo topped pergola to which climbing grapevines are being introduced. The pool terrace has sun-beds, an umbrella, a built in stone and marble table and chairs, and a traditional built-in barbeque/oven that can be lit with either wood or charcoal and is perfect for grilling the delicious fresh produce that you can buy locally. The dining area will undoubtedly be the focus of many a congenial meal and is adjacent to the family friendly private pool which has a built-in bench at one end where you can cool off during the long hot summer days, or sit with a cocktail in the evening whilst the water laps around you. An array of garden furniture on the terraces and balconies invites you to do nothing more taxing than lie back and marvel at the gorgeous sunsets, or on a warm clear night look at the twinkling stars, and the lights in the bay from the ferries that go past on their nightly journey to Athens.
Villa Athina is ideal for those wanting to stay in an enchanting stone villa with unrivalled views and a private and relaxing setting with easy access to beaches, shops and tavernas.
Villa Accommodation
Ground floor (0 steps from the pool and dining terraces, 9 steps from parking area): A living room, a kitchen and dining area, a utility cupboard, 1 double bedroom, 1 full bathroom, a sea facing covered terrace, and a sea facing pool and dining terrace, a rear pergola covered terrace. The front door opens into the living room. There is an oatmeal linen matching lounge suite comprised of a 3 person couch, a 2 person couch, an armchair, and a box stool. There is also a pretty cream painted coffee table with a wooden top, and a matching sideboard and bookcase. The lounge has a wall mounted flat screen TV with a DVD player and satellite TV box, and a fireplace. One set of French doors open out onto the pool terrace / dining / barbeque area, and a second set of French doors open out onto the covered front terrace which has a coffee table and chairs, and panoramic views to the sea, village and mountains. A hallway leading from the lounge has a utility cupboard with the washing machine, iron, ironing board, and cleaning equipment, a door to the downstairs full bathroom, the staircase, and a large stone archway to the kitchen and inside dining area. The full bathroom has white and brown tiles, a full bath with a shower attachment, a white washbasin with a mirrored cabinet, a toilet, and a frosted window. The downstairs bedroom has a double bed with a silver bed frame, 2 bedside tables with lamps, a silver wood framed wall mirror, a wardrobe with drawers, shelves and hanging space, a fan, and French doors to a small balcony with a view to the rocky surrounding landscape and to the sea. The dining area has a large cream painted dining table with a wooden top, 6 chairs, and a matching side board/Welsh dresser. A set of French doors open out onto the covered front terrace, and an extra wide set of French doors open from the dining/area kitchen to a wrap-around front balcony. The kitchen has light wood built-in cabinets, a peach and brown marble effect work surface, white wall tiles, a dishwasher, a ceramic hob and built in fan assist oven, a fridge/freezer, a microwave oven, a cooker hood, a coffee maker, a toaster, and a kettle. A window looks out to the rocky landscape and the sea.
First floor (17 steps up from the ground floor): 1 master bedroom with and en-suite shower room, 1 double bedroom, 1 shower room, and a large open sea and mountain facing terrace. The master bedroom has a king-size pale wood bed with 2 bedside tables with lamps, a framed wall mirror, a wardrobe with drawers, shelves and hanging space, and French doors that open out onto the spacious sun terrace that is shared with the second upstairs bedroom and is equipped with sun-beds. The sun terrace has panoramic sea and mountain views and an open wooden pergola. The master suite has an en-suite shower room that is fully tiled with white and brown tiles and has a shower with a glass screen, a wash basin, a mirrored cabinet, a toilet, and a frosted window. The second upstairs bedroom has a double bed with a light wood frame, 2 white wood bedside tables with lamps, a wall mirror, a wardrobe with drawers, shelves and hanging space, a window that looks out to the rocky landscape and the sea, and French doors that open out on to the large open sun terrace that is shared with the master bedroom suite. In the middle of the upstairs hallway is the door to the main shower room. The shower room is fully tiled with white and brown tiles and has shower with a glass screen, a wash basin, a mirrored cabinet, a toilet, and a frosted window.
*** As of January 01, 2024, the Greek government have replaced the old “bed tax” with a new tax that is applied to all stays in short-term rental accommodation in Greece. The Climate Resilience Levy is a response to the devastating forest fires and floods that Greece has experienced in recent years, with the government hoping to generate extra funding that will go towards financing reconstruction, supporting victims, and increasing the country’s defences against future natural disasters.
The owners of all short-term rental accommodation are legally obliged to collect the Climate Resilience Levy as a separate tax for all overnight stays (per villa) as follows:
In 2024: €10.00 per night on stays between March 01 and October 31, and €4.00 per night on stays between November 01 and February 28/29.
In 2025: €15.00 per night on stays between March 01 and October 31, and €4.00 per night on stays between November 01 and February 28/29.
The Vrbo system does not have a section for collecting the Climate Resilience Levy and we have, therefore, had to add it to the billing section as an extra fee which will show on the booking as a Host Fee.
Whilst we understand the potential budget concerns of our guests, this tax/levy is beyond our control and we encourage our guests to see this as a way of contributing to the protection of the planet and the beautiful area where they are holidaying.
