Villa Persephone: A great country retreat to discover Crete’s most dramatic side

Villa Persephone is a stunning three-bedroom, three-bathroom rural retreat located not far from the pretty village of Panos Stalos to the west of Chania town on the island of Crete.

This beautiful villa can sleep six guests and brags tremendous views of Crete’s lush rolling hillsides that reach towards the sea’s edge.

This homely and welcoming villa boasts a traditional Cretan-style décor, with simple tiles, beamed wooden ceilings and exposed brickwork. This conventional style is weaved with modern finishes including Wi-Fi and air conditioning.

The name Persephone comes from the Greek goddess of the same name who was the daughter of Zeus and the queen of the underworld.

The open-plan living and dining room is spacious and welcoming, as is the rest of the villa. Guests staying in Persephone’s double and twin bedrooms on the first floor share a balcony with incredible views of the stunning surrounding Cretan countryside.

With Crete’s enviable climate it stands to reason that Persephone has an exterior designed to spend time in.

A large private pool of eight metres by five metres dominates the grounds. This grand and inviting pool is encircled by pretty stone paving which backs on to a well-maintained lawn on one side and intricate white railings on the other, which stand as a welcoming barrier between the property and the steep hillside that descends dramatically into the oasis of natural beauty below.

If you can manage to convince yourself and your party to give up the pool for the beach then you are unlikely to be disappointed, as Crete’s north western coastline awaits, which is home to some of the most dramatic scenery on the whole of the island.

In this beautiful part of Crete a handful of white sand beaches are waiting to be discovered, as is the famous Falassarna Beach, which is part of the Natura 2000 Network, known for its diverse variety of flora and fauna and outstanding natural beauty.

Amenities are also close at hand in Villa Persephone as the quiet and traditional village of Panos Stalos is just 1.5 kilometres from the house. In this sleepy village you can eat in one of several tavernas and pick up some essentials at a small village store.

For a livelier scene the charismatic old harbour town of Chania is just 10 kilometres from Villa Persephone. This old Venetian harbour is backed by a network of crisscrossing narrow streets and alleyways. And with a quayside brimming with sophisticated bars and tavernas, there’s plenty to enjoy after dark in Chania.

For more information and to view photos of Villa Persephone visit the webpage at: https://www.vintagetravel.co.uk/villa_details.cfm?p_id=2298