Villa Creta

Rooms

The 2 villas were built in the 1980s using traditional materials - stone-faced walls, tiled floors - in a modern design with open-plan living spaces, full-height French windows and wraparound balconies to maximise the awesome views. Miltos runs a construction company and prides himself on the quality of his fixtures and finishings. There's air conditioning for the summer, huge wood-burning stoves for chilly autumn or spring evenings, and spacious kitchens with an excellent level of equipment (see Eating). Outside, each villa has its own pool, dining terrace and barbecue.

Perched on a pine-shaded hilltop, looking down over scattered villages and rolling farmland, rose-coloured Villa Despoina (sleeps 4-5) is the pick of the pair. The 3 bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin, 1 single) are set at the back of the villa. Decorated in sunshine yellow, the master bedroom has a brass four-poster bed, romantically cloaked by muslin drapes, plus a spacious ensuite bathroom with a shower. Two doors down, the cream twin room is basic but comfortable, with terracotta floor tiles and chintzy touches; it shares a bathroom with the small single room.

Set 300m down the hillside and out of sight from Despoina, the secluded Villa Stella consists of a main house for up to 7 and a separate studio for 2. Craggy stone walls surround the swimming pool; pine and fruit trees provide ample shade. As with Villa Despoina, the living areas open onto a vast balcony, which offers a stunning panoramic of the Ayios Sillas plains. Inside, the master bedroom is romantically decorated, with cerulean blue print curtains surrounding the four-poster bed, a wicker chair, and an ensuite bathroom. Across the hall, the split-level triple bedroom has a single bed on the main floor, and an open-plan attic mezzanine containing twin beds. The ceiling of this is quite low, so it's best suited to children. This triple shares a bathroom with an additional single room, also on the main floor, and an extra single bed can be provided. The basic but adequate stand-alone studio contains a small kitchen and dining area, as well as a bathroom and double bed.

The living rooms in both villas have a sofa, 2 armchairs, a TV, a DVD player and a CD player with a small selection of CDs (mainly classical). Each also has a dining table, seating 6 in Villa Despoina and 8 in Villa Stella. Villa Despoina has a small library.