What Our Guests Have Said About Villa Alexandra & Villa Francesca
We arrived at 5.45 am to watch the sunrise over the hills! Stunning.
The views are magnificent, with the village straight ahead across the valley and the hills and mountains as a backdrop. And then there is the sea, clearly visible from the villa, the colours seem to change every day: deep blue to azure and turquoise. Talk about body and spirit refreshment, the peace and quiet of country Cretan life.
The temperature was in the 30's every day apart from the last when it reached into the 40's. The Pool was a relief on the last day!!
The Villa is so well laid out, and so well fitted. You don't have to leave! Laze and sunbathe by the pool, eat on the patio and take in those stunning views!
Wow, what a holiday. We will definitely come again.
P&V C, Shropshire, UK - June 2005.
"The view from the villa was amazing, set right up high in the mountains, with no body to overlook you. A car is essential and the roads are fun to drive around. The location of the villa is great, very close to all amenities and easy to find.
The villa is very well decorated and the bathroom is lovely, with a great shower. I am very pleased to say we were the first to christen the BBQ.
The pool is a great asset with the hot sunny days, and is never too cold that it takes your breath away.
We will be back as a week is just not long enough, there are so many places we want to see."
X D, Birmingham, UK. August 2005.
"A very well equipped and presented villa set in the hills with fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. A perfect place to return to at the end of a busy day on the beach or touring the island. The downside of the isolated location is that there are no local amenities within walking distance. Plus the access road is very steep. Ideal for friends/families renting the whole place as one unit. Overall, great value for money."
I, Surrey, UK.
"We enjoyed our stay at the Villa Alexandra very much: stunning views, quiet, very complete, except for the TV: the aerial seemed to be moving a bit, I had to retune it almost daily, finding new stations all the time. We strongly recommend the installation of an inexpensive free-to-air satellite system, pointed at Hotbird at 13 degrees east, this will give almost any nationality 1 or more TV channels, even Greek (ERT-SAT). Nevertheless, we were sorry to leave after only 1 week, but we will be back! Thanks Margaret and Toni, you are doing a great job!!"
H, Bracknell, UK.
"Enjoyed our stay at Villa Alexandra, the views are wonderful. We were lucky that the other villas next to us were empty so it was quiet and relaxing which is just what we were looking for. The weather was nice and hot but the breeze kept the temperature just perfect. The pool was nice to use to cool off when it got too hot. You will need a car to travel around and the road up to the villa is pretty steep, 1st gear only, what fun."
S, St Andrews, Scotland.
"We came to Crete in early June seeking both relaxation and fun and we were not disappointed. Villa Francesca is up a hill as is most of Crete and a car is essential unless you have the stamina of a mountain goat or want to use taxis. We chose to hire a jeep which easily negotiated the climb and boy is the view worth it! Standing on the terrace overlooking the oh so inviting pool you can see the sea to your left and the mountains straight ahead. There is nothing to block your view. In the early afternoons we saw a pair of birds of prey (? buzzards or eagles) floating on the thermals. They were so free and elegant, we could have watched them all week but that would have meant not getting in the unoverlooked pool and and sunbathing for the rest of the day - what a choice! Talking of the terrace, we had some lovely breakfasts out there, gazing out over the valley. The American fridge freezer is big enough to store food and booze for an army and had you wanted to cook all week you would only need to do one big shop. Ice on demand for the poolside refreshments!
But why cook when there are so many friendly, good value tavernas within easy reach (by car/cab)? We rate the one in Pigi run by Ann Marie (English) and her Cretan partner (who's name I can't pronounce). The spicy pork dish and the Cretan salad are a must.
We were new to Crete but after a few chats with Tony and Margaret who manage the villa we felt like we were amongst old friends and had the confidence to try new foods and experiences. They keep the villa, gardens and pool in excellent condition and clearly love their work. We have rented houses in France before and this villa is definitely geared towards the English market (dishwasher, big towels, good cooker and shade around the pool). Will we be back - you bet!"
D & B, Shropshire, UK, June 2007.
"Villa Francesca was a real gem for our week stay, the stunning views and setting was better than we expected. A short 10 min drive to the busy resorts and beaches or the choice to stay in at the villa with everything you could wish for, with Tony and Margaret on hand with local know how it was a great week."
R & N, UK, July 2007.
"We had a great time at Villa Francesca, it was a haven up in the hills and would definitely recommend staying there. Margaret & Tony were both really helpful and even holidaying with a toddler, we had everything we needed."
S & G, UK, July 2007.
Our brief was to find a relaxing, "away from the madding crowds" resort and accomodation. Villa Francesca was perfect, the location of the villa allowed for some of the most stunning views of both the sea and mountains, it is a perfect retreat for those looking to get away from it all in beautiful and peaceful surroundings, a car is very useful although there are local taxis available. The villa is very well equipped and very nicely furnished, clean, bright and airy.
The local village about 10 mins drive has plenty of tavernas and bars and the town of Rethymnon is only 9 kilometers away and well worth a visit, there are plenty of small shops to meander around offering Cretian goods like fine linens, leather goods olive oils and lots more, as well as the old Fort built on the edge of the town, which is definately worth a visit.
Margaret and Tony are a very friendly and helpful couple and will make sure your comfort comes first, they are on hand if you need anything and take great care of the Villa and gardens, and they SING...the Karaoke at the White Lady Taverna was great fun on Wednesday or Sunday nights, with very good food and Greek dancing too!
We loved our stay in Villa Francesca and would highly recomend it, we hope to return for another vacation there one day. Crete is one of the most beautiful of islands and still retains quite a lot of "unspoilt" places to visit, with very friendly people, good food and plenty of things to do and see.
K & T Blackmon, South Carolina, USA. May 2008
Villa Francesca was a wonderful place to spend a holiday. We had been to the other side of Crete last year and fell in love with the island. Staying at Villa Francesca proved to be a better choice. Margaret and Tony couldn't have been more helpfull. The Villa had everything we needed and had a beautiful pool surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers. The nearest resort of Platanes is just a short drive away. Here you will find the 'White lady'. We can thoroughly recommend it for excellent food and an entertaining evening. The service and hospitality was 1st Class. Antonia, Yiannis, Billy and all the staff really made us feel like part of their family, and if your lucky you can see Margaret and Tony sing!
About a 15 minutes drive away is the town of Rethymnon, which is well worth a visit. It has a historic old harbour with numerous shops and restaurants and a very impressive ruined fortress.
T & P, Luton, UK, June 2008.
Villa Francesca, Agia Triada, Rethymo, Crete
We have just returned from a wonderful, totally relaxing holiday in Crete. We had the privilege of staying at Villa Francesca, a well appointed villa set in a wonderful, peaceful location. Perched up on the side of a rural valley the views were tremendous across to the village of Agia Triada and all the way to the sea. Two weeks of lounging around the villa's private and secluded pool, relaxing with a cool drink on the shaded patio whilst enjoying the beautiful rural landscape. It was wonderful and I would recommend this villa without hesitation.
TW & MB, Grimsby, UK. July 2008.
We had a lovely holiday at Villa Francesca, the road up to the villa is a lttle steep, but I agree with everyone else that once up there it is well worth it for the stunning views. You will need a car for certain. The villa was lovely, well equipped and comfortable. The pool and the gardens where lovely as well and the poolside was a sun trap. There were plenty of good supermarkets & restaurants close by and beautiful Old Town Rethymno is not far away and there are some lovely quiet beaches heading out of Rethymno towards Chania off the main highway, which is a great road for getting around.
The location of the villa has stunning views of both a side sea view and mountains to all other sides, it is a perfect retreat for those looking to get away from it all in beautiful and peaceful surroundings.
Many thanks to you both for you kind assistance.
Z & J L, North Lincolnshire, UK, September 2008
Villa Alexandra
"We truly enjoyed our stay in Villa Alexandra this summer. As always the weather was warm and sunny. Villa Alexandra is situated in a very calm area and is very suitable for families and is beautiful decorated. The steep road up to Villa Alexandra is quite funny really, when you have tried it a couple of times. The villa has the most beautiful view over the valley, the villages, the sea and the mountains. Get up early and enjoy the sunrise, it's so beautiful. And Margaret and Tony give you a great welcome. We will be back to Villa Alexandra soon, for sure!!"
Lars, Noerresundby, Denmark, June/July 2008
Villa Francesca, what can we say but perfect!
We visited Crete and Villa Francesca in September 2008 and have recommended it to all our friends and family. The villa itself is very clean and has everything you need for your stay. It is a very good size with different levels so you can have breakfast on the terrace in the morning then down to the secluded pool and gardens in the afternoon sun and then up onto the roof terrace for drinks to watch the sun setting whilst looking out over the stunning views of the valley and the sea. We never tired of looking over the views.
The location for the villa is perfect, far enough away from the local town to be very peaceful but close enough to visit all the local taverns in the evening where there is a great choice of food and drink and where you are made to feel very welcome. If you feel like staying in at night then the kitchen is fully equipment to rustle up a meal with a bottle of wine or two and settle down to watch some DVD’s.
Car hire is a must to get to see the beautiful island and to reach the local town but also to get to villa Francesca as it is on a very steep incline, if there was no incline there would not be those wonderful views! Also recommended is the air conditioning in the villa as the nights were very warm.
Visit Kourna Lake while you are there you will not be disappointed.
Margaret and Tony made sure our stay was pleasurable and were always close at hand if we needed anything.
Heather, Manchester, UK, September 2008
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