MARO'S SPITAKI, 2 SLEEPS, PERFECT FOR ROMANTIC HOLIDAYS

No more than 15 minutes by car from bustling Chania harbour and a 5 to 10 minute drive across country to the sandy beach at Kalamaki, Varipetro, the local village, boasts no more than a bakery, a couple of small shops selling basic necessities and a little cafenion. There are nevertheless some very good tavernas close at hand, in the nearby villages of Galatas and Daratsos approx 5 - 8 kms away.

Perfectly formed for two and positively oozing tranquillity Maros Spitaki is set in a Garden of Eden with, and here we make no apology, a somewhat ostentatious swimming pool and huge barbecue all screened by high hedges from the only neighbouring house.

The open plan living room of this villa has a cosy sitting area with fitted sofas and a TV and CD Player sitting amongst the authentic Cretan artefacts arranged on meticulously crafted wooden shelving, in keeping with the simple, aesthetic style of this villa with pool. At the far end of the room, the kitchen area has a large fridge freezer along with cooker and a dining table by an open fireplace. Off the living room, the air conditioned double bedroom has a well-appointed en suite bathroom, attractively finished with blue and white wall tiles. The cloistered rear courtyard is a veritable sun trap and has stairs up to the roof terrace where a shady grape arbour has astounding panoramic views across miles of open countryside, where orange and olive groves stretch to the distant phantom blue hills.