Family Summer Holiday at Villa Anna.
Review Submitted: September 23, 2009
Date of Stay: August 2009
We are a family of four and are happy to report that we all had a lovely holiday at Villa Anna this August, and would definitely recommend the villa to our friends. The villa was extremely clean, well-equipped and in a very quiet location. It has beautiful views looking out over Souda Bay and an excellent view of the pool (to keep an eye on the children). As Aspro is up an incredibly steep hill, it was good that we had a car with us and were able to drive up with heavy shopping from the supermarket in Almirida! The neighbours are quiet and friendly, but most of the time we were the only ones around the cluster of villas - this was fine for us, but some teenagers may prefer a more 'lively' environment where they can make new friends.
The beach at Almirida Bay is clean and shallow, with the occasional day of decent waves which was great fun. The snorkelling trip from the bay was amazing (be ready to swim to a cave/house with your flip-flops from the boat!). The town of Hania is very pretty, and is a lovely place to eat and shop (leather gladiator sandals for under £15!!). Driving across the mountains to Hora Stakion and Frangokastello, along the Imbros Gorge (the kids didn't feel they could manage the walk!), only took a few of hours and (as a geologist) was great - lots of rocks to look at with long sandy beaches at the end!
The fresh water lake at Kournos was beautiful and well worth the pedalo ride/swim out into the middle, where there is a deep drop - due to a fault line underneath. There is also a taverna overlooking the water, from where we could watch our children swimming in the shallow water while enjoying a cool beer. There are many archeological sites on Crete and we thought that the site at Aptera was more interesting than the famous Knossos, as none of the buildings have been 'renovated'. (We would not recommend the 2 hour drive to the caves at Meladoni, which were a big disappointment.)
The owner Mary was very helpful and provided an excellent customer service - she was happy to answer any questions and also made booking/paying for the villa very easy over the internet. Derrick & Pam who maintain the property in Crete were professional and friendly, and regularly provided us with beach & bath towels, which made our luggage much lighter! However, be prepared to take all rubbish to the local bins down the road (including toilet paper), this is also when a car is useful.
Overall, we had a great holiday - thank you Mary!
Owner's Response: Thank you Sophy & Pod for taking the time to give such an extensive review. I'm delighted you all enjoyed Villa Anna; that all was as promised and as usual the cleanliness etc. were to Pam and Derick's high standards. The great views do come at the expense of hills so a car is recommended. I'm glad to say that recycling is now available which Pam and Derick take away and this cuts back on trips to the bins.
Aspro roads are now surfaced and street lights have been installed which makes it easier to reach Villa Anna. There are also plans for musical evening in Aspro village next year in a beautiful new stone terraced area which is currently under construction. Watch out of updates. Thanks again for choosing Villa Anna and hope you will visit again. Best regards, Mary
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
No
