The Elounda Estate, two villas, 16 bedrooms, Elounda, Crete

An Architect’s Return to Crete

Marina Birdimiri spent her childhood summers in Crete, sketching the countryside and the island’s old, simple buildings. The light over Mirabello Bay drew her back to Elounda, and in 2009 she started designing and building on this hillside. Since then the work has grown to include two villas, the paths between them, a playground and a sports court.

In each villa, the living room has sofas, a fireplace and a study corner, and it opens straight onto the kitchen and dining room. Villa One’s table seats 16, and its living room looks out to sea. In Villa Two, you can sit on a stool at the kitchen bar and watch the pool. Every bedroom is en suite, and each main bedroom has a four-poster bed.

The grounds cover 13,700 square meters of terraces, planted with olive trees, flowers and herbs you’ll smell before you see them. Each villa has its own infinity-edge pool and open-air shower. Stone paths run between the two houses, with hammocks strung under the olive trees, and lead to a private playground. Under the pergola, the table seats 32 guests. Beside the multi-use court, which is set up for tennis, pickleball, volleyball and half-court basketball, there’s a shaded pavilion.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Elounda, Crete sleeps up to 35 guests. The estate is two villas with eight bedrooms each, 16 in all, every one en suite. Several bedrooms can be set as 1.80-meter doubles or as twins.

Villa One

Open-plan living and dining area, wth bar area, dining table (16 guests), study area, and fireplace. It has a fully-equipped kitchen, a laundry room, a gym room, plus six bedrooms in the house and two with their own access. French doors open onto a shaded lounge terrace with access to the pool area. There are multiple terraces.

• Bedroom 1: Double (1.80m), en suite with bath and shower, sea views

• Bedroom 2: Double (1.80m), en suite shower room, separate entrance, terrace with sea views

• Bedroom 3 (master, upper floor): Four-poster double (1.80m), en suite with rain shower, large terrace with sea views

• Bedroom 4 (upper level): Double (1.80m), en suite, external staircase access, two terraces

• Bedroom 5 (lower ground): Twin or double (1.80m), en suite shower room

• Bedroom 6 (lower ground): Twin or double (1.80m), en suite shower room

• Bedroom 7 (lower ground): Twin or double (1.80m), en suite shower room

• Bedroom 8 (lower ground): Double (1.80m), en suite shower room, doors leading to pool

• 1 guest WC

Villa Two

Open-plan living room with fireplace and study, fully-equipped kitchen with bar, dining area with direct access to the external dining area by the pool. There is a laundry room. Five bedrooms, one with an external entrance, and a Garden Suite of two rooms with a kitchenette and jacuzzi.

• Bedroom 1: Twin or double (1.80m), en suite shower room, walk-in closet

• Bedroom 2: Twin or double (1.80m), en suite shower room, walk-in closet

• Bedroom 3 (master, upper level): Four-poster double (1.80m), en suite, private terraces with sea views

• Bedroom 4 (upper level): Double (1.80m), en suite shower room, external entrance, walk-in closet, fireplace, private terraces with sea views

• Bedroom 5 (lower ground): Twin or double (1.80m) plus single sofa bed, en suite shower room, garden and pool access

• Bedroom 6 (lower ground): Twin or double (1.80m), en suite shower room, garden and pool access

• Bedroom 7 (Garden Suite): Double (1.80m), en suite with walk-in shower, private entrance, sea views

• Bedroom 8 (Garden Suite): Double (1.80m) or twin (or two sofas if needed as living room), en suite shower room, private entrance, sea views

• 1 guest WC

Experiences

The villa team arranges a Cretan cooking class with the local cook, a Traditional Cretan Night with live music and dancing, and wine, cheese and olive oil tastings. Private boat trips go around Spinalonga on a traditional kaiki, with yacht cruises to Chryssi, guided hikes, yoga and personal training also on request.

Good to know

Stays run Saturday to Saturday. Shorter or flexible stays are possible outside July and August on request. Pets are welcome on request, and smoking is not allowed inside. Pool heating is available on request with five days' notice. Guests who want one house can book Villa One or Villa Two on our Elounda Villas listing.

Amenities & services

High-speed wifi, air conditioning, two infinity-edge pools, open-air showers, jacuzzi in the Villa Two Garden Suite, gym equipment in both villas, table tennis and foosball, multi-use court (for tennis, pickleball, volleyball and half-court basketball), courtside pavilion and sports equipment storage, private playground, open-air kitchen with barbecue, espresso and French coffee machines, satellite TV and DVD player, Bluetooth speaker, washer and dryer, safe, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, mosquito screens, daily cleaning (linen and towels changed twice a week), villa manager and concierge (round-the-clock support), overnight security patrol from midnight to 6 a.m.

On request: pool heating, groceries and drinks stocked before arrival, breakfast, chef service and private dinners, airport transfers and chauffeur service, childcare and laundry service, massage, yoga and personal training, open-air movie night.

Around

Elounda sits on Mirabello Bay on Crete's northeastern coast, a village on a natural lagoon bordered by rugged peninsulas. Offshore is Spinalonga, an island with a Venetian fortress, and the ancient sunken city of Olous lies near the village. Heraklion, 70 km away, has the Archaeological Museum and its Minoan collection, and the palace at Knossos. Chryssi, a protected Natura 2000 island off the south coast, is a day trip by yacht. Secluded beaches, mountain villages and Byzantine chapels with centuries-old frescoes fill the days between.