Villa Mimaze

Panoramic Port Villa Where Form Meets Function

A sleek retreat overlooking the sea and minutes from the town’s best shops, restaurants and beaches, this multistory, family-friendly getaway prioritizes function but is still big on standout form. An elegantly curving villa made unique by suspended terrace balconies, walls of sliding glass, whitewashed interiors, and swirling stone bath furnishings from Crete, Greece and Iran, it’s a design-forward destination villa for rent in Crete, where simple form meets luxurious function.

The architectural touchstone "form follows function" is on full display at Villa Mimaze, a newly-built home in the ancient Cretan port of Elounda on the island’s eastern coast. Located only minutes on foot from the heart of the town and steps from the waterfront, the villa was designed to welcome residents to the sea. The home’s creative shape emphasizes this raison d’etre, its uniquely curving façade emerging from the building like a sail bending in the wind, framing the crystalline waters beyond. A suspended steel balcony on the home’s upper level appears as an observation point—a belvedere towards the sea and a marker of the villa’s entrance.

Inside, the home’s five bedrooms cover two floors, each offering generous glimpses of the Cretan Sea. Interior design firm Doriza Design put a premium on functionality, and each room feels like a fully-serviced private oasis, minimally yet thoughtfully furnished. A serene, planted atrium patio brings the outdoors in, and creates a soothing microclimate inside, while separating the home’s public spaces—the open-plan galley kitchen, rustic-chic dining area, and breezy, adjoining living room—from its private bedrooms and baths. 

A dominant white design palette conveys simplicity and purity and draws the eye outward to the sea and the port of Elounda. Decorative flourishes have been kept minimal and impactful, each detail telling a story, like the russet red travertine bath sink and shower, imported from Iran, the white-veined Tinos Green marble bath handmade in the Cyclades, and the first step—a true steppingstone—of the home’s staircase, a piece manually chiseled by the owner’s grandfather in 1823, and repurposed in the 21st-century home named for him and his late wife, the estate’s original owners.

AROUND

Location is everything, and this villa for rent in Crete stands boldly only 10 meters from the water and an easy five minute walk from the heart of Elounda, where shopping, services, traditional cafes and creative restaurants are abundant. Elounda is located on the coast of eastern Crete, in the location that once was the ancient capital of Olous. 

The eastern part of the island is less-travelled and more undiscovered, and known for its pretty pebbled and sand beaches backed by green pockets in the isle’s signature, arid landscape. The former city-state’s sunken ruins can still be seen in Elounda on a clear day, and scuba diving and snorkelling around the remnants will reveal the full breadth of this archeological treasure. Elounda is also well-placed for exploring multiple sites and monuments nearby. 

The fortress island of Spinalonga is a 10-minute boat ride from the port, its bastion-type settlement now home to writers and artists. The coastal village of Plaka, with its beach and view o Spinalonga Island, bustles with diners who come to eat local seafood in its colorful, traditional taverns. History and archaeology buffs will find the area a mecca of ancient cities, where archeological monuments include ancient Lato, one of the best preserved settlements of the Classical age, the temple of Apollo Delphinios and the Eteocretan Inscriptions at the ancient Driros site, and Knossos, the most important city of ancient Minoan civilization with its stunning Great Palace, Royal Villa and House of the High Priest all revealing the Minoans technological prowess and great wealth and power. 

Museums not to be missed include the regional Archeological Museum of Agio Nikolaos, with its collection dating back to Neolithic times, and the Folk Art Museum of Agio Nikolaos, with Crete’s rich history and craft traditions on display. Outdoors enthusiasts will want to take in the protected island of Chrissi, site of Europe’s largest natural juniper forest, with a wealth of seashells that wash up on its deserted beaches. The island is famed for its turquoise waters, ideal for snorkelling and diving. Also worth a visit is the austerely beautiful Toplou Monastery.

LOCATION

Elouda, Crete, Greece. Nearest airport: Heraklion, approximately 1 hour

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October