We recently stayed at the Villa Avra in Platanias, Chania, as a group of 13, of which 3 were children aged 5-8. We were hoping to get what the photos showed, namely a clean, luxurious place, and we got it. The villa is located in the hills of Platanias, about a 5 min drive to the local tourist street, and about the same to one of the many beaches along the coast. The views are as per the photos, namely fantastic. We had a range of needs, including extreme cleanliness, air conditioning, speedy WiFi, washing and drying facilities, a large fridge/freezer, a great pool, BBQ facilities, a good sized kitchen for our large group, proximity to shopping and beaches, secure gated parking for up to 5 cars, a safe that fits several iPads (albeit Platanias, as with Greece in general, is completely safe and we often left our laptops and electronics out when going on day excursions). I would note that while two of the bedrooms did not have A/C's, we elected not to have them installed while we were there, however I understand they have now been installed. The A/C's in all the rooms worked wonderfully, and was needed as Greece was wonderfully sunny and hot! The villa is beautifully furnished, and as the husband and wife owners are an architect and designer respectively, the high specification shows throughout. There is a garden with an olive plantation as well as fruit trees (peaches, lemons). I HIGHLY recommend this villa to anyone thinking of a vacation rental in Crete. In terms of things to do in Crete, as you drive along much of the coast, you can effectively park your car anywhere you find space and jump into the warm, clear sea. Most beaches in Northern Crete are rocky, so bring beach shoes. One notable exception was the highly acclaimed Elafonisi, which was soft sand amid shallow, tranquil blue/green sea waters. We took a snorkelling trip from Chania. There was virtually 20 mins to snorkel on 3 stops in 3 1/2 hours, which was disappointing as the water was beautifully clear and warm. No real reefs that we came across though. In Chania we ate at the highly acclaime restaurant Tammami. The food was very good, though I did find a large cockroach near the basin outside the toilet, which a waiter promptly hit to the floor then squashed. Unfortunately, this occurred before dinner, but the memory of it was soon forgotten as the excellent food arrived. Platanias is lined with restaurants and shops along the coastal road. Everything is small and clean, and for the most part, the locals are fantastic people. You never feel pressured, and after dinner it is apparently a tradition that your waiter shares with your group a shot of a local liquor called Raki. I could write a lot more about Crete and Athens (where we had initially spent a few days), however wanted mostly to give readers a review of the Villa Avra in Platanias, Chania.

Our family of 13 stayed at Villa Avra for 7 nights in July. The villa was immaculate and fit our needs beautifully. It is a modern house with beautiful rooms and kitchen. It has been decorated very tastefully. The outdoor patio was the best for enjoying the gorgeous views of the ocean and the hillside. There was a great pool for all of the children and adults to enjoy as Greece is very hot in July. The owners, Anastasia and George went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable. I would recommend anyone with a large family visiting Platanias to stay at Villa Avra.

We stayed at the property with a larger group of 13 people, including 4 children, in July 2015. The villa looks exactly as advertised in the pictures and is truly top notch in terms of furnishings, bathrooms, facilities and overall standard. Everything appears quite new and well kept. The 5 bedrooms were large and comfortable with lots of storage space. The kitchen was well equipped with a large American sized double door fridge and freezer, as well as all the utensils, pots and dishes we needed. There is even an elevator in the house which came in handy for the elderly in our party. There is an outdoor garden with barbecue kitchen which we used as well. Everything was as advertised, and the owners were lovely and helpful people who attended to even the smallest issue in a timely manner, such as extra towels or an extra fan. Note that you'll have to drive to get to any shop or the beach, but Platanias, with all it's shops, restaurants and the beach, is only a 5-minute drive away. I can only give the highest recommendation for this villa to any larger group. It's a great place to explore the island from or just hang around at the pool and enjoy the view.