Villa Vathy (Lasithi)

Five bedrooms, an 8 x 4 m pool and sea views over the Gulf of Mirabello, on a walled plot of just over 4,000 sqm in Vathy, a short drive from Agios Nikolaos. Completed in 1998, the villa is arranged over three levels, with the main living space on the top level to take full advantage of the view.

This 290 sqm villa offers an unusual yet well-functioning layout: bedrooms in the middle, main living area above and a self-contained guest apartment below.

On the upper ground floor, a reception room leads to 3 bedrooms. The main bedroom has fitted wardrobes, a ceiling fan and an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower, and looks out over countryside and mountains. The second and third bedrooms also have fitted wardrobes and ceiling fans, and open onto a large balcony terrace facing the pool and the sea. They share a separate bathroom with a walk-in shower. A generous utility room on this level could be converted into a fourth bedroom in the main residence.

A wide spiral staircase rises to the upper floor, a bright open-plan space with views in every direction. The kitchen is fully fitted with custom-made cupboards, pull-out storage and modern appliances, and a gas fireplace adds warmth in the cooler months. A broad balcony terrace runs along this level, offering views of the pool, the sea, and the mountains behind.

The lower ground floor is an independent guest apartment with its own entrance and direct access to the garden and pool. It has a kitchen, dining area and living room, 2 bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes, and a bathroom with a walk-in shower. This level is pre-wired for central heating, so radiators can be added if a buyer wants year-round use.

A remote-controlled metal gate opens onto landscaped grounds laid with stone and tile, enclosed by a perimeter wall and fence. The pool terrace is the centre of outdoor life, with a covered barbecue, a traditional wood-fired oven and sea views from the water. Citrus and fig trees, flowering plants and a collection of cacti fill the garden.

This house is built for gatherings that last a few weeks rather than a weekend. The main family can live across the upper two floors, while grown-up children, grandparents or friends settle into the guest apartment with their own kitchen and front door. Everyone meets at the pool and around the wood oven in the evening, and nobody ever runs out of space.

Eastern Crete enjoys a long holiday season, and the Agios Nikolaos area is popular for villa rentals from spring well into autumn. With 5 bedrooms, a private pool and a self-contained guest apartment, the property could be let as a whole, or the apartment could be let separately while the owners use the main house.

Vathy is a small, quiet settlement in the municipality of Agios Nikolaos, set in the hills above the coast between Agios Nikolaos and Istron. It combines a peaceful, residential feel with easy access to one of eastern Crete’s best-served stretches. Agios Nikolaos offers its harbour, Lake Voulismeni, restaurants, shops and the regional hospital, while the beaches of Istron, including Voulisma, are close by. Elounda, boat trips to Spinalonga, the hill village of Kritsa with its Byzantine church of Panagia Kera, and the Minoan site of Gournia are all within easy reach.

• Karavostasi Beach: 3 km

• Voulisma Beach: 5 km

• Istron Bay (Pylos Beach): 6 km

• Agios Nikolaos: 8 km

• Heraklion: 69 km

• Heraklion International Airport: 66.5 km