Sophia
| country: | Greece |
| location: | Pano Stalos, near Chania, Western Crete |
| price: | From £435 – £918 per person per week including flights from UK & car hire. From £550 – £1445 for 2 weeks (sleeps up to 8). See below for full price information |
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introduction to Sophia
Imagine the distant glide of a fishing boat across a mirror-like bay, the soaring of the rare lammergeier hawk countless yards overhead and the subtle yet intense fragrance of western Crete’s indigenous herbs. Then after a glorious sunset, the captivating outline and noiseless, glimmering lights of Crete’s loveliest city, Chania, come into view.
All this punctuated by the rhythmic sound of the cicada as night descends on the undulating hills below the magnificent beauty of the White Mountains - scene of countless heroic deeds recalling Crete’s proud history. These are the sights and sounds, which suffuse the senses from the shady villa balconies - built on a secluded hillside some 4km along a winding road which leads from the unstintingly turquoise sea.
The villa is one of a group of just four houses. This comfortable villa is built in the traditional Cretan style and sits just above the hamlet of Pano Stalos, with its village shop and two popular tavernas, where local, freshly prepared Cretan dishes offer the perfect end to a day of discovery.
From the lush vineyards and olive groves of the surrounding countryside, to the timeless villages and spectacular White Mountains of Western Crete, Pano Stalos is also a wonderful point from which to unlock the key to the inland delights of this diverse island.
But the wanderer always delights in the return to the villa where peace reigns and friends and families come together in the convivial spirit, which has breathed upon these hills for centuries.
Please note: Based on return flights from the UK - supplements / reductions may be applicable depending on flight & class availability at time of booking.
All this punctuated by the rhythmic sound of the cicada as night descends on the undulating hills below the magnificent beauty of the White Mountains - scene of countless heroic deeds recalling Crete’s proud history. These are the sights and sounds, which suffuse the senses from the shady villa balconies - built on a secluded hillside some 4km along a winding road which leads from the unstintingly turquoise sea.
The villa is one of a group of just four houses. This comfortable villa is built in the traditional Cretan style and sits just above the hamlet of Pano Stalos, with its village shop and two popular tavernas, where local, freshly prepared Cretan dishes offer the perfect end to a day of discovery.
From the lush vineyards and olive groves of the surrounding countryside, to the timeless villages and spectacular White Mountains of Western Crete, Pano Stalos is also a wonderful point from which to unlock the key to the inland delights of this diverse island.
But the wanderer always delights in the return to the villa where peace reigns and friends and families come together in the convivial spirit, which has breathed upon these hills for centuries.
Please note: Based on return flights from the UK - supplements / reductions may be applicable depending on flight & class availability at time of booking.
rooms, food and facilities
Upper floor: Lower floor:
how to find our Crete villa
By air: Chania airport - 50 mins By car: Beach - 10 mins, tavernas and shops - 5 mins, Chania Town - 25 mins
Crete villa holiday prices
| Inclusive - prices in £s per person per week. Prices include flights, car hire/transfers (as specified) & accommodation. | Low Season 31 Mar-25 May 29 Sep-02 Nov | Mid Season 26 May-20 Jul 01 Sep-28 Sep | High Season 21 Jul-31 Aug | |||
| No of persons | 7 nights | 14 nights | 7 nights | 14 nights | 7 nights | 14 nights |
| 3 | £620 | £885 | £750 | £1166 | - | - |
| 4 | £535 | £735 | £640 | £945 | £918 | £1445 |
| 5 | £495 | £664 | £575 | £835 | £798 | £1230 |
| 6 | £478 | £635 | £545 | £774 | £725 | £1098 |
| 7 | £452 | £585 | £498 | £698 | £670 | £994 |
| 8 | £435 | £550 | £485 | £635 | £625 | £898 |
| Accommodation only - total price per accommodation per week (not per person). Excludes cost of flights, car hire/transfers where applicable. | Low Season 31 Mar-25 May 29 Sep-02 Nov | Mid Season 26 May-20 Jul 01 Sep-28 Sep | High Season 21 Jul-31 Aug | |||
| 7 nights | 14 nights | 7 nights | 14 nights | 7 nights | 14 nights | |
| £850 | £1500 | £1250 | £2200 | £2350 | £4300 | |
how this holiday makes a difference
 Economic responsibility: The information pack in the villa and our local representative promote many of the local mini-markets, tavernas and businesses to ensure that local people gain maximum benefit from tourist revenues. Environmental responsibility: Glass and paper collected are collected by us for recycling as there is no local collection service. The hot water is solar heated in order to reduce energy consumption from mains supply. The electricity only works when guests are in the cottages and this helps preserve energy using a key controlled system. Company policy: As a company we aim to encourage local economic growth and to work in harmony with local communities and to respect their culture, traditions and environments. All of our owners (bar one) and suppliers used are local. We prefer to employ the services of independent local business as suppliers in each of their destinations. We work with local car hire firms for all our car rentals, boat hire firms for boat rental and we utilize the services of local village shops and mini markets to compile our welcome hampers. We also encourage our guests to use the services of local restaurants and shops, archeological sites/excursions - always booking through locals rather than large multi national companies. In addition to this we encourage our guests to visit local attractions and beaches within the area they are staying, as opposed to suggesting they go further afield. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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