How to Choose the Right Villa in Crete
A villa can look perfect in photographs and still be wrong for the holiday you are planning. The location may add more driving than expected. The bedrooms may suit one family but not four couples. A dramatic pool may have little shade, while a beautiful rural setting may make late arrival difficult.
The right villa is not the one with the longest amenity list. It is the one that makes everyday life easier for the people travelling together.
By Argyris Skordilis, owner and host · Updated
The Decision in One View
| Decide first | Ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Holiday rhythm | Will the villa be the centre of the holiday, or mainly a base for exploring? |
| Location | What do we want to reach regularly, and how much driving feels reasonable? |
| Group structure | Who needs privacy, quiet, twin beds, nearby rooms or fewer stairs? |
| Layout | Do the bedrooms, bathrooms and shared spaces work for the actual people? |
| Outdoor life | Is there useful shade, dining space and a pool setup that suits the group? |
| Logistics | How will arrival, parking, groceries and the first morning work? |
| Configuration | Is one house best, or would nearby villas give the group a better balance? |
Start with the Holiday You Want
Before opening another property listing, describe an ordinary day of the trip.
Do you imagine quiet breakfasts and long afternoons by the pool? Will you leave most mornings for beaches, villages or archaeological sites? Do you want regular evenings in Rethymno Old Town, or would the group rather cook and stay outside at the villa? Are children likely to nap? Will grandparents want a quiet room while the rest of the group remains outdoors?
These questions reveal more than a list of amenities. A villa chosen for an exploration-heavy week needs practical road access and a useful position. A villa chosen as the main holiday experience needs outdoor space that genuinely works for meals, rest and time together.
Where in Crete Should You Stay?
Crete is large enough for location to shape the whole stay. “In Crete” or even “near Rethymno” is not precise enough for planning. Think about the places you are likely to visit repeatedly, not every possible day trip.
For many guests, the Rethymno region offers a useful balance between a historic town, north-coast access, inland villages and routes towards both western and central Crete. That does not make it the right base for everyone. Guests concentrating on far-west beaches may prefer the Chania side; travellers building the trip around eastern Crete may want a base farther east. A remote south-coast stay can be rewarding when seclusion matters more than convenience.
Once you have chosen the wider area, check the villa’s actual setting. Village, coastal, town-edge and rural properties create different routines. Never assume that “close to the beach” means an easy walk, or that a village location means restaurants are within walking distance.
Crete is about 260 km from west to east. From Rethymno, Chania is about an hour away and Heraklion about an hour, so a base in the middle keeps both halves of the island within a day trip.
How Many Bedrooms and Bathrooms Do You Need?
Capacity is only a legal or operational limit. Comfort depends on who is travelling.
Eight guests might be one family with children, four couples, two households or grandparents travelling with adult children. Each group needs a different layout. Count couples, twin-bed needs and households before counting bedrooms. Then check bathroom distribution, floors, quiet rooms and the distance between children and parents.
For a multi-generational stay, a ground-floor bedroom may be useful, but it should never be described as accessible without verified route, threshold and bathroom information. For friends, bedroom fairness and enough bathrooms can matter more than the size of the living room. For families, sightlines and the relationship between bedrooms, kitchen, terrace and pool often matter more than total floor area.
Read the Layout, Not Just the Listing
Ask for a floor plan or a clear room-by-room explanation when the layout is not obvious.
- Which bedrooms and bathrooms are on each floor?
- Are any beds sofa beds, temporary beds or in shared spaces?
- Which rooms are en-suite, and which bathrooms are shared?
- Can the full group eat together indoors and outdoors?
- Is there a quiet space when different generations keep different hours?
- Do the kitchen, terrace and pool connect naturally?
A four-bedroom villa with four balanced rooms behaves very differently from one with a principal suite, two small rooms and a sofa bed. Neither is automatically wrong; the description simply needs to match the group.
Judge Outdoor Living by Usefulness
Pool photographs attract attention, but the better questions concern daily use. Is there shade during the hottest part of the day? Can adults see the pool from a comfortable sitting area? Is outdoor dining close enough to the kitchen? Are steps, depth and access clear? Is there space for everyone without moving furniture each time the group eats?
Do not assume a pool is heated, fenced or suitable for toddlers unless the current villa facts confirm it. Families should treat active supervision as essential and ask specific questions before booking.
How Will You Arrive and Get Around?
The first evening can expose a poor choice quickly. Confirm the arrival airport, expected arrival time, route, check-in method, parking and food plan. Ask whether the final approach is narrow, steep or difficult after dark, and whether the hire car you choose suits it.
If the flight arrives late, decide whether to collect a car immediately or use a transfer and arrange the car separately. Confirm where the first groceries will come from and who to contact if the flight is delayed. Provider prices and availability should always be confirmed directly with the provider.
Is One Villa Better Than Two Neighbouring Villas?
Some groups begin by searching for the largest possible house. Nearby villas can sometimes work better. Separate households keep their own bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and quiet time while remaining close enough to share meals and pool time.
At Amazing Villas in Crete, MAZI consists of Villa Asteri, Villa Kitron and Villa Myrrini in Asteri Village, for up to 20 guests. Villa Argiris remains part of the wider Amazing Villas in Crete portfolio but is in a different location, in Stavromenos, and is not part of MAZI.
MAZI is an accommodation configuration, not a resort, private village or wedding venue. For groups of more than 20, MAZI can be combined with Villa Argiris for up to 28 guests; Villa Argiris is in a different location, in Stavromenos, about 2.6 km from Asteri, and is booked separately. Larger or more complex groups should ask Argyris which arrangement is realistic.
Use the Amazing Villas in Crete Tools in the Right Order
This guide gives you the method. The Compare Our Villas page shows the factual differences between the four villas. Which Villa Fits Your Stay? helps narrow the current Amazing Villas in Crete collection according to the group and preferred rhythm. The individual villa pages provide the detailed facts that must be checked before booking.
There is no single “best” villa at Amazing Villas in Crete. Start with the location, layout and atmosphere that fit your stay, then confirm the current facts and availability.
Final Seven-Step Check
- Choose the wider Crete base that supports the trip.
- Decide whether you want village, coastal, town-edge or rural rhythm.
- Translate guest numbers into households, couples, children and privacy needs.
- Check bedrooms, bathrooms, floors and shared-space capacity.
- Verify shade, outdoor dining, pool information, access and parking.
- Plan arrival, transport and first-night food.
- Compare one villa with nearby-villa configurations before checking availability.
Describe the people before describing the property you think you want. Ages, households, sleeping preferences, arrival plans and the kind of days you imagine usually reveal the right setup more quickly than a list of amenities.
Argyris Skordilis · Owner and host, Amazing Villas in Crete
Sources: Crete road distances (explorecrete.com). Figures are approximate.
Facts checked against our four villa pages · Last reviewed by Argyris Skordilis, owner of Amazing Villas in Crete.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose the right villa in Crete?
Choose the location and daily rhythm first. Then check whether the bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoor spaces, pool arrangement, access and arrival logistics fit the actual people travelling. Compare price only after those essentials are clear.
Is Rethymno a good base for a villa holiday?
It can be a strong base for guests who want a mix of historic-town evenings, north-coast access, inland villages and day trips. The right answer still depends on the places you expect to visit most often.
How many bedrooms do we need?
Start with one suitable room for each couple or adult household, then account for children, twin-bed preferences, grandparents and bathroom distribution. Do not rely on the advertised sleeping capacity alone.
Is a village villa or a coastal villa better?
Neither is inherently better. Choose village life for a quieter local rhythm and coastal positioning when frequent sea access matters more. Confirm actual walking conditions, road noise, parking and nearby services in either case.
Can several families stay in nearby villas?
Yes, when availability and the configuration allow it. Nearby villas can preserve household privacy while keeping the group close. At Amazing Villas in Crete, MAZI is the three-villa option in Asteri Village (Villa Asteri, Villa Kitron and Villa Myrrini) for up to 20 guests.
Ready to Compare the Villas?
Use Compare Our Villas for the factual differences, open Which Villa Fits Your Stay? for a guided shortlist, or ask Argyris if the group’s needs do not fit neatly into a filter. When you are ready to see live availability, use Check Availability.
More guides
- Which villa fits your stay?
- Villa vs Hotel in Crete: Which Stay Is Right for Your Trip?
- Best Area to Stay in Crete for a Villa Holiday
- Villas near Rethymno: What to Know Before You Book
- How Many Bedrooms Do You Need for a Villa in Crete?
- Family Villas in Crete: What to Check Before You Book
- Group Villas in Crete: How to Choose the Right Setup
- Private Pool Villas in Crete: What to Check Before You Book
- What to Look for When Renting a Villa in Crete
- Villa AsteriThe Carpenter’s House · 8 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Kitron6 guests · every bedroom en-suite · Asteri Village
- Villa Myrrini6 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Argiris8 guests · one level, sea views · Stavromenos
- Compare the villasAll the facts side by side
