Villa Athina 6

Athina 6 is one of the Athina villas at Kounali Mountain Resort, on the hillside above Kounali village. It is a house for people who like to eat well, swim often, and sleep with the windows open.

A day here tends to go like this. Coffee on the terrace while the bay below is still in shadow. A slow morning — the pool, perhaps, or a walk to the village for bread. Lunch somewhere on the coast: grilled fish at Milatos harbour, something long and lazy in Sissi. Back up the hill in the afternoon, when the villa is at its coolest and the light turns gold. Then a short walk down the lane to the taverna, where dinner arrives in small plates and does not stop arriving.

Inside: 110 m², open-plan living and dining, a kitchen equipped for proper cooking (fridge-freezer, oven, hob, dishwasher, coffee maker), and two double bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. Outside: a 300 m² walled and gated garden with a barbecue and an outdoor table, plus parking for two cars. Air conditioning, Wi-Fi, washing machine, hairdryer — all the unremarkable things that make a stay easy.

Yours alone: the villa, its walled garden, the barbecue and two parking spaces behind the gate.

Shared with the other villas: the saltwater infinity pool and its sunbeds (May to October), the gym, the tennis and basketball courts, the children's playground and the snack bar.

Check-in from 15:00, self check-in with resort staff; check-out by 11:00. Linen and towels are provided.

Messages reach us directly and we answer fast, usually inside the hour whatever the time difference. Managers are on site during the day, so a broken air conditioner or a missing corkscrew is a same-day problem rather than a holiday one. We are also happy to send a list of the tables worth booking and the beaches worth the drive — just ask before you arrive.

Kounali is a handful of houses, a church and one restaurant on the mountain road above Milatos. The restaurant is the reason many guests choose this hillside.

On foot, 200 m — Kounali Family Taverna. Four generations, one kitchen, no menu in the modern sense: whatever is in the pot, whatever is on the grill, and raki to finish. Book ahead in July and August.

10 minutes — Milatos: a fishing village with a small harbour, fish tavernas on the water and a long pebbly beach.

15 minutes — Sissi: a seaside village with a handful of very good tables, a little harbour and quiet coves.

20 minutes — Malia: supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies and the big sandy beaches.

30 minutes — Agios Nikolaos: the lake, the marina, smarter restaurants and the boat out to Spinalonga.

Everything above is a short drive except the taverna, which is a short walk — and that is the whole idea of this villa. Quiet where you sleep, busy where you eat.

Rent a car at Heraklion; you will use it every day, and the run down to the coast takes ten to fifteen minutes. The climb back is six kilometres of bends — locals do it without thinking, and so will you by day two.

Useful distances: Kounali taverna 200 m on foot · Milatos 6 km · Sissi 10 km · Malia 17 km · Agios Nikolaos 23 km · Heraklion airport 49 km. Parking for two cars inside the gate.

Book the village taverna in high season; it is small and it is well known.

The pool is shared with the other villas and open May to October.

Sleeps four: two double bedrooms, both en-suite.

A car is essential — there is no evening bus up the hill.

Quiet after 23:00; this is a village, not a resort strip.