The Olive Press

Rooms

The Olive Press has 3 semi-independent suites, which can be booked individually or all together for a group of 6-10. Two of them are split over 2 levels to sleep up to 4, with and the third is on one level, opening straight onto the garden.

We grabbed this one (Karydia) and slept like a dream on the Cocomat bed; every morning we rolled up the blind, sat at the chunky trestle table with a coffee and admired the walnut tree outside which gives the suite its name. There was plenty of space for the two of us and all of our belongings, and we loved the open-plan wetroom and pampering toiletries.

My brother's family slept in the large Rodia suite (meaning Pomegranate): children downstairs in the twin beds - with a deep egg-shaped tub for bathtime - and parents upstairs in the mezzanine loft, which has its own equally chic shower room and access onto a sun-drenched roof terrace. This suite also comes with a giant abacus for little fingers to play with, and a futuristic wood-burning stove for cooler autumn evenings (all suites also have wall-mounted A/C units which can be switched to heat cycle). Bear in mind that the stairs are steep and ungated.

The third suite, Elia (meaning Olive), has a similar but more compact arrangement. Parents will have to sleep downstairs: the bed is a double mattress resting on a concrete base, and the 2 upstairs single sofabeds are better suited to children (plus there's less storage). There's only one bathroom - a polished cement wetroom whose square chrome shower head will hose off any remaining suncream before bedtime. But you do get a private terrace with the best views over olive groves to the sea.

All 3 share the same country-chic style: pale stonework, bleached ceiling beams, dove grey stable doors and some vintage suitcases or reclaimed dowry chests. Expect large flatscreen TVs and a motion-sensor night-light so you don't stub your toe on nocturnal loo trips. Daily maid service is a godsend, and sheets are changed every 2 days (or on request).

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Communal kitchen
• Cots available
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast (extra cost) can be taken at a number of shaded spots in the garden. It's a simple affair of Greek yoghurt and honey, seasonal fruit, local breads and eggs, perhaps a savoury pie or some olives and tomatoes - but if you want something different for the next day, just ask.

There's a smallish shared kitchen and outdoor dining area which you can use for self-catering - though you'll have to fit around other guests, of course. The kitchen had almost all we could need: 4 rings, chest-level oven and microwave, restaurant-sized chrome sink, Bosch dishwasher, a set of chef's pans, and all manner of gadgets, including a sandwich toaster and a juicer for the fresh oranges which we bought by the sackload from the farmers' vans by the road.

You eat outside on the pool-facing patio, its long table shaded by the biggest parasol we've ever seen, while the sky fades to purple behind the ears of a giant cactus. Plus there's a vast, quasi-industrial indoor living space (also shared) more suited for formal receptions than for cosy evenings in. The old pressing floor is encircled by 14 rainbow bar stools and a huge TV, while at the far end 2 sofas flank a huge stone hearth under a glittering chandelier. Banks of candles, clusters of mirrors, a pair of giant green apples - it's all eye-poppingly designed, but in the end we hardly came here except to fill our carafe from the barrel of delicious sherry-like wine which the owner kindly left for us.

Of course, you can eat out - well and cheaply: there are several delightful tavernas in Gavalohori (Arismarí comes recommended; and you can walk home in 10 mins), more in Almyrida (try Psaros for fresh fish), and a Belgian-run cafe in the hamlet of Douliana (1km). Ask the staff for their recommendations, to book tables or, if you're after a lazy night-in, a private chef to come and do the hard work!

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Chef on request
• Fridge
• Restaurants nearby
• Shopping service

Activities

• Relax in the idyllic communal gardens - soaking up the sun and birdsong, splashing in the pool, reading on the sunloungers. But it would be a crime not to explore the area's beaches and hinterland...
  
• Almirida's twin beaches (5km) are sandy and sheltered, though they can get a bit crowded in summer; bars and restaurants line the waterfront between them, and there's diving too
  
• Kalyves (10km) is a larger village with a small bay at its heart and a long beach stretching west, where you can find plenty of towel space (in May, we were completely alone here)
  
• Above looms the Turkish fort and Minoan hill town of Aptera, with Roman cisterns, ruined Doric temples and a still-intact 12th-century monastery; fabulous views, too
  
• Head to nearby Stilos to hike through classic Cretan countryside: oleander-lined paths lead into a narrow rocky defile (or you can tackle the famous Samaria Gorge on a long day trip)
  
• Visit Chania (30 mins' drive), with its lovely Venetian fishing harbour, an Archaeological Museum housed in a former church, pedestrian alleys lined with arty boutiques and a market selling local herbs and delicatessen
  
• There are boat trips from Almirida to the sea caves at Drapanos, from Chania to Ayii Theodorii island, or from Kissamos (90 mins' drive) to Balos beach, perhaps Crete's most spectacular
  
• Rethymno (45 mins) is another Venetian town worth a visit for its cobbled streets, Ottoman minarets, colourful harbour and an imposing 16th-century Venetian fortress
  
• Georgioupolis beach (20 mins) has great windsurfing, but our favourite beaches in the area are at Marathi and Stavros - both near Chania airport, 45 mins' drive away - for their smooth sands and translucent shallows, perfect for young kids to splash in
  
• If you're feeling adventurous, drive over the mountain - past sleepy villages and cypress groves - and down a bumpy track to the rocky coast and azure seas of Ombrosgialos; there's a seasonal taverna too

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Private guided tours
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Trekking
• Windsurfing

Best Time to go

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Location

The Olive Press is tucked away in the small hamlet of Agios Pavlos near Gavalohori, in the Apokoronas region of Crete. It overlooks Crete’s north coast, 5km from the beach at Almirida, 27km east of Chania and 45km west of Rethymno.

By Air:
Chania is the closest airport, served by daily flights from Athens through the year, and by charter flights from most European capitals in summer. Heraklion airport is further, but has a few more flights (mostly charter). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

By Sea:
Chania’s port, Souda, is served by daily overnight ferries from Athens’ port, Piraeus, on the Greek mainland.

From the Airport or Port
You will want to rent your own car/s, as the villa is in a small hamlet with no public transport or shops - though it is only 1km to Gavalohori (shops, restaurants). See our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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