Villa Kudos (Chania)

We stayed 8 nights at Villa Kudos which is located near Chania. 

The villa’s curb appeal was excellent. 

In keeping with other villas that we have stayed at in Crete, a car was required because of the villa’s rural location. 

Parking at this villa was better than most. The only drawback was the steep driveway leading down to the villa. Getting up the driveway can be tricky in a manual transmission when the car is fully loaded.

(The driveway is much steeper in person than in the photo below.)

There is one parking spot in a shaded area of the front garden. We had to drive under the trees and into the garden to turn the car around. It was slightly awkward at first but was a breeze after that.

Two cars can park within the villa’s gates with expert driving and creative maneuvering.

We were greeted by the owner, Erikka. She gave us a quick tour of the villa.

The property has three levels, including the basement. It’s best suited for two couples or a family.

After the tour, we found ourselves in the kitchen with Erikka explaining all the foodstuffs her mom had prepared and left for us, including freshly baked bread, feta pies, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, and eggs from their chickens.

It was the most food that had been stocked in all of the villas we’d stayed at in Crete. Additionally, throughout the stay, homecooked foodstuffs continued to appear at the villa. It felt like we were an extension of Erikka’s family.

First was a big plate of cold appetizers called Gemista. We nibbled on this platter for three days. It’s not the most visually appealing food you’ve ever seen, but it tasted damn good.

Two days after the gemista delivery, a zucchini pie was delivered. Zucchini pie is arguably the most versatile dish in existence.

It can be consumed as a meal or as nibbles at any time of the day. It can be eaten hot, cold, or ambient (we prefer ambient), and it has a mild taste that will suit most palates.

We wished it would have been possible to hire Erikka’s mom as a personal chef for the duration of our stay. 

Similar to Vera Natura Villas, there are no businesses within walking distance of the villa. However, several restaurants are on the main road (Kissamou Chanion) and beach, a few minutes’ drive from the villa. 

As remote as the villa felt, nothing was ever too far away.

Gyro the cat

Villa Kudos comes with a skittish stray cat. I sent a photo of him to my sister, asking her to name him, and she responded with Gyro.

It was clear that Gryo had been let into the villa in the past because he would often try to sneak inside when one of us would open the sliding door. He was confident and bold in this respect but would scurry away anytime we’d walk near him, even with a handful of food.

Pool

We stayed at this villa in the middle of July. The pool water was warm but still cold enough to cool off.

Except for the pergola attached to the house, there was no shade in the “backyard,” which includes the grass area, lounge area, and pool. 

At the time of year of our visit, the pool had full sunshine from sunrise to 5pm when the sun dipped behind the stone wall. It made for long, lazy days gazing at the Mediterranean sea. 

The 180° unobstructed view from the backyard was excellent, and it was the best of all of the villas we’ve stayed at in Crete.

The pool deck was comprised of off-white tile, which kept it cool. It was lovely to get off our sunloungers and not burn the bottoms of our feet on the tile.

The villa is equipped with four sun loungers. Two had thick cushions, and two were nylon. I’m unsure how things would work with more than four guests with only four sun loungers.

The size of the pool deck was sufficient, with enough room to move the loungers around as the sun moved across the sky during the day. However, there was only space for two sun loungers under the shade of the pergola. This wasn’t a problem because we were a group of two, but it may be something to consider with a larger group.

Finally, the grill is a traditional Greek charcoal grill. It’s located in the grass area and along the stone wall. The location keeps the smoke away from the dining and lounge areas, which was a bonus.

Bedrooms and bathrooms

The villa has three bedrooms. All the bedrooms have wardrobes with drawers and the capacity for hanging clothes.

Note: There are no bathtubs on this property.

One bedroom on the ground floor has a bed comparable to a US king or UK super king bed. A bathroom with a shower is next to the bedroom (not attached to the bedroom). This bathroom is the only bathroom on the ground floor.

The other two bedrooms are on the upper floor and have sliding doors that lead to balconies.

One of the bedrooms has two single/twin beds. These beds could possibly be converted into one double bed upon request. This bedroom is the only bedroom in the villa with an ensuite bathroom (toilet, shower, sink). 

The third bedroom has a bed comparable to a US king or UK super king bed. A separate bathroom (the biggest in the villa) with double sinks, a toilet, and a shower is located off the hall and next to the bedroom.

We found the mattresses to be very firm and one of the villa’s two negatives. The other negative was the air conditioning, especially in the bedrooms. Every bedroom has an individual a/c unit, and they struggled to keep the rooms cool, even at night when the temperatures decreased.

Basement

The villa’s basement is a large open space (the washer was located here) that was set up as a gym. The gym had a treadmill, yoga mat, a couple of kettlebells, and a few resistance bands.

This space could be used as a kid’s play area or storage area or not used at all. There’s yet another bathroom in the basement.

Kitchen

The kitchen was on par with the kitchen at Athena Elea. Both of these kitchens had islands. Kitchen islands are great because we can simultaneously be cocktail-making and food-preparing and still have countertop space to spare!

The kitchen is well stocked with pots, pans, dishes, serving dishes, cutlery, etc. From experience, we’ve found that rental properties that have been around longer often have better-equipped kitchens, which was the case with Villa Kudos.

Maleme village

The nearest beachside village to the villa is Maleme. It’s literally down the hill from the villa.

As mentioned above, a few restaurants and bakeries are along the main road (Kissamou Chanion) and the beach.

A big Synka supermarket is less than a five-minute drive from the villa. It looks small from the exterior, but it’s two levels with foodstuffs on the ground level and housewares on the lower level.

Slightly further west along the main road is Cross Road Cafe. It’s a typical Greek ‘convenience store’ with essentials, pastries, coffee, ice cream, and maybe most importantly, bags of ice.

Approximately 15 minutes east of the villa (toward Planatias) is an excellent butcher, Meating Group.

In addition to raw meats, they have an extensive selection of cured meats and cheeses, a small produce section, and an even smaller dry foods/pantry section. They carry international foodstuffs like specialty sauces that you may not be able to find in the larger supermarkets.

Conclusion

The property and hospitality of Erikka and her family were as good as it gets. The villa was secluded and was within five minutes of everything we needed for our stay. It was the perfect combination.

We would stay at Villa Kudos again and have already started looking at 2023 dates.