Living Here – what to do
If you are using the villa as a home, or a holiday getaway, take a look at some of the things you can do. Thats of course when you are not just revelling in the views, and soaking up the very special atmosphere here at the villa. Here you can relax, contemplate, distance yourself from busy lives, stresses and worries. Take a different perspective on life, step back and rethink, or just chill out, contemplate and be! But there are plenty of activities to occupy you, when you feel like getting out!
Here are ten things you can do from here. You may want to visit one of the daily street markets in Chania. Or go for a drive around for example to see the ancient sites and hilltop villages. There is so much to do, how about climbing to the top of Pachnes, or some hikes up into the White Mountains from the villa, or strolling around the Chania harbour front.
If you can tear yourself away, some activities are outlined below.
Working from here
If you are a digital nomad, one of the lucky ones who is, or has the potential to, work from home, the Greek Government is keen to encourage you to move to Greece. And the villa is well equipped and well placed to service your needs. Here more information about gaining favorable tax treatment.
It has excellent internet (a rarity up in the mountains), available on all the floors of the villa and outside in the garden and grounds. There is a workshop/conference room on the basement level which is audio/visual enabled with a special wallscreen, hifi multi speaker audio, and a connection point for ceiling mounted beamer.
And its located less than 50min from Chania International Airport – closer than most cities and towns in Europe!
Rambling and Hiking
Take a bracing hike in the mountains, or a stroll in a local mountain village; meander in shady pine forest, explore tiny out of the way chapels, skirt the sea shore and clamber around the cliffs – there are endless walking options.
Experiencing the Arts and Culture
In the summer there are often concerts of Cretan music – the lyra and bouzouki – which are very popular with Greeks and offer a startling contrast to Western music. The only summer jazz festival on Crete takes place in Vamos, with a wide range of internationally recognised Greek and expatriate jazz musicians, and there is a vibrant and popular Arts Group in the area.
Savouring the local cuisine
There are out of the way tavernas and kafenia where you can sample the best of Cretan cuisine – traditional or with a modern twist. You can taste some good local Cretan wines – full of character, hints of thyme covered slopes and sun drenched rocky slopes.
Visiting Local Workshops and Artisans
Around the village are local potters creatively interpreting Cretan and modern themes, sculptors. In Chania you can see traditional Cretan knives, or feel superbly soft Greek silk -grown, woven and sewn locally, in both traditional and imaginative modern designs. Or get yourself measured up for a full Cretan costume, and the knee length boots!
Exploring Nature
Nature is all around – in an endless panorama of mountains, olive covered slopes, jagged rocky gorges, and the intense blue of the Mediterranean sea. For a deeper understanding, you can visit the botanical gardens, or go bird watching at the lakeside park.
Delving into History and Archaeology
Cretan history goes back 5000 years – trace out the Minoan civilisation in sites in Chania, or locally at Aptera. There are well preserved Roman cisterns here, as well as more recent occupations – the Turkish fort overlooks Souda Bay. Visit fascinating museums in Chania, or go to see the wonderful frescos in local village churches, or the Roman mosaic at the basilica in Almeryda.