About us

Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean with a land mass of approximately 8,331sqm. It is 255 km long and varies between 12 km and 56 km in width and there is one place in eastern Crete where one can see both the Cretan and Libyan seas. The island is divided into four administrative regions, known as Nomos, Chania in the West, Rethymnon and Heraklion in the Centre of Crete and Lassithi in the East. The magnificent landscape of Crete is very mountainous with great gorges, caves and high plains. There are four mountain ranges, the Ida mountains in central Crete (2,456m high), the Lefka Ori or the White Mountains (2,452m high) in the west, the Dikti Mountains (2,148m high) and the Sitia Mountains (1,476m high in the east of the island.

There are endless opportunities to go walking and trekking in the mountains, most of which are covered in a variety of trees and shrubs, and have verdant high plains and plateau with fabulous vistas.

Aside from the majestic and awe inspiring mountain ranges of Crete, the variety of its wonderful coastline is equally stunning. Out of the total length of its 1047 km coastline, there are 155 km of beaches, most of which lie on the north coast, while in contrast, the south coast is a haven of little bays and small sandy coves ideal for swimming. On the north coast there are vast glorious sweeping bays, the most striking of which are Kissamos, Souda, Almiros, Malia, Mirabello and Sitia. The beautiful Bay of Souda is the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean. The most spectacular of the Cretan gorges is the famous Samaria Gorge, which at 18 km long is the largest gorge in Europe. From somewhere in the region of a total of 3,000 caves, the cave on Mount Ida and Mount Dikti have become the most famed for their rich archeological discoveries.

Cretan flora and fauna is well known for its vast variety. The great changes in climate and geology over millions of years have had a profound effect on the island's plants and animals and as a result of this, today there are many varieties which can only be found on the island of Crete. One is welcomed by the picture postcard Mediterranean vista of endless blue sea and the mesmerising silver green hue of olive trees, where once there were towering Cypress trees and pine forests. Crete attracts many people who are interested in plants and they come to see the rich variety of flowers, herbs and trees.

We place a high value in providing the kind of holiday conditions to allow you to thoroughly relax, and which will engender a sense of well being and offer you a truly pleasurable and memorable holiday in Crete.

  With this in mind we set very specific standards in choosing holiday property, and before taking on property we will have taken time to build up friendly and trustworthy relationships with our property owners, who are proud of their homes and keen to maintain excellent standards. Crete is a truly spectacular island, with gloriously varied coastlines and landscapes. With a few exceptions our villas and houses are positioned well away from areas of mass tourism, many in glorious and peaceful surroundings, and most are within a short drive from local facilities such as tavernas and shops. We do include several smaller friendly hotels in our programme which offer a personal atmosphere where you should feel very much at home, as well as some larger luxury hotels and apartments offering outstanding facilities. Because of the variety of accommodation that we offer we have tried to give a clear brief description of each one, its type of location, the local amenities and whether you can use local buses or if we consider a car to be necessary.

 

Villas in Crete, Holiday villas Crete, Luxury villas Crete, villa crete for rent

We realise that as individuals we are all very different and as such require different types of holiday, so we have sought to offer plenty of choice, covering a great variety of accommodation styles and locations. The Smart Holidays portfolio ranges from old residences of character set in dramatic surroundings, village houses, cottages, windmills, hewn stone houses, seashore properties, to ultra modern luxury villas offering the height of comfort. We try to give a clear description of each property, its type of location, and distances to local amenities and to the beach.