Villa Minoa With Small Private Beach And Surprising Sea and Mountain Views Reviews, Deals & Photos 2025

Q: Is Villa Minoa With Small Private Beach And Surprising Sea and Mountain Views pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

Q: Where is Villa Minoa With Small Private Beach And Surprising Sea and Mountain Views located?

This family-friendly Chania villa is located on the waterfront, within 1 mi (2 km) of Marathi Beach and Loutraki Beach. Kalathas Beach and Agios Onoufrios Beach are also within 9 mi (15 km).

10/10 Excellent

Andreas F.

11 June 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Just beautiful!

To put this first: We usually don't visit holiday places twice, but Villa Minoa at Marathi Beach had to be an exception. The house, the beach, the whole place is just awesome. We (family with two kids) were there in june 2022 and again in june 2023 and enjoyed each stay so much. Alex is such a nice guy and awesome to communicate with, so organizing the trip is an easy one. Same goes for Spiros who owns the house and is always so helpful! If you are looking for a relaxing time at the beach this is the place to be!

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan D.

15 October 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect accommodation, Great hospitality

I've just returned from Crete after staying in the villa for a week. It had everything we needed and a few extras too, such as bottled water, fruit, homemade raki, herbs, spices, coffee, tea, honey etc. The outdoor area was great for lounging around, but the beach was even better, with a few sun loungers exclusive to the owner's properties. The views were spectacular. Checking in was a simple process and Alex gave us a tour of the property on arrival. The owner was very welcoming and kind to us during our stay. We often saw him around the area. We stayed here in the quieter season (October onwards) so the temperature was perfect (25 Celcius) and the area was much more peaceful. I highly recommend this villa for anyone looking for a peaceful base with spectacular views and facilities. Thank you for making our stay comfortable and memorable.

Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kerry B., Burlingame, Ca

16 September 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Unique home steps from the beach.

We love Villa Minoa. Spiro, the owner, clearly loves his property and has taken great care to decorate it with unique pieces from his travels in Bali. He has thought of everything. The house is spotless and well-stocked, including several bottles of water, delicious fresh fruit and Greek yogurt. The location just across from a lovely calm beach is perfect. Spiros has two beach chairs under an umbrella permanently on hold for the guests. There are a couple great beachside tavernas right there along with kayak and SUP rentals all right there on the beautiful bay. Alex was great explaining all the details in advance and meeting us to check-in even though we arrived quite late, and he shared many recommendations for local shopping, restaurants and activities. We only wish we could have stayed longer. The house would be perfect for a family - very child friendly.

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tim P.

7 September 2018

Perfect summer holiday villa

Wonderful comfortable villa next to a semi private beach looked after by the owner. Stunning 3 bedroomed villa (2 doubles and 2 large twin beds), good air-con, good WiFi, excellent facilities (no dishwasher or washing machine but that wasn’t a problem). Nothing is too much to ask for the owner, who lives next door. There’s tv and internet. There are restaurants and cafes nearby, as well as fishing, diving and boating trips to be had. Safe swimming, crystal clear waters suitable for all ages, in a bay so no waves to speak of. 10 min drive from the airport and 20 min drive into Chania old town. Beautiful drives to be had into the countryside/foothills of the white mountains, full of olive groves and old villages offering old fashioned local hospitality and cuisine.

Stayed 13 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Jason & Katie H.

9 October 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful week in Marathi

We can not say enough good things about this home in Marathi! Spiro (the owner) has made an extraordinary effort to make the property beautiful and made us feel at home immediately. From the well stocked kitchen with fresh fruits and plenty of food/drinks to get the week started, we were able to relax right away. Alex is an excellent communicator and personally oriented us with the property as well as making great local suggestions for activities and restaurants. Both of them were there to greet us when we arrived. We spent most of our mornings and evenings on the porch lounging and enjoying the beautiful view. The home is every bit as beautiful as the pictures, if not more so!!! As others have noted, there are great restaurants and activities right at your doorstep. The location is also very convenient to the airport and many other attractions such as historic monasteries and other great local beaches. We are already planning our next trip and hope to return to Villa Minoa soon!! Thank you so much to both Spiro and Alex for making our trip very special!!

Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Melissa D.

11 September 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing home/view/area

Villa Minoa is a must stay location. Marathi beach is beautiful and there are several restaurants within walking distance. Alex greeted us and walked us through the entire home and even had some items pre stocked in the fridge for us. I spilled a few drops of water on the floor and there was not one ounce of dirt on the paper towel. This home is spotless. I cannot rave about this property enough. From the booking to the chef we hired, and Alex as our guide to the homeowner conversations, it is one of my most favorite places I have visited. Thank you for such a wonderful holiday, we will see you again.

Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Elinor C.

14 August 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Simply the best!

Villa Minoa, Marathi beach, all the nearby tavernas, and Crete itself - all exceeded our expectations. The villa was just wonderful- spacious, cool in the summer heat with a lovely shaded veranda to sit and while away an evening enjoying a local fish on the barbecue. We really appreciated being able to eat in some nights and eat out on others with our 3 grown children. The local tavernas are only a few minutes walk away and offer the best of Crete’s delicacies from land and sea. The beach was beautiful and the ability to have our own sun beds whenever we needed them was so appreciated. The sea was an amazing turquoise blue coloring, clear to the bottom with beautiful fish to watch whilst snorkeling. We also enjoyed the use of the villa’s paddle board. The location of Marathi is super too giving the opportunity for various day trips including of course Chania, Rethymno, Samaria Gorge, mountain tavernas, olive oil farms etc. And then of course there is Spiros - the host who cares deeply that all his guests have a wonderful holiday- delivering fresh figs every day for breakfast, and ensuring we lacked for nothing. We loved meeting him and all his feathered and furry friends - a more warm hearted man would be hard to meet, As a family we have had the good fortune to have many lovely holidays but this was definitely one of the very best! Thank you for everything Spiros!

Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Amy E., Chalfont, PA, USA

26 July 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A piece of heaven in Marathi

This home is an absolute jewel. Located steps away from the most peaceful beach with the clearest water I have ever seen, and full of treasures— shells and objects from the sea and prints based on the murals from the palace of Knossos are found throughout the villa. Our host Spiros was so kind and ensured we had reserved lounge chairs at the beach and that they were covered with the thickest covers. And he made sure the villa was well stocked with fresh fruit, water, and coffee. He even left us cold beer and a bottle of wine! The Villa is comfortable and honestly we had the best shower there that we had the whole time we were in Greece, but the outdoor living area is idyllic. The outdoor lighting makes the space magical whether you want to eat a meal or lounge in one of the many lounge chairs. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect space and my only regret is that we couldn’t stay there for a few additional days!

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sven W.

24 May 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Super

Wunderbar, Spiros hat ein wunderbares Haus gebaut. Lieblingsort.

Stayed 9 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Diane S.

3 October 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic, Unbelievable

This villa was very much more than we expected. The villa was immaculate. We were in awe when we entered the grounds, so well kept. The refrigerator was well stocked with beverages and assorted food. On the grand table was a large bowl of all varieties of fresh fruit. There was great attention to detail in the furnishing of the villa. It was just a few steps from a beautiful beach. And best of all, the host was so very gracious. Wish we could have stayed longer.

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Martin G.

4 October 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Villa Minoa

Top Unterkunft, der Hausherr ist grossartig

Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Zoltán P.

10 July 2019

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The place worth going back definitely!

Super villa which is locating at absolutely marveolus place. You get, what you expect, even more! Spiros is so nice and friendly man! It was amazing when we realised the almost full fridge, when we arrived. We rented several villas at many corners of the World but we had never such a surprising welcome! House is realy fully equiped and everything is available even for long staying. The beach is clean and children friendly and only a steps away from the villa. Within 5 minuts walking distance, we can find two tavernas, which served us delicious food in familiar ambience. We can recommend this villa for those people who are looking for something high quality on reasonable price at peaceful environment!

Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2019

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Richard A.

23 August 2017

Beautiful beach,spacious home,relaxing holiday

We spent two wonderfully relaxing weeks at Villa Minoa. The villa itself is very comfortable with 2 double rooms and one twin. There is also a large family room and well equipped kitchen. The garden has lots of comfortable seating and a dining table and chairs. The best thing though is that the beautiful beach is across a quiet road from the bottom of the garden. Here the owner showed us to our own specially reserved sun loungers on a reserved part of the beach that were exclusively ours for the duration of our holiday. Marathi Beach has golden sands and clear waters and about 4 decent restaurants offering local food. There are a number of sun beds laid out for hire along the beach but even when full the beach is not overcrowded. The villa is only half an hours drive from Chania airport and we hired a car and alternated day trips with chill out time at the beach. All in all a very relaxing villa for families with younger or older children to enjoy! Highly recommend!

Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2017

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Matthew B.

27 July 2017

Amazing Stay / Wonderful Hospitality

My family and I stayed in this villa for a month and a half from February - April. The location is absolutely amazing, just meters away from the beautiful Marathi Beach. Coordinating the stay was easy with the help of Alex. While staying there, Spiros was available whenever needed and was the most gracious host we've ever encountered. When we arrived, the fridge was stocked with tons of goodies and necessities, while a wonderful basket full of fresh fruit was available on the table. While there, Spiros caught a squid and gave us a good portion of it to enjoy - delicious!!! The villa itself is gorgeous inside and has stunning views of the ocean as well as the gorgeous White Mountains beyond. I cannot recommend this place highly enough.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Deborah W.

24 July 2017

Lovely house, lovely beach, lovely restuarants, wonderful owner

The house is great, the location is just steps away from the beach. The beach is great and comes with two resident ducks! The owner is so responsive and his hospitality is amazing. Beach towels, maid service, fresh fruit, wine, and lounge chairs with umbrellas saved for us each day are all included. There are 4 restaurants that you can walk to with outside seating on the water. 20 minute drive to Chania. We loved our stay and we would stay here again.

Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2017

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

deborah w.

15 July 2017

FABULOUS!

This house is perfect in every way: owner, manager, location, amenities. The house is large and cool and has everything a family needs on vacation, including beach toys for the little ones and a canoe for the older people. The owner leaves a starter gift of food and wine and is available to help in any way. The house is just steps from the beach and 20 minutes to Hania. We loved staying here.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Kate T.

17 March 2017

Perfect family holiday, we will be back.

We booked Villa Minoa after some recommendations from Alex, who looked after us on our last visit to Crete in 2015. We usually book a villa with a swimming pool, but Alex did highly recommend Spyros' villa, especially with the sea temperatures in October being so warm, so we went for it... and we didn't regret it one bit. The beautiful villa is designed with a nod to the Ancient Ruins at Knossos decorated with lots of Spyros antiquarian finds from the local seabed. The villa is very comfortable and you have everything you need, including daily fresh fruit and salad vegetables, good toiletries (so leave your soaps, shampoos and lotions at home). There are numerous herbs, oils and condiments for cooking and Spyros and his mother's constant generosity will overwhelm you. We were spoiled! So many highlights of the holiday, here are a few.... Own private beach with sun beds and towels Use of paddle canoe The fishing trips were a huge highlight for our boys, they went out fishing for barracuda one evening with Spyros and Christos - coming home with a bag full of fresh barracuda for the bbq. Then Alex come over for a boat trip which we were invited on, around the headland towards the naval base, which was followed by an invitation to lunch to share the catch. Stunning fresh fish of many varieties - which we all enjoyed immensely. We are big animal lovers and enjoyed having the company of little Fouli on the beach, but regretted feeding the cats on the first night - cue a lawn full for the rest of the holiday (whoops). Swimming and canoeing with Lucy the Goose was an experience. Really fantastic memories. Recommendations - horse riding at Deres (Nteres) was brilliant - highly recommend. Sunset beach was nice too. Manoustakis Winery, surprisingly good wine (combine with a trip to Deres). Things to note - this is common to everywhere we have stayed in Crete - the beds are hard. Really hard - so beware. Don't leave your possessions unattended on the beach on the weekend when locals from Chania come on down, my son had his flip flops taken - we had been lax as it was so laid back. During the week we had the beach and water to ourself. The water is very safe, my youngest is nervous of the water and loved it - soft sand underfoot, no currents and nice and warm. All the local restaurants were good. But over everything it was Spyros and his mum's wonderful hospitality that added the special touch, very special people - thank you x

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Lesley R.

14 October 2016

Perfect spot - you won't want to leave!

We are a family of 4 who visited Villa Minoa for a week in September 2016. Spiros and Alex made us feel very welcome: we loved the villa and its location with a beautiful outlook and just a few steps from the beach. The villa is well equipped and we found everything we needed for a comfortable stay. Alex was very prompt in resolving an initial problem with the villa wifi: we had no problems afterwards. Chania is about a 20 minute drive and is a lovely city - well worth visiting. Marathi itself is well served by 4 or 5 excellent restaurants all offering fresh seafood at very reasonable prices. We'd heard that Marathi is good for snorkeling and it did not disappoint - safe, easy snorkeling allowed us to see a huge variety of fish. We spent almost all week in the sea. The colours and light are also great for photography. Kayaks and pedalos are available to hire at the beach. A perfect balance of relaxation and activity for those wanting a week away from it all. Definitely one of our best family holiday spots. I would recommend Villa Minoa to families and groups looking for a quiet relaxing holiday. We look forward to returning.

Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2016

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Adam L.

23 June 2016

Beautiful magical holiday

We have just spent a week at Villa Minoa - this is our second time staying there and yet again we had the most amazing, relaxing, fantastic time - Spiros has built such a beautiful paradise and takes such pride in his creation. He couldn't do enough for us and we felt so welcomed by everyone in Marathi. Our children (aged 6 & 9) had the most wonderful time catching fish, picking up starfish, watching octopus and crabs in the rock pools in front of the house. We didn't do much other than stay in Marathi as it is such a wonderful little part of the world. The restaurants on the beach are fantastic and this time the local taverna was open just 50 metres from the house and we spent a lot of time there eating fresh fish and looking at the wonderful view (they even kindly cooked us up the big fish our son caught the morning we were leaving!) As a family we all absolutely love going to Marathi and seeing Spiros and his family and friends, and we have already booked for next year - we can't wait!! Thank you Alex and Spiros again for a most wonderful time in Crete.

Stayed 8 nights in May 2016

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

rebecca m.

10 June 2016

perfect

If in doubt book it. The villa is beautifully presented & kept, the gardens are well maintained & the beach is a stones throw away. Spiros (the owner) couldn't have been more helpful, bread, milk & the basics were ready for us when we arrived & he regularly appeared with food or toys for ourselves & the kids. We have a 3.5 year old & a 17month old & we all had a fantastic holiday. We would definitely go back.

Stayed 11 nights in May 2016

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Toby and Henriette H.

23 April 2016

A wonderful, peaceful villa next to the beach - a perfect base to explore West-Crete.

We had a fantastic week here with our 3 teenage children. The villa is located next to a quiet, peaceful beach in a bay which made it quite warm for early April. We swam in the wonderfully clear water every day. We spent many hours just sun bathing on the beach or on the villa patio. We enjoyed beautiful sunrises and sunsets just sitting on the rocks by the coast line a few minutes walk away from the villa. Marathi is a quiet but friendly village with a few lovely restaurants. It was a perfect base for us to explore the rest of Crete, particularly the west. We visited a few stunning monasteries, walked in the mountains, enjoyed a few other beaches amongst which Stavros where Zorba the Greek was filmed. Chania is a very beautiful city only half an hour away and worth exploring. We also had a day trip to Knossos. Alex and Spiros welcomed us the first evening and gave lots of advice about the area. Spiros was around every day and was a marvellous host - he made sure we were comfortable and gave us an insight into Cretan village life. He also took us on a boat trip around the nearby islands which was very memorable. We would definitely go again and recommend this villa to anyone who is thinking of visiting Crete. Before we booked the villa, we also looked at hotels but being in a villa is much better when you go on holiday as a family because it means you spend more time together. The villa had everything we needed - brilliant cooking facilities, including bbq, plenty of towels, a lovely shower and the villa was even cleaned for us mid-week. Having Spiros' pets nearby (cats, dogs and a tortoise) was a lot of fun! Highly recommended to families with children of all ages!

Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2016

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jayne J.

11 August 2015

The perfect place for a relaxing holiday

The perfect place to relax and unwind. The villa was amazing, it was well maintained, very clean and had spectacular views across the bay to the mountains. Nothing was too much trouble for the owner and Alex who were both lovely. The sandy beach and clear blue waters were safe and very good for snorkelling. The tavernas near the villa were all friendly and excellent food. The villa is only a short trip away from Chania, a beautiful town where we were even lucky enough to see a Loggerhead turtle in the marina. Overall, without a doubt one of the best holidays we have ever had.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Georgina A.

16 July 2015

Wonderful location and service

All of the reviews here are spot on, this is a fantastic place to stay. The location is unbeatable with the beach so close and great restaurants just a short walk away (local shop is a further drive). We were asked by several people who walked by where we found it online. The villa is a great space for a family to hang out in and is uniquely decorated. As others have said, Spiros is an excellent host, being attentive but discreet and surprising us with little extras. Alex made the booking process (and return of the belongings we left behind) very easy. Thanks to everyone for a brilliant holiday.

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Gina W.

12 July 2015

A little taste of paradise!

We loved everything about our stay in Marathi! The villa is quirky and beautifully fitted out with everything we needed. We loved the little beach and personal sunbeds just a short walk away. Spiros the owner was a kind and generous host and keeps everything beautifully. He even sifts the sand every morning so the beach is spotless! The little bar about 50m away does lovely food and you can sit and watch the sea lapping at the shore eating calamari and drinking Methos. We loved the resident "Mrs Goose" and the wild goat walk just round the corner. The two restaurants do lovely food and we tried lots of unusual things like sea urchins and cuttlefish. The town of Chania is delightful with its Venetian harbour and is only about 30 minutes away. Finally Alex gives excellent customer service, made the whole booking very easy and was there to meet us with Spiros when we arrived. I can't recommend this enough and it was definitely a holiday to remember!

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

tracey m., Galway

21 June 2015

Beautiful location, lovely villa

We stayed in Villa Minoa for two fantastic, relaxing weeks with our 3 young and very lively children. We arrived at night and both Alex and Spiros were there to meet us and had purchased shopping for us prior to our arrival. They are both very friendly and were very helpful to us throughout our stay. Despite Spiros speaking little English and us no Greek this was never a problem. The house is as lovely as it looks on the photos. It is clean and has everything you would need. The is no washing machine but Spiros arranged for our laundry to be taken to the laundrette twice a week which was great. The location is beautiful, there is a very clean, and quiet sandy beach with calm, shallow, crystal clear water right outside the villa. It was so close I could pick up the wifi on my sun lounger. There is one very friendly and reasonably priced taverna a few metres along it. On the other side of the pier is a very beautiful bigger beach with 4 more very good restaurants. We really were spoilt for choice. The surrounding scenery is spectacular. As I sat in the garden or on the beach I looked out across the calm waters of the bay to the white mountains on the other side. It was a very easy holiday with my children, I have been on many holidays with them that we're not so easy! The house was 5 seconds away from the beach so they could return to the villa if necessary but otherwise happily pottered around the beach and played with the local children. When eating in any of the restaurants it was safe for the children to play on the beach as we could easily see them infront of us. They really loved Spiros, he was very patient and gentle with them. He took them around the rock pools and pointed out the octopus and fished out some crabs for them to see. The resident duck on the beach also provided great entertainment or 'Mrs Ducky' as she was better known. You would definitely need a car to stay at this location but we knew that and had one hired. We did visit other beaches but they just didn't match up to our own and the convenience that came with it, ours was so uncrowded and of course we had our own sun loungers. I would definitely recommend this villa, it is as another person has stated a little piece of heaven.

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