All 5 houses are located in the small village called Elia, just 12 km away from Heraklion, the capital city of the island. The neighborhood is quiet and peaceful with no habitable houses nearby. The view is quite stunning and unique, a characteristic of the Cretan island, where you are surrounded by mountains and sea.
The name of the village is referencing one of the most treasured resources of the island: olives. For Cretans, growing olives, is a way of living that nourishes them and helps them have a strong healthy life.
It was only natural that we decided to name our family business Elia, as we want our guests to feel nourished, body and soul, while staying in one of the 4 houses. We have been operating with this principle in mind since 2016, offering guests good hospitality, friendly and prompt service at all times.
The history of the houses is quite old, as they were built in the 1940’ like most of the houses in the village. With that in mind, all the renovations and restorations that were made, kept and highlighted the architectural and traditional elements of the existing spaces. Whether it was the stone walls, wooden beams of the roof, or the antique furniture pieces, we wanted to preserve that rustic feel, of living on a Greek Island.
As you know Cretans are very family and community oriented, and this larger house reflects just that, as it was common for friends and family to gather around in the living room and catch up on daily life, making it now the perfect vacation spot for larger families or group of friends. The ground floor has one double bedroom and one smaller bedroom with bunkbeds. The upper floor with external stairs has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small veranda with view over the hills and sea.
The pool and garden are shared with Anemone Woodstone House.
Anemone House, just like the flower named after, is smaller but very charming and cozy. Our favorite feature of this house is the kitchen that overlooks the village's olive groves and the sparkling turquoise sea. The upstairs bedroom has a small balcony overlooking the valley as well, the twin open bedroom and living room with an open kitchen are located on the ground floor.
