“Being at the Vivien and Chris’s penthouse was such an amazing experience.. an incredible view on Chania city and the sea with mountains! The saloon is huge and all the bedrooms are really comfortable! The terrace with the cozy little pool is such a unique sunny place where you can have a full relax ! Thank you Vivien for your kindness and hospitality, we will come back again as now we felt in love with Crete! Barbara and Leonardo ”
Chania penthouse with wrap-around mountain and sea views.
Chania penthouse with wrap-around mountain and sea views.

Vivien
Today
February 2018
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- 3 Bedrooms
- Sleeps 6
- 2 Bathrooms
About our home
This penthouse apartment is in the tallest building at the highest point of Chania Town and overlooks the Old Venetian Harbour. It is a ten minute walk downhill to the Chania Courthouse Square (Platea Elefteria) where the fashionable meet for coffee and cocktails, and yet sheep are grazing in the hilly fields behind.
The front door of the apartment opens onto a vast living space with a wall of windows overlooking the Cretan Sea and the city. Directly below us, on the banks of the old riverbed, is the picturesque village of old Lentariana where people still cultivate their market gardens.
To your left, a mile away, is Venetian Harbour of Chania, the lighthouse and Kri-Kri Island.
Below Lentariana, on the coastal road from the airport to Chania, is historic Chalepa. You can see the blue dome of its church and the many imposing mansions and consular villas gathered around the Venezelos residence. The marble palace of Prince George, the former governor of the island is next door. It is almost a ruin now, but the colours and the original character are still there.
The villagers, who are living in the large, old family houses opposite this apartment block, still have year-round beautiful balcony gardens and from these they greet their neighbours and the men in vans delivering fresh fish, vegetables and bread. This area is a rich mix, and a good place to witness the resilience and kindness of the Greeks.
Maximum Adults: 6
LET’S TAKE A LOOK INSIDE.
The decor is modern minimalist. There are two seating areas and two dining areas in the main living room. One wall has a long panoramic windows, overlooking Chalepa and the sea beyond. In this room there’s a medium-sized terrace overlooking Chania. The room is air-conditioned and there is a glassed-in fireplace. The lighting is hidden and diffused.
In winter we use the apartment to house art exhibitions and the walls are always graced with the works of some fine local artists. The room is L-shaped and the well-equipped kitchen is in the left hand corner and overlooks a large terrace which faces the White Mountains. That terrace has a small tiled pool with a waterfall, a barbecue and a garden with trees.
The first bedroom has a king-size bed with a next-door bathroom. It also has a wrap-around terrace with amazing mountain, sea and city views. The second bedroom has twin beds, an en-suite bathroom and a smaller terrace with a stationary exercise bike. The third bedroom can also be used as a study and has a desk and a double convertible couch. All three bedrooms have generous wardrobe space.
NOTE ABOUT THE BEDS.
We have tried to make the apartment as family friendly as possible and the use of available beds as flexible as we can. The bedroom with the en suite bathroom has two small double beds which can be used as a very large double bed or 2 single adult beds or two double beds for children sharing.
There is also a double convertible bed in the 3rd bedroom which is furnished as a study but can easily be converted back to a bedroom.
The convertible couch in the living room has a simple pull-out drawer which turns it into a double bed.
Local Information & Nearby
There is a supermarket five minutes walk away. And Lentariana high street has a large supermarket, a butcher, a delicatessen, a hardware store and everything you would expect in a high street. But no chain stores. The fish shop will cook your fish over a grill and pack it for you to collect at your given time. And it is open on Sundays.
The apartment is within easy walking distance, downhill, into Chania.
There is a bus stop close by which will take you to and from Chania. The bus stops opposite the Agora.
A taxi back to the apartment from the Agora is 3 euros 60 cents: about the same as two bus tickets back.
The main bus station to places over most of western Crete is a 5 minute walk from the Agora.
If you want to go on private excursions we can arrange a private car and an English speaking driver for half day excursions (20 euros + petrol) or full day excursions 40 euros + petrol.
DISTANCES FROM APARTMENT BY CAR:
Airport 20 mins
Venetian harbour 10 mins
Saturday market 10 mins
Marathi Beach 20 mins
Akrotiri monesteries 30 mins
Stavros beach 30 mins
Falassana beach 50 mins
Therisso 45 mins
Aptera 20 mins
Koulouris Rock Pool
The nearest place to swim is KOULOURIS a five minute drive away. Koulouris is a breathtakingly beautiful natural pool formed by rocks. The cliffs above protect it from view and the locals have kept it for themselves.
Thalassino Ageri
THALASSINO AGERI is a fish taverna in Tampakaria sited amongst abandoned tanneries. The tables are on the rocks, practically in the water. Go there to watch the sun setting over Chania. Five minutes drive away.
Agia Kiriaki
AGIAS KIRIAKIS is a tiny church by a stony beach and a small boat harbour. And a taverna by the water which is serene even in August. Except during Panigyri (festival).
Venezelos Residence and Museum
VENEZELOS RESIDENCE AND MUSEUM is the restored ancestral home of Crete’s most revered politician. Next door is the CRETAN PALACE. They are in a charming square which has Dagkli, the best coffee shop in Chania.
OXO NOU arts cafe
OXO NOU ARTS CAFE is on the rocks, close to Agias Kiriakis, reached by a steep flight of stairs from the road. It stages theater and concerts. And you can learn to dance the Tango.
A WALK INTO CHANIA FROM CHALEPA along the coastal path. Start the walk at Thalassino Ageri. When you hit the main road ,stay on the footpath beside the sea until you come to a crossroads with a large sculpture of the winged Icarus on your right. Walk past Icarus along the coastal path, into Koum Kapi beach which is lined with coffee shops. The waters here are shallow and safe. From there you are five minutes away from the old town. It is about a 30 minute stroll.
Features
- Vacation Home
- Garden
- Balcony
- Pool
- Wifi
- Cable TV
- Air conditioning
- Equipped for kids
- Wheelchair friendly
- Central heating
- Dish washer
- Washing machine
- Parking
- Pet-friendly
2 Reviews
“This is one of the most amazing houses ever met in our trips! The house is really comfortable with an incredible view on the sea and Chania village, with romantic sunsets! The terrace and the pool are really useful to relax in extremely privacy. Vivien is a really helpful host and she’s been such gentle and kind with us. Thanks for everything! The position is perfect. We will recommend your house to all our friends that will come to Crete! ”
More about us
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Chris is an English writer and journalist. He wrote for The Times newspaper and Time Out magazine, and is currently writing a series of novels about an English private eye. Vivien was a restauranteur, and a researcher. She has recently published a memoir about the cats in her life.
-
We love living in Crete but our favourite holiday destinations are Umbria and Tuscany. Our interests are reading, architecture and art. Vivien is a keen swimmer.
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We rent this penthouse during the summer, and testimonials are available.
Guest Kurt M
Kurt M.
The penthouse is just as big and bright and beautiful as the photos make it appear. Having the top floor of a ten storey building gave us a bird's eye view of the coastline and mountains from our big windows, sun deck and multiple verandas. While not set in the heart of the old Venetian harbour area, getting to the hustle and bustle of that tourist area was an easy walk or an even easier, and cheap, cab ride.
The flat was well appointed with everything we needed, as well as things we didn't know we needed like the espresso machine. Having secure covered parking was also a very valuable thing to us.
A review of the property would not be complete without mentioning our hosts, Vivien and Christopher, who are delightful and went far above and beyond the call of duty by ensuring we knew where to find the best supermarket as well as a local swimming hole, and several off-the-beaten-path restaurants and tavernas we would never have found ourselves and were amazing. We discovered that Viv and Chris were both authors so forced them to let us read their books, which was a special treat. We bought copies of both of them!
Published 18 Sep 2019Guest- Jamly
Rate :
I have just stayed here for 1 week with a friend. It could have been hard to find, but Stella (the cleaner) was waiting for us at a supermarket to show us the way. We arrived after 10pm, a lovely Greek salad with bread, cherries & wine was waitng for us. What a great start to the holiday! The next day Vivien and Chris took us on a short tour of the area in their car, to give us our bearings & show us places of interest. It turned out to be very useful as we recalled the places later…
0 1 year 3 days agoGuest- JamlyHarry D
Rate :
Dit is een fantastisch appartement voor 2 koppels of een gezin met kinderen. Heel groot met een prachtig uitzicht over zee. Officieel voor 7 personen maar met 4 personen hebben je elk een badkamer en slaapkamer. De keuken heeft alle voorzieningen die je wenst en er is een wasmachine. Vier balkons en waarvan één met een heerlijk poedelbadje. Eigenaar komt je, zelfs als je een huurauto hebt, van het vliegveld halen en maakt je al wat wegwijs naar winkel e.d. We hebben een perfecte week gehad en kunnen het appartement met name voor wat oudere stellen of een gezin zeer…
Séjour PARFAIT
5/5 Stayed Jul 2018
Isabelle
Il est difficile de critiquer quand tout est parfait!
Vivien et Chris sont des hôtes charmants, à l'écoute et de très bons conseils. Nous avons suivi et testé toutes leurs adresses et n'avons jamais été déçus que ce soient pour les visites, les plages ou les bonnes tavernes!
Quand à l'appartement, il est spacieux, facile à vivre, avec une vue magnifique, proche des grands axes permettant les visites et du Centre ville sans être trop dans le bruit
Rien ne manque et il est décoré avec beaucoup de goût. Chacun y a trouvé sa place, nous étions 2 familles avec 2 grands adolescents
Dans la cuisine, quelques produits "de démarrage" nous ont permis de commencer notre séjour sans courrir faire les courses et le 1er matin Viven nous a gentiment déposé quelques viennoiseries locales, merci!
Nous ne pouvons que conseiller ce penthouse qui vous permet de passer des vacances en Crête formidables. Vievien et Chris MERCI Beaucoup pour tout, vous êtes aussi les acteurs de nos vacances réussies! THANKS A LOT
Swap availability
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Where is it?
Neighbourhood
Local Information & Nearby
There is a supermarket five minutes walk away. And Lentariana high street has a large supermarket, a butcher, a delicatessen, a hardware store and everything you would expect in a high street. But no chain stores. The fish shop will cook your fish over a grill and pack it for you to collect at your given time. And it is open on Sundays. Lidl supermarket is a five minute drive away
NOTES FOR THOSE WHO DON’T WANT TO RENT A CAR.
The apartment is within easy walking distance, downhill, into Chania.
There is a bus stop close by which will take you to and from Chania. The bus stops opposite the Agora.
A taxi back to the apartment from the Agora is 3 euros 60 cents: about the same as two bus tickets back.
The main bus station to places over most of western Crete is a 5 minute walk from the Agora.
If you want to go on private excursions we can arrange a private car and an English speaking driver for half day excursions (20 euros + petrol) or full day excursions 40 euros + petrol.
DISTANCES FROM APARTMENT BY CAR:
Airport 20 mins
Venetian harbour 10 mins
Saturday market 10 mins
Marathi Beach 20 mins
Akrotiri monesteries 30 mins
Stavros beach 30 mins
Falassana beach 50 mins
Therisso 45 mins
Aptera 20 mins
Koulouris Rock Pool
The nearest place to swim is KOULOURIS a five minute drive away. Koulouris is a breathtakingly beautiful natural pool formed by rocks. The cliffs above protect it from view and the locals have kept it for themselves.
Thalassino Ageri
THALASSINO AGERI is a fish taverna in Tampakaria sited amongst abandoned tanneries. The tables are on the rocks, practically in the water. Go there to watch the sun setting over Chania. Five minutes drive away.
Agia Kiriaki
AGIAS KIRIAKIS is a tiny church by a stony beach and a small boat harbour. And a taverna by the water which is serene even in August. Except during Panigyri (festival).
Venezelos Residence and Museum
VENEZELOS RESIDENCE AND MUSEUM is the restored ancestral home of Crete’s most revered politician. Next door is the CRETAN PALACE. They are in a charming square which has Dagkli, the best coffee shop in Chania.
OXO NOU arts cafe
OXO NOU ARTS CAFE is on the rocks, close to Agias Kiriakis, reached by a steep flight of stairs from the road. It stages theater and concerts. And you can learn to dance the Tango.
A walk into Chania from Chalepa
A WALK INTO CHANIA FROM CHALEPA along the coastal path. Start the walk at Thalassino Ageri. When you hit the main road ,stay on the footpath beside the sea until you come to a crossroads with a large sculpture of the winged Icarus on your right. Walk past Icarus along the coastal path, into Koum Kapi beach which is lined with coffee shops. The waters here are shallow and safe. From there you are five minutes away from the old town. It is about a 30 minute stroll.
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