Fantastically Restored 18nth Century Stone Villa. Ideal Location.
Village house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and private pool in Prines, Crete
From €2,050 per week
Beautiful three bedroom villa with a private pool, bbq and shaded terrace. Located in Prines Village, only ten minute drive from the nearest beach. Short stroll to local shops and restaurant.
Overview
Villa Sofia is a 3 bedroom stone villa situated in the village of Prines, a traditional village near the city of Rethymno, a conveniently located starting point for exploring the island of Crete. The villa was built at the end of the 18th Century and was restored recently. It is a stone structure that was carefully renovated to include as many of the original features of the building. It is an authentic representative of traditional Cretan architecture. The villa can accommodate up to 8 people.
The property benefits from a unique interior design with spacious rooms, high ceilings and imposing stone features. The property features a paved courtyard space with sunbathing chairs, seating, a private pool, an adobe oven and a barbeque space, as well as a large veranda overlooking the village of Prines, the surrounding fields and mountains. As the paved courtyard area faces south and the veranda area faces north, this means that you can catch sun and shade at all times of the day. Furthermore, the stone structure guarantees that the property remains cool, even in the hottest days of August.
Just a 10 minute drive away from the closest beaches, and a short walk away from local shops and a restaurant, villa Sofia is ideal for those who wish to experience an authentic rural village setting, while at the same time being at close proximity from the larger towns and all the attractions Crete is known for.
Spatial Layout:
Ground floor: The main entrance of the Villa faces north. Upon entering the house one views an open area consisting of a living-room, a fireplace, and a fully equipped kitchen and dining area that is separated by a stone arc. On this ground floor there is also a large bedroom and a full bath. The rear portion of the ground floor leads to a courtyard which contains a swimming pool, an adobe oven, and a barbecue space.
Second floor: There is a loft area off the staircase which leads to the second floor area which is furnished as an office space. There are two bedrooms on the second floor (one with an attic space) and a full bath. On this landing, there is a large veranda overlooking all of the village of Prines, the mountains, the oak forest, and the sea.
Every area of the house has your privacy insured and the rustic buildings (most of them uninhabited) that are located all around the villa insure peace and quiet.
The villa is suitable for all-year-long bookings.
The thick stone walls, the underground heating pad system (on the first floor), the heating units (on the second floor) and the reduced ''off-season'' prices make Villa Sofia a perfect villa for winter bookings.
Reviews
9 verified reviews
8 out of 9 people recommend staying here
Neil
We had a fantastic 2 weeks at Villa Sofia, partly due to Wall to Wall sunshine and temperatures consistently around 30-35C, but mainly because of the great facilities at the villa and in Prines. The relationship with the owner was very friendly but not intrusive and we took advantage of the additional services including a wonderful local meal cooked by a neighbour and a short voyage in yacht Ariadne out of Rethymno port.
The layout of the villa suited our holiday lifestyle and the plunge pool was a huge benefit when returning from a day out in the heat. Two terraces enabled us to find sun or shade at all times of day and the interior remained cool despite the absence of air conditioning and the heat. Good wifi enabled us to keep in touch with friends and family who weren't enjoying the same weather as us ! Appropriate use of the anti-mosquito sprays and plug ins reduced bites significantly. A car is essential and strong nerves are needed to negotiate the local roads and drivers. Gravel routes to some of the best beaches make an older, less pristine, vehicle a benefit !
Having 3 good, but different, tavernas in the village a few minutes walk from the villa, together with a well stocked, "open all hours" store gave us all the opportunity to indulge in local wines and raki.
Thank you Manolis
Stephen
The villa and location was excellent. We were met by Michael at the village taverna and shown he very well equipped villa. The villa is in the small village of Prines with only a 2 minute walk to the local shop,taverna or cafe. The villagers were very friendly and the area was extremely relaxed. The villa itself is only a 7 minute drive to Rethimno where there is easy parking, the pretty harbour front and all the places to eat. The villa is nice and private and a great place to escape and relax yet very close to the main road systems to travel further and other areas of Crete. Overall the villa and stay was excellent with a very nice and and well equipped villa.We thoroughly enjoyed the stay.
Jemima
We had a wonderfull experience here.If you want to met the typical village in Crete ,this is a very good option.Is a small village called Prines , not so far from Rethymo wich is one of the most important towns in Crete, Rethymo is very nice and we had visited everything in Crete.
The house is new, there is all kind of details for doing your stay very comfortable.There is 3 spacious bedrooms ,1 nice living room,2 bathrooms,and a small swiming pool,that is enough for refresh you when you come back from any of the amazing beaches of Crete or first bath before doing a barbacue with a glass of good Crete wine.
The owners are very friendly and always are pretending that your stay should be perfect.
Victoria
This property is in a lovely and very authentic location. The owners are extremely hospitable, friendly and helpful. The property has been converted beautifully: it is spacious, airy and very comfortable, with lovely views from the balcony. It has all conveniences. The village is well-located for sight-seeing and there are two shops and two tavernas very close by.
Stephen
The photos on the web site do not do the villa justice as the property is outstanding in every respect, and alot larger than it appears in the photos.
All the fittings, furniture and electrical appliances in the villa are brand new and of the highest standard, which makes it a very comfortable and plesent place to stay, with plenty of room.
The owner of the villa could not of been more helpful to us, and everything was done to make our stay as enjoyable as possible.
I would recommend renting a car to make the most of the villa and surrounding area.
Georgina
The owners are lovely, courteous and attentive but not intrusive.
The house has been refurbished to a high standard, has character and style and is on the whole well equipped and there was lots of information on the local area in the villa which was useful. Nice to have wifi and a phone for incoming calls. Very private and very quiet inside the house at night.
The village and local environment is welcoming, peaceful and pleasant as well as interesting. Crete is such a great mix of history, Greek island culture, dramatic landscapes and of course the wonderful Aegean Sea and beaches. Good range of shops within few kilometres to buy freshly made feta, breads, patisseries, as well as seafoods, some fabulous quality wines and other local specialities. Also plenty of nice tavernas and restuarants to choose from nearby and within short drive times into Rethymno.
Parking is a little problematic and it might be helpful for future visitors to better understand the situation and the options available before arrival. We also think mosquito screens and some way of fully blacking out the windows (the shutters have slats which allow early morning light to creeps in) would make the bedroom more sleep friendly.
Overall, we had a lovely family holiday in a comfortable villa, where we felt very at home.
Location
Distances to locations
Prices and availability
Updated 25 August 2022
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- Your booking
- Available start/end date
Select your travel dates on the calendar
Changeover days and minimum stays
- 29 September 2023 - 29 September 2026: the minimum stay is 5 nights.
Early booking discounts
- Receive 5% off if the booking is made 6 months before the arrival date.
Long stay discounts
- Arrive between 1 March - 31 October and receive 20% off if the booking is for 4 weeks or more.
- Arrive between 1 March - 31 October and receive 10% off if the booking is for 2 weeks or more.
- Arrive between 1 November - 28 February and receive 20% off if the booking is for 2 weeks or more.
- Arrive between 1 November - 28 February and receive 40% off if the booking is for 4 weeks or more.
If more than one discount matches your arrival date, please be aware that only one discount of the highest amount will be applied to your booking.
Compulsory extras
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Extra charge for bookings made by parties that include more than 4 people.
1 November - 28 February: €4.00 per night if there are more than 4 people, paid with booking
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Extra charge for bookings made by parties that include more than 4 people.
1 March - 30 June: €5.00 per night for each additional person if there are more than 4 people, paid with booking
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Extra charge for bookings made by parties that include more than 4 people.
1 July - 31 August: €10.00 per night for each additional person if there are more than 4 people, paid with booking
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Extra charge for bookings made by parties that include more than 4 people.
1 September - 31 October: €5.00 per night if there are more than 4 people, paid with booking
Optional extras
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Sailing trips around the Rethymno area.
1 May - 31 May: €0.00 per week, paid locally
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Sailing trips around the Rethymno area.
1 June - 30 June: €0.00 per week, paid locally
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Sailing trips around the Rethymno area.
1 July - 31 July: €0.00 per week, paid locally
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Sailing trips around the Rethymno area.
1 August - 31 August: €0.00 per week, paid locally
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Sailing trips around the Rethymno area.
1 September - 30 September: €0.00 per week, paid locally
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Home cooked food delivery. Catering services
€0.00 per week, paid locally
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Babyssiting services.
£10 per hour, for 1-2 children., paid locally
Facilities
Bedrooms
3 bedrooms, Sleeps 8:
- 2 single beds
- 1 double bed
- 1 double bed, 1 double sofa bed
There is also 2 double sofa beds in one on the first floor and one in a second floor bedroom, 1 cot
Bathrooms
2 bathrooms
Swimming pool
Private pool
Entertainment
CD player, DVD/Blu-ray player, WiFi / WiFi, Radio, TV Languages in Local
General
Living area seats 8, Dining area seats 8, Central heating, Hair dryer, Iron / board, Towels / linen, Washing machine, Car hire recommended
Kitchen
Cooker, Cutlery, Dishwasher, Fridge, Freezer, Glassware, Kettle, Microwave, Oven, Pots / pans, Toaster
Outside
Balcony or terrace, Barbecue, Outside lighting
Suitable for
Children, Infants, Smoking, Pets , Parties and events
Extra information
Please contact us if you need an infant crib/cot so we can arrange to bring one for you. Large wood oven available for baking bread, pizza and traditional meals. Maid service and linen-towel change once a week is included. Pool-plant maintenance included. Some beverages, traditional drinks (produced by the owner s family) and other drinks are provided free of charge. All day sailing trips are available at an extra fee, upon request (contact owner)
Manolis
Private Owner From Rethymno, Greece Member since Dec 2009
Hello. My name is Manolis. I manage villa Sofia on behalf of my family. Currently I study at the undergraduate level in London, UK, making sure to visit Crete in the summer-time. This property was bought by my family in 2002. It is a traditional Turkish, stone structure, dating back to the 1800's. From 2002, for 7 years my father meticulously renovated the building, using his knowledge as an architect and member of the local city-planning department of Rethymno. He collaborated with friends of his, also architects, to produce a spatial layout that combines traditional, rustic features with modern decor, appliances and utilities. The renovation finished in 2009 and we have been running this holiday home as a family business ever since.
Past bookings: 31 bookings
Response rate: 100%
Response time: within 8 hours
Last logged in: a year ago
Number of properties: 1
Hello. My name is Manolis. I manage villa Sofia on behalf of my family. Currently I study at the undergraduate level in London, UK, making sure to visit Crete in the summer-time. This property was bought by my family in 2002. It is a traditional Turkish, stone structure, dating back to the 1800's. From 2002, for 7 years my father meticulously renovated the building, using his knowledge as an architect and member of the local city-planning department of Rethymno. He collaborated with friends of his, also architects, to produce a spatial layout that combines traditional, rustic features with modern decor, appliances and utilities. The renovation finished in 2009 and we have been running this holiday home as a family business ever since.
