LA MER Homes rents holiday villas to rent in Crete across the western end of the island, in and around the Chania region, each one a private house with its own pool, full kitchen and parking rather than a room in a complex. Every property in this collection sits within about forty minutes of Chania International Airport, which keeps the first day of a holiday short.
Western Crete has a rhythm that the resort strips further east never quite manage. Apokoronas, where most of these houses stand, is a spread of olive groves and stone villages running down toward Souda Bay, with the White Mountains behind and the sea usually in view from the terrace. Almyrida and Kalyves are proper seaside villages with tavernas on the water instead of hotel blocks. Plaka sits just above them on the hillside. Vrises and Filippos are inland and quieter again, the sort of places where the day is measured by when the bakery opens. Agia Marina and Platanias, closer to Chania town, are busier and better suited to guests who want a strip of bars and restaurants within walking distance, while Kissamos in the far west is the launching point for Balos and Falassarna.
Distances here are short and the driving is enjoyable. Almyrida Beach is roughly 1.1 to 1.2 kilometers from the Plaka houses, Agia Marina Beach 500 meters from Villa Zaneti, Kera Beach 500 meters from Villa Kera Panorama, Platanias Beach about 2 kilometers from Villa Lucy, and Georgioupoli around 10 kilometers from the inland Apokoronas villas. Chania Old Town and its Venetian harbor make an easy evening out from anywhere in this collection, and the Samaria Gorge, Elafonisi and Balos are all day trips rather than expeditions. From Chania International Airport to Almyrida is roughly 29 kilometers, about 36 minutes by road, according to Rome2Rio.
Rates cover the villa, its pool, wifi, air conditioning, a fully equipped kitchen, parking and bed linen, with individual properties adding barbecues, fireplaces, outdoor jacuzzis, gyms and children's play areas. Several can have their pool heated on request, which stretches the season at both ends. Reserving through this site carries no platform commission and shows live availability rather than a cached grid. Our guide to whether you pick Cyprus or Greece is worth reading if you are still deciding, and you can search by dates or read how to book direct whenever you are ready.
One practical note before you choose. These are houses in villages, not units on a resort, which is the point of them and also the thing to plan around. You will want a hire car, the last few hundred meters to a hillside address may be narrow, and the nearest taverna is more likely to be family-run than open until two in the morning. In exchange you get a garden nobody overlooks, a kitchen worth cooking in, and neighbors who will tell you where the good honey comes from. Guests who have taken this sort of holiday once rarely go back to a hotel room.
All of them are in the west, within the Chania regional unit. Most stand in Apokoronas, around Plaka, Almyrida, Filippos, Stiftiana and Vrises, with others at Agia Marina, Platanias and Kissamos. Nothing in this collection is in Rethymno, Heraklion or the east, which we would rather say plainly than let you find out after booking.
Chania International Airport, on the Akrotiri peninsula, serves every property here. The drive to Almyrida runs about 29 kilometers and takes roughly 36 minutes, with the inland Apokoronas villages a similar distance. Heraklion is possible but adds well over an hour each way, so it rarely makes sense unless the fare difference is unusually large.
Yes, for almost every address. These are village and hillside properties rather than resort accommodation, and while tavernas and minimarkets are often walkable, beaches, Chania town and the west coast are not. Each villa includes parking for one to three vehicles. Book the car with the flights, since availability tightens sharply from June onward.
It depends on the house. Agia Marina Beach sits 500 meters from Villa Zaneti and Kera Beach the same from Villa Kera Panorama, while the Plaka properties are 1.1 to 1.2 kilometers above Almyrida Beach. Villa Lucy is about 2 kilometers from Platanias Beach, and Villa Dimmare roughly 4 kilometers from Mavros Molos and Livadia near Kissamos.
Every one, used by your group alone. Sizes range from a 6m x 4.5m rectangle up to a 13m x 4m stretch at Villa Kera Panorama, with an infinity design at Villa Orientem Bis and a beach-entry shallow section at Villa Dimmare that starts at 0.10 meters deep. Several also have an outdoor jacuzzi.
On some properties, yes. Villa Orientem Bis, Villa Kera Panorama and Seaview Lux all list heating on request, with a charge on certain addresses. It is worth arranging for April, May, October and November stays, when the air is pleasant but water lags behind. Tell us your dates and we will confirm which houses qualify.
Very. The beaches around Almyrida and Kalyves shelve gently, the villages are small enough that children can be let off the leash a little, and several houses have shallow pool sections, play areas or fenced gardens. Villa Dimmare has a children's play area and a beach-entry pool; Villa Zaneti has a fully fenced garden with all bedrooms on the ground floor.
Chania Old Town and its Venetian harbor fill an evening easily. The Samaria Gorge, Balos lagoon, Falassarna and Elafonisi are all within day-trip range, and the White Mountains give walking at every level of ambition. Closer to home, the Apokoronas villages have tavernas, markets and Sunday rhythms that reward slowing down rather than driving somewhere.
They suit different appetites. Crete is larger, greener and more mountainous, with more to see inland and a longer drive between highlights. Cyprus has the warmer shoulder season, shorter distances and more reliable late autumn weather. We rent in both, so there is no axe to grind: our Cyprus or Greece guide sets out the differences in detail.
May, June, September and early October give warm settled weather without July and August crowds or prices. High summer is hot and busy, though the sea is at its best. April and late October still work, particularly with a heated pool. Winter is quiet, green and often wet, which suits walkers more than swimmers.
The villa, its pool, wifi, air conditioning, a fully equipped kitchen, parking and bed linen. Individual listings set out their own extras, which can include towel service, cots, high chairs and pool heating, and some properties hold a refundable security deposit. Everything is priced before you confirm, so nothing appears afterward.
Yes, because no platform commission goes on top of the nightly rate. You also get live availability rather than a cached grid, and you deal with the company that manages the property instead of an intermediary. Payment terms, deposits and cancellation rules are all set out in full before you commit.