Astraeus Boutique Spa Apartment, Villa Kamares

Villa Kamares is a traditional stone villa with heated spa pool, the only one of its kind in the area. Villa Kamares is situated on the main cobbled street in the heart of Panormo village, a small Greek fishing village on the North Coast of Crete not far from Rethymno. The location of the Villa is fantastic, everything you need is just outside or only a very short walk from the Villa. Villa Kamares consists of two lovingly renovated apartments, Astraeus and Selene. This listing is for the Astraeus apartment on the first floor of Villa Kamares. The Villa was originally built in 1912 and has recently been renovated using traditional materials, adorned with beautiful hand finished stone arches and walls with some original wooden beamed ceilings and floors. To our knowledge, the Villa is the only one on Crete which has had stone incorporated into its re-build on such a grand scale. Villa Kamares is furnished with traditional furniture which retains a totally authentic Cretan feel but with all the modern conveniences such as air-conditioning, TV, Wi-Fi and central heating for evenings in low season. A heated spa pool is situated on the ground floor, this is the first spa pool of its kind in the area and is open exclusively for our guests free of charge for the duration of their stay. Villa Kamares are associated with Relaxika Massage & Spa Treatments situated in the building directly opposite Villa Kamares front door. The Astraeus apartment has two double bedrooms both with king size beds; a kitchen/living space with handmade wooden painted kitchen incorporating cooker, microwave, fridge and freezer, dining table and chairs and traditional double sofa bed; one main shower room and one en-suite shower room. Astraeus also has a lovely feature balcony which opens from the kitchen/living room space and overlooks the quaint main street. Few vehicles come down the narrow cobbled street as local people and visitors leisurely stroll through admiring the beautiful old Cretan buildings. The street is closed to vehicles from 6pm during the main tourist season. The view from Astraeus's balcony is picturesque and relaxing with local people and tourists wandering past, as well as a popular local taverna, bar, Relaxika massage & spa treatments, shops and a hairdresser all being located on the cobbled street below. Just around the corner lies a small stunning harbour and beautiful beach with tavernas and bars overlooking the picturesque deep blue sea with translucent clean water and gorgeous hill scenes. Guests staying in Astraeus can access the reception area, heated spa pool on the ground floor and stairs up to first floor communal area looking down over the spa pool and the Astraeus apartment. Our good friends Stefanos and Cheryl, a local Greek man and his English wife who are well known and liked in the village are available for interaction with guests. Stefanos meets and greets guests and Cheryl looks after housekeeping. We are also contactable by phone or email for more information. Panormo is an extremely attractive village on the north coast of Crete about 21 kilometres east of Rethymno which successfully blends Cretan character with low-key tourism. The village is a very calm, quiet, civilised holiday destination for people of many nationalities looking for a traditionally Cretan, Greek holiday. Panormo has retained its charm and originality and has not been spoilt by tourism in any way. Local people live in the village and they are extremely friendly, and everything in the village is within a 2 or 3 minute walk - two fantastic beaches, a dozen or so tavernas serving delicious home cooked Cretan food, a few pleasant bars, two decent mini-markets, a bakery, butcher, a couple of hairdressers and jewellers, a massage and spa treatment specialist and three ATM machines. This all makes for an extremely pleasant small resort with lots of character. Villa Kamares is located on the main cobbled street in the village which is closed to motor vehicles from 6pm during busy periods - the street on which Villa Kamares resides is a picture postcard scene. The two beaches have firm sand, there is a small harbour beach and a middle beach with a taverna. Both beaches are protected by stone breakwaters making swimming safe even when there's a strong northerly wind. The beaches are gently sloping and ideal for children. There is a dive centre on the western beach and some low key watersports. The church of St George is located in the village and you may be able to hear the church bells ringing on a Sunday morning which gives a lovely feel to the day. The carob mill is situated on the edge of the village, this is a modern cultural centre hosting exhibitions and major music and theatre performances. Panormo is 20 minutes by car to Rethymno, 45 minutes from Heraklion airport and 1 hour 20 minutes from Chania airport. Villa Kamares is a few minutes walk to the bus stop which regularly transports people to the towns of Rethymno, Chania and Heraklion. Panormo also has its own land train offering a choice of two morning trips way inland into the Cretan countryside. This is a great way of exploring the surroundings if you do not want to hire a car or go by bus further afield. If you want to go on one or two further excursions, it is possible to book a trip at one of the travel agents that have offices around the village or rent a car upon your arrival at the airport. Villa Kamares is fully insured. Cheryl takes care of the apartment cleaning as well as sheets, towels and spa robes. Guests need to bring beach towels or they can be purchased in the small shops on the street. Panormo is a quiet, relaxing village and therefore noise should be kept to a minimum in the apartments especially between the hours of 3pm and 5pm when local people are resting during siesta time. Noise should also be kept to a minimum from midnight when the village is quiet. Smoking, pets, parties and events are not permitted in Villa Kamares.