How to Organise a Crete Villa Holiday, Greece

I lurrrvve Greece. If you’re looking for a nice relaxing holiday, with some good food, friendly locals and easy to get around, with plenty of beach action, you actually can’t beat it.

Ever since I’d met my boyfriend Ben, he’d talked about how he was going to Crete on a villa holiday with friends. As the months with him passed, he asked if I wanted to join them.

Obviously I really wanted to go.

Two things were stopping me though, my Trek America Canada trip was already booked in for half of it, and I’m still skint from buying my house back in October.

With flights coming in at over £300 for four nights in Crete it was going to have to be a no.


Read about my other Greek Adventures in…

Santorini  |  Mykonos | Skopelos  |  Skiathos 


I know I’m probably the least worthy person in need of a holiday, and I know, I’m incredibly lucky, but just at the right time Flightgiftcard.com got in touch. They’re like the ultimate gift card hub for flights. If you’re looking for a cool present to buy someone for a significant birthday, a wedding, Christmas or anniversary they have all the flights you’ll find on the usual sites, but with FlightGiftCard.com you pay with a voucher.

You can buy people the gift of flight. The gift of travel – what better present is there?

We’re all about experiences over possessions right?

So with a loaded up Flight Gift Card burning a hole in my pocket, I knew exactly what I wanted to spend it on.

Chilling in Crete

Villa holiday in Crete

The holiday was awesome. A super relaxing trip where for four days I didn’t really do much but lie by the pool, eat BBQs at our villa and walk around the local town of Elounda.

We did hire two cars between us, just to make it easier to get around. If you want to rent a car in Crete, you can expect to pay from around €200 per car from Rental Center Crete, depending on the season.

Definite holiday dreams.

Relaxing in the pool in Elounda on a crete holiday

We had a 10-person villa, with a pool, up in the hills of Elounda – a pretty bay in northern Crete. The villa was AMAZING… (click to see the villa listing on homeaway.co.uk)

Villa in Crete
Inside the villa in Crete

Villa holiday in Crete

Looking for a villa holiday in Crete? Check out VRBO – they have some great deals to suit all budgets. You can also search by location and swimming pool, and whatever else you think is important.


My bedroom Crete
Villa holiday in Crete
Villa holiday in Crete

With that place as our own we didn’t really feel the need to get out and about much. They were all staying for ten days so I heard things got more active after I left, especially as they had a wedding to go to.

Relaxing in Crete on holiday

But we spent a lot of time sat around the pool, or just floating in an inflatable donut or flamingo. It was just so hot. June 2018 in Crete was around 35C. And with our pasty skin barely seen the light of day we cowered in the shade.

Well, I didn’t. I was out there in my donut loving life. But the pastier among us hid under the trees.

Based in Elounda

Our villa was in Elounda. A popular and pretty part of Crete just up the road from Agios Nikios. It had a butchers (got all our BBQ stuff from there), a few supermarkets, inflatables shops, some junk shops and loads of restaurants and bars – what more could you need from a relaxing holiday in Crete?

It’s the best place to pick up some souvenirs from Greece too.

There were plenty of places to enjoy a traditional Greek coffee on the waterfront. 

Where is Elounda in Crete

The big day out in my 4 days in Crete was a boat trip to Spinalonga Island – a former leper colony. Not something I’d particularly recommend when there are so many beautiful beaches about but I enjoyed the boat ride. It was also SO hot out there, every step around the colony felt like another bead of sweat. So pretty looking back at Elounda though.

Villa holiday in Crete

The first night we stayed in Malia, just to see what it was like.

For anyone who’s never heard of Malia, it’s a hub for teenagers and young adults who want to get on it. The Legend of Malia is cheap drinks, fish bowls, clubs, hooking up, tourist food and non stop parties. What we actually found, in this early week of the season was a lovely quaint town, with a tame main strip (think that was about to change), friendly locals and a lovely atmosphere, and there was that one fishbowl…

hotel in Malia

– our hotel in Malia

Flightgiftcard

The Flightgiftcard I was gifted in return for this review allowed me to go on an awesome holiday that I’ll remember forever, and meant loads to me and Ben. If you’re struggling for a present or gift idea for a fellow travel lover, I can’t recommend it enough!

Relaxing in Crete

It’s amazing where you can go in Europe on a £100 gift card, with all the cheap airlines around, so the card is a great idea especially if you’re pooling together with friends to buy another friend a present.

How to use the Flightgiftcard

  1. Visit Flightgiftcard.com.
  2. Choose whether you want a print out, a physical gift or an email.
  3. Enter the value (£25-£10,000) and make sure to include a message or video depending on your option.
  4. Confirm and pay.
  5. Give to your friend or loved one who’ll love you forever.
  6. Watch them have the time of their lives on social media.
  7. Congratulate yourself for being such a good friend.
FlightGiftCard Greece

You can book your flight with over 300 airlines through the FlightGiftCard website. Take a look for more details, and to see the terms and conditions.

*I was gifted a Flightgiftcard in return for a review on my blog. All thoughts and feelings my own.*

5 Comments

  1. What an amazing adventure in Crete! Your holiday sounds like the perfect mix of relaxation and exploration. I love how you described the villa and the beautiful town of Elounda. It’s great to hear about your boat trip to Spinalonga Island, despite the heat. And your experience in Malia sounds like a pleasant surprise!

    Using a Flight Gift Card for your trip was such a clever idea. It’s fantastic that you were able to enjoy this wonderful holiday thanks to it. Your review of Flightgiftcard.com is really helpful for anyone looking for a unique gift idea for their travel-loving friends or family members. Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips!

  2. Firstly, your holiday looks AMAZING! Never considered Crete as a holiday destination until now, but it looks gorge. Also YES, FlightGiftCard is the website i’ve been waiting for. I’ve always wanted to gift trips to friends/family, but with so few airlines offering their own gift card option I’ve never done it. Will definitely be using it in future, thanks for the heads up!

    1. Oh definitely go, it’s beautiful! I’d totally go back as I really didn’t feel like I saw much of the island, thanks to the villa being so LUSH. Yeah it’s a great idea isn’t it? Who wouldn’t want a preloaded gift card for a flight?!

    1. It’s a good idea isn’t it? I think sometimes money gets wasted when you all group together but this way the recipient gets a nice present, and a bit of freedom too. Winner!

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