Elounda Gulf Villas, Elounda

The Elounda Gulf, is a very basic accommodation offering. It sits just to the East of Elounda itself (approximately 10 minutes walk) and overlooks the bay and a variety of Hotels.

The complex is a series of Chalet style accommodation, each suite sits slightly higher that the last carved into a slow rising hill. On the two main occasions I have stayed here I have spent my time at the top tier of the complex. All the suites are identical, ...
...alone twice. First of all Elounda has grown quite considerably since my first visit in 1986, and staying in the town or larger accommodation can be just too noisy for my liking. The second thing is the bar, and what a service we have here. Demitris runs the bar, 7 days a week for the entire holiday season. He arrives at 4pm and stays until your ready to go to bed, regardless of the time. Demetris is more than just a barman, he is your best friend; ... more

The Elounda Gulf, is a very basic accommodation offering. It sits just to the East of Elounda itself (approximately 10 minutes walk) and overlooks the bay and a variety of Hotels.

The complex is a series of Chalet style accommodation, each suite sits slightly higher that the last carved into a slow rising hill. On the two main occasions I have stayed here I have spent my time at the top tier of the complex. All the suites are identical, none better internally than the other. The bonus for us was of course that we got the better view. The only downside was that the best views that could be had were on the other side of the complex, and no rooms have windows facing out in this direction for some unknown reason.

Each suite has a outdoor eating area which consists of table and chairs, as well as some concrete seating that surrounds the entire area; this is padded out by some very church looking cushions. Inside the rooms you generally get two beds, one double and one single; with the single being the first you come too. The double bed sits behind a low level partition wall. To the front of your room is an orchard which gives the air a fruity texture to it. In addition Carob beans loiter the area along side your room and around.
Across from the single bed sits a food preparation area (I wont call it a kitchen) this consists of a small cooking device, a fridge and a sink. You cannot sit and eat inside unless you sit on one of the beds. To the right of the food area is the bathroom consisting of a lime green toilet, shower, and sink. Like all places in Crete you cannot flush any paper down the loo due to the size of the pipes.
There is no form of room entertainment in any room, no radio's and certainly no TV. No mini-bars, or snacks; as I said earlier literally just a basic suite. So basic in fact that when you shut your door at night you can see under it, and watch anything scuttle in from outside.

At this point I'm sure your asking the question why did I stay there, once let alone twice. First of all Elounda has grown quite considerably since my first visit in 1986, and staying in the town or larger accommodation can be just too noisy for my liking. The second thing is the bar, and what a service we have here. Demitris runs the bar, 7 days a week for the entire holiday season. He arrives at 4pm and stays until your ready to go to bed, regardless of the time. Demetris is more than just a barman, he is your best friend; his aim is to entertain you regardless of age, sex, or nationality. Never have I encountered a more cultured individual in a foreign climb, I'm sure they are about but with Demetris you can have the most unusual conversations about anything, and I can always guarantee he will know more about the subject than you. Demetris big downfall is German ladies, and at time gets distracted; but this is as amusing as any comedy movie your ever likely to see, for this poor chap is very loud; and while his conquests are great, his defeats are painful to watch.

On the food front, again limited is the word. Anything you buy you pay for at the time, there is no waiting service; you order your food and a rather brusque woman calls you over when the food is ready. Nothing fancy is available, if your looking to get past Stifado or Pizza your in the wrong place. In honesty we always eat out at a different location each night, however during the day if we are staying round the complex we would eat lunch here.

The complex pool is about 80 feet long, by 20 wide. Not too big, but in fairness seldom used; as most choose to go to the beaches or on to the next town. The strange thing I find about Elounda, is that its not a location you see people sunbathing or swimming in with any frequency. Despite its increased size, people come here more for the culture, food, and shopping.
You can sit around the pool for the entire day and not be disturbed by anyone else, its also one of the few pools in the town that you can go swimming after a certain time. Many a midnight swim has been enjoyed in the Elounda Gulf's pool.

That's it to the complex, if you can call it that. Being as its on a hill there are no beach related additions, and its really nothing to write home about. However its basic nature gives it part of its charm, and in honesty we spend more time away from the complex than on it. Some nights we never even got back to the complex and stayed out.
But this is the charm of the Elounda Gulf, some accomodation you'll pay so much for you feel you need to warrant the time you spend there. Elounda Gulf costs just £11 a night (discounts for longer stays). So you don't need to have that guilty feel about returning. There are currently 23 rooms available at this location, and except for the peak season your pretty much guaranteed a roof over your head.
The Elounda Gulf is just a short walk from the town centre, this walk takes you in three directions. One way goes down via the hotel below, and leads you into the town via the beach. Another takes you past shops, a go kart track, and cafes before bringing you into the town; this is the most interesting walk again taking you through Orchards and some local accomodation, all the time the beautiful hills and sea permanently in your vision. The final route is via the main road that takes away the charm of walking. For those not into the whole walking thing, a taxi passes by every half hour from 7am to 10pm, simply flag it down. Others Taxis, hover round too so if you miss one often another is just behind.

Away from accommodation Elounda offers you some lovely treats: A great relaxed nightlife (not to young), some great restaurants, a lost town which sank into the sea several thousand years ago (you can see this from the rocks or get some diving gear and explore), an old deserted leper colony called Spinalonga, and most importantly a side of Greek culture you might not see elsewhere.

 

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