Villas & Holiday Homes in Greece
A villa or holiday home is often the best way to stay in Greece with family or friends — more space, a private pool, a kitchen and real quiet, usually for better value than several hotel rooms. Greece's best self-catering villas cluster in two places above all: the stone villas of Crete, and the green Ionian islands. Here is where to look, region by region.
Villas in Crete
Crete has the widest choice of villas in Greece, many of them traditional stone houses with private pools set among olive groves and within a short drive of the sea. The Apokoronas area of Chania is the classic villa country, but every one of the island's four regions has good self-catering options. Browse them by region: Chania villas, Rethymno villas, Heraklion villas and Lasithi villas — or start from the Crete island guide.
Villas in the Ionian islands
The green Ionian islands off the west coast are the other classic villa destination, with lush gardens, easy beaches and a gentler climate than the Aegean. Look at Corfu, Lefkada, Zakynthos, Kefalonia and quiet Paxos for villas and holiday houses close to the sea.
Choosing a villa
Decide first how close to the beach and the tavernas you want to be: a villa deep in the countryside is peaceful but needs a hire car, while one in or near a village puts everything on foot. Check whether the pool is private or shared, whether air-conditioning and Wi-Fi are included, and how the villa is reached — some sit at the end of rough tracks. The best villas for July and August go months ahead, so book early for high summer; May, June, September and October are quieter and easier. Not sure which island suits you? Take the quiz above.
