Pure Crete Holidays

Pure Crete is an independent company which for over 30 years has provided holidays from April to October in houses, farms and villas in Cretan villages, set in the foothills of the White Mountains and beside the sea.

Helping the local community

Most of our rental properties are locally owned by Cretan families therefore your stay contributes to the livelihood of the local community and supports the local culture. In the past Pure Crete has helped to restore village houses in co-operation with local families using traditional building methods. So through our service we help to ensure the natural and physical environment benefits from your custom.


Our Service

We provide accommodation for rental on a weekly basis inclusive of air fare or accommodation only if preferred. We can also provide car hire or transfers and make hotel reservations as required.  

Our operations in the UK are managed by Louise who is on hand to offer her expert in-depth knowledge of all our properties and of the island, having visited Crete many times over the past 20 years.

Sales and Operations Manager Louise, joined Pure Crete in 2006 after working for fellow AITO and Greek Island Specialist Laskarina Holidays and has visited many Greek islands. Louise has a degree in Geography and in her spare time Louise enjoys the arts, Pilates and channelling her inner Greek. 

“My favourite house is Artemis, a quintessential Cretan village house with fabulous views of the White Mountains from the wonderful terrace. It is full of Cretan charm and within easy walking distance of the village tavernas” 


Our Service in Crete

Our overseas programme is run by Helen who is based in Crete in the village of Aptera, near to Chania and she is always on hand and happy to offer help, information and advice. She lives on Crete all year round and speaks Greek and has an intimate knowledge of the island. This is a key part of Pure Crete’s commitment to help sustain and enhance the local culture and environment which is built upon close relationship and cooperation with local communities. Helen has over 35 years' experience of working overseas in the travel industry,  lives locally and joined Pure Crete in 2007.

Our accommodation is well equipped and the price includes a twice- weekly maid service and linen change.

A complimentary welcome pack of food and wine will be waiting for you when you reach your house.

In all of our properties we provide a House Information Folder packed with information on the local area, villages, beaches, sites, museums, tavernas and more.

If you have very young children we can arrange cots etc too


Our Top 5 Tips for your trip to Western Crete

1  Chania Harbour, the Venetian port and the beautiful backstreets of the old town. Nothing beats an early evening ouzo on the harbour front watching the sun go down, people-watching and deciding where to go for dinner…. and shopping of course!

2  Take a trip to the South Coast and stop en-route for an iced frappe and sfakia pie at one of the cafes overlooking the breathtaking Imbros Gorge.

3  Enjoy a lazy lunch in one of the beachside tavernas at Kalives.  Louise recommends her favourite meal; small fish and  Tzatziki washed down with a glass of local wine.

4  A day at Elafonissi beach with a picnic. Enjoy the magical azure shallow waters and stunning pink sands.

5  Visit the war museum at Askifou, located 50 kilometres from Chania, on the road to Sfakia. The museum is open to the public and is actually located on the ground floor of a house, based on a private collection. There are over 2000 items  from the period 1940-1944 from different nationalities of troops who were on Crete during the Nazi occupation

At Pure Crete we take the environment seriously

For over 30 years we have specialised in providing holidays to traditional village houses and villas in Western Crete. In the past we sponsored a loggerhead turtle hatchery and supported the preservation of the Cretan Bearded Vulture – the Lammergeier , helped to promote a donkey sanctuary, introduced a carbon offset levy and installed recycling bins in our holiday accommodation. Details of these schemes are available here.

Greener

In the UK we use electricity from renewable sources, recycled materials and practice energy efficiency. This means you can both have an enjoyable holiday and give something back to the environment.

Safer

All holiday payments are fully protected by Visions Holiday Group, trading as Pure Crete, ATOL licence 5889 for your holidays with flights and ABTOT Policy number 5217 for accommodation only holidays and UK package regulations 2018 (for your consumer rights). Pure Crete has AITO quality assurance and Four Star Sustainable Tourism status.

Fairer

We help to restore locally owned village houses and villas, many from dereliction, with the support of local people. This means the impact of your holiday is to help to improve the natural and physical environment where you stay and that the economic benefits are spread across communities. We also support recycling and solar panels in the houses we rent. Pure Crete has been awarded Star Status for Responsible Tourism by AITO.

Holidays

This is all thanks to people like you who come to enjoy a rich and varied holiday in our holiday villas in Crete. Many return to enjoy the food, wine,  hospitality, the empty beaches and warm sunshine from April to November. Others come back to appreciate the historic and archaeological treasures of Crete or the natural environment of flowers, mountains, gorges and coastline or simply to relax in the comfort of your own Cretan house. Whatever your passion, we’re here to make your holiday an experience you’ll want to repeat and recommend. And it’s always a special pleasure to welcome friends and family of existing customers to Crete.