Olive Grove Apartments

We arrived late- having been delayed and then subject to the whims of Heraklion's baggage handlers however despite it being the early hours of the day after we were due to arrive our cab driver (as arranged with Julia at the apartments) was still reliably standing there-never have I been so happy to see my name scribbled on a piece of scrap paper! Then after a very smooth ride on the new road across Crete we were greeted by Jenny at the complex (I hope she got overtime). We were shown our apartment - a bijoux affair- everything you needed in a comfortable and clean little package and complete with a bottle of water in the fridge for the night. perfect. So after a great nights sleep on possibly the second best mattress I've ever slept on (first was a place in Napflion- if you're interested!) we ventured into Elounda proper. well hello- it was all on the doorstep practically- perfect location. After we investigated the little town (fabulous restaurants/bars/little market on a friday) we took in the complex itself (I call it a complex but with about 30 apartments it was small and friendly rather than a sprawling mass). Everything you could need, a pool, a pool bar, and all mobility accessible . The pool is 1.5m deep all over but there was also a small person's pool at 0.5m deep so safe for your small people- although you may want to keep an eye on them as the big pool is right next to the small pool and I can see it being easy for one of the smalls to accidentally fall in the big pool. The pool bar is an absolute gem and very reasonable- breakfast served between 9 and 12 (a mix of continental and british breakfast staples) and then a varied and, again, reasonably priced selection of lunch items served until 5pm (I can thoroughly recommend both the tuna and the gyros baguette). The staff are all fabulous.

So it's a lovely place and, understandably, people come back year after year as such it can feel a little cliquey with whole families of great grand parents downwards bagsying sun loungers and then being absent for the day which I feel the management could address. Also people feel safe here with their kids, which is great, but it did mean some parents appeared to give up any form of parental responsibility and kids tended to run feral of an evening- mostly outside our apartment- which made relaxing on the balcony with a sundowner a little bit...kindergarden-ey. Talking of balconies- ours was small- not enough room for 3 of us and the drying rack and as one of our things is sitting on our balcony of an evening this put a bit of a downer on the stay. The pool appeared murky, however this is because it's part saltwater- a great sustainability measure given the availability of salt water vs fresh water- talking of which they are really trying to embrace sustainability here(set up recycling point, reuse of kitchen water for watering plants and this should be applauded)

Beautiful property with a lovely salt water pool. Everything you need including restaurants, shops and the beach within a 5 min walk.

Staff were so friendly, apartment was clean and spacious, location was fantastically central, really enjoyed the stay and thought it was excellent value.

Nothing but the pool maybe was a little murky.. maybe ask guest to shower before they get in? But we still played in it every day.

Fantastic well equipped apartments in a great location. Staff and owners s pleasure to meet.

Nothing we didn’t like

Fantastic location close to the all the restaurants,bars and beach. Owners were really friendly and helpful

N/A

This was our first time staying at Olive Grove and it is a lovely place. Manos, Hayley and everyone there are so genuinely nice and friendly and were always on hand if we needed anything. Our room was excellent, a good size with everything we needed. The Air Con was very good, the room / bins were cleaned daily and to a very high standard. The food was excellent, reasonably priced with lots of choice and we ate breakfast and lunch there most days. The BBQ and Quiz was amazing, excellent food, good company, apart from that question about a sport with 4 letters :) The pool was excellent, clean and safe, our children and others loved playing in it while adults have time to enjoy it also. There's plenty of loungers and space for everyone, while the children are playing you can easily find a quiet spot to have a read and relax. The location of Olive Grove is ideal for exploring Elounda everything is just a short walk away but you are tucked away enough as to not be disturbed by the town. Elounda is a beautiful and lovely place itself, there's plenty to see and do, restaurants, etc. but it is not overly busy and crowded like some of the bigger towns in Crete which is good. The beach is excellent, safe and well looked after, the sea is calm as it's in a bay. The locals of Elounda are very friendly and relaxed, it is a very safe and relaxing place. The areas around Elounda are lovely if you want to explore, Kalydon island and it's beaches, Spinalonga, Plaka, etc. We eventually hired a car locally which was very good and reasonably priced and explored further a field over a few days. There's so much to see and do it was amazing, but just as nice to give the car back and be in Olive Grove and Elounda for our final few days. Thank you to everyone at Olive Grove, you all made our stay so special and it was the best and most relaxing holiday my family and I have had in a long time. All the very best and we will definitely be coming back in the future.

Nothing, everything was exceptional.

This is a family run apartments. The family and staff of Olive Grove are so friendly, kind and helpful they always give you a warm welcome. They go above and beyond to make your holiday special. The food is lovely and all the drink is reasonably priced. The location of olive groove is perfect with lots of restaurants and bars nearby and the beach is a short walk away. We simply love olive groove and the family/ staff that run it. They are all such special people, also not forgetting Rocco the dog. Thank you to everyone at Olive Groove, we will be back again and again. It’s a hidden gem, we have returned four times now and it feels like our second home. A special mention to Hayley thank you for putting us in touch with a wedding planner, as we plan to get married in Elounda. If you come to Olive Grove, I have no doubt that you will love it as much as we do and will want to return.

I can’t think of anything negative to say.

Attractive apartments and facilities were excellent. Hosts were fabulous!

Nothing.