Phaea Blue
Offering mesmerising views across Mirabello Bay to the island of Spinalonga, Phaea Blue has been welcoming guests to the north-east coast of Crete for over two decades. Now totally revitalised, the property has relaunched as a boutique hotel with just 47 rooms and suites and an exceptional Royal Blue Villa, designed to offer guests a truly personal and intimate experience.
Connected by winding stone pathways, the 28 bungalows (10 with private heated pools) and 18 suites (all but one with a heated pool) blend into the hillside, set in fragrant gardens of purely indigenous species with breathtaking views of the sparkling Aegean and famous Spinalonga, the Venetian fortress turned leper colony that’s the setting for Victoria Hislop’s award-winning 2005 book, The Island. There’s also a three-bedroom private villa for those in search of greater space, complete with heated pool, unique works of art and creations by renowned Greek designers.
Once a fisherman’s stone home on the shore, the quintessentially Greek Blue Door taverna serves traditional Cretan cuisine using fresh ingredients sourced from the hotel’s organic garden. Anthos is more refined, offering a modern take on traditional Greek cuisine and drawing inspiration from the seasons and the rhythms of the land and the sea.
Facilities include a private beach, outdoor pool and gym, while experiences range from yoga, meditation and spa treatments to organic farming and sunset cruises on a traditional Greek caique.