Set to the backdrop and soundscape of the Aegean Sea in the secluded and unspoilt Vathi Bay, Crete’s Daios Cove is the kind of place you don’t ever want to leave – and while there, it’s the kind of place you don’t need to leave. 

A village in its own right – comprising 230 rooms, 30 suites, 40 villas (while still managing to feel pleasantly uncrowded), a 111 Skin spa, heated pool and number of fine dining restaurants, all rounded off with a private beach – this five star resort has everything you could possibly need at your fingertips. No request is too great and no detail is too small here – with ease the name of the game. Even walking needn’t be an issue with a Club Car (read: nifty gold buggy) all but a phone call away to take you from A to B around the resort. And if calling is too much of chore, there’s also a sleek Daios Cove app, for which you can request your ride by a single tap. 



The reason for my trip was to meet with the esteemed New York-based astrologer and founder of Astrology Zone, Susan Miller, who was at Daios Cove for a week-long residency. Equally as excited as me to be in Crete – for the fact that much of the astrology we use today was refined by the Greeks and Romans (although it was started by the Babylonians) and, of course, for its sheer beauty – Susan and I sat down for an hour at the beginning of my stay in the hotel's Crystal Box. I learned I was a double Leo, with my ‘rising’ sign matching my star sign; that something off-kilter is going to happen around the 20th July (give or take a few days) because the planets are moving in mysterious ways; that I’m probably not going to find a flat until September (I’m in the midst of the hunt now), plus that the positioning of Mars and Venus in both mine and my boyfriend's astrologic ‘houses’ means we’re a solid match. She also threw in that I’m going to have a “big house by the water”... See ya later, London! 

Astrology aside, the accommodation comes in all shapes and sizes: be it a private pool or a family-friendly suite, there are 10 styles of rooms, suites and villas to pick from. My room was dubbed the ‘deluxe sea view’ – and arriving with my very own sea water-filled infinity pool, ‘deluxe’ it was. The king size bed boasted delicious all-natural Egyptian linen bedding with feather and memory foam pillows – making for a sound slumber and more than enough space to practice mini bar wine-fuelled snow angels (sans snow) – while the private deck area, which overlooked the cove and rolling Mediterranean Sea, made for the perfect space for dancing with abandon and a quick yoga sequence. 



Once whizzed down to reception via the Club Car (which are always no less than two or three minutes away, so make sure you’re actually ready to leave before calling), indulgent Cretan dining, sun-basking and spa treatments await. All of the above are joined together via a funicular (on the other hand, this does take a bit of time – I overheard one fellow visitor exclaim, “the hardest thing right now is waiting for the funicular… Life is good!”) to find dining of some variety on every floor, apart from the dedicated spa level. Inclusive of a thermal spa suite that offers a Finnish sauna and Mediterranean and Nimfea reaction showers (designed to boast therapeutic circuits that detox and invigorate), the spa is pretty top-notch. Neighbouring to it you’ll find a pilates and yoga room overlooking the bay, alongside a well kitted-out gym, which I paid a brief 30 minute visit over my four-day stay.

The rest of my time was well-spent divvied up across the dining spots. The buffet style ‘Pangea’ became a favourite for its stacked continental breakfast; the à la carte Taverna became a go-to for a spot of fine lunch and evening dining – with fresh tzatziki, fish and international wine offerings their secret weapons – the Ocean Restaurant, overlooking the infinity pool, served up another fine Cretan culinary adventure; the bohemian Beach House offered a space to enjoy an à la carte menu in an open-air wooden dining space. A stones throw from the Beach House, beach-front sofas also welcomed me to sit and sip on chilled cocktails, created in collaboration with Athens-based cocktail masters, The Clumsies, who rank as one of the 50 best bars in the world.



Circling back to my initial sentiment of not needing to leave, with history and mythology abounding in the surrounding villages and fabled Spinalonga island (which is a nominated UNESCO World Heritage site and a modern cultural phenomena thanks to Victoria Hislop's bestselling novel, The Island), there is plenty of reason to. A 25-minute trip from the hotel will take you to one of the most quaint and ‘gram-friendly villages on the island, Kritsa, built amphitheatrically on a hill and renowned for its award-winning local olive oil, which makes for a 10/10 gimmicky souvenir. 

Elsewhere, care of the hotel's 007-esque Technohull RIB Boat, a four-hour excursion around the largest bay of the Greek islands, Mirabello Bay, lies waiting to be explored; a pit-stop to splash around in the cobalt waters of Kyro Bay and stop-offs at the fishing village of Plaka and Spinalonga its highlights. While at Plaka, fresh fish of the day, grilled calamari and a traditional Greek salad at Taverna Giorgos is an absolute must, and a fully charged phone is a Spinalonga essential to capture the sights frozen in time since the island served as the last known leper colony from 1903 until the late 1950s.



Along with my introduction to Cretan culture and astrology, courtesy of Daios Cove, I was introduced to what luxury really looks like: a relaxed pace of life, rich culinary journey, and Club Cars on speed dial.

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