Best for: Couples seeking privacy in their very own biophilic villa with five-star resort amenities just a stone’s throw away; groups of stylish adults, or those with older (16+) children

Location: Agia Pelagia, Crete—a resort area about 20 minutes outside Heraklion, the island’s capital

Can’t-miss feature: Sister Acro Suites’ hammam-style wellness center, Bath House—which can come directly to your villa

In a nutshell: Five resort-centered villa options (of both one- and two-bedroom dwellings) afford access to some of island’s best Cretan Sea views and wellness spaces

Rooms

Tierras is made up of five, cave-like villas boasting all the comforts of home, like the 35-foot infinity pool, a chef’s-kitchen and grilling patio, spacious balconies overlooking the iconic sunset, and floor-to-ceiling bedroom and bathroom windows with button-retractable shades and curtains. Stone floors and marble throughout create a minimalist feel and makes this feel like a James Bond hideaway in the Cretan hills, even though all the amenities and fine-dining of Acro Wellness are steps away. Incorporating touches of earthy design like raw-wood Shinto chairs and linen-and-birch loungers, though, the spaces feel cooling—like a welcome relief from the Cretan sun—and not cold.

Food and drink

While the villas have spacious indoor and outdoor kitchens begging for a private chef, Acro Suites’ main onsite restaurant, Cremnos, is also a true gathering place for resort guests visiting the food-centric island known as the bread basket of Greece. While breakfast and lunch are first-come, first-serve, a reservation is a must for dinners—the resort is spacious enough to feel empty at siesta time, but the dining spaces fill up for sunset-splashed evenings over Cretan wine and inventive local-spirit cocktails. The farm-to-table menus at every dining space at Acro, from the poolside lunch and smoothie options to the tasting menu at nearby Calea, take cues from traditional Greek cuisine while putting a modern twist on every dish—like grilled octopus with a chickpea revithada (a Sifnos-style stew), or traditional roast lamb deconstructed and adorned with a frazzled artichoke and yogurty jus. Still more Cretan food awaits via the tasting menu at nearby Calea for and expertly wine-paired, Italian-leaning tasting menu (eight courses), as well as on-site wine and olive oil tastings showcasing local producers.

Amenities and experiences

Tierras Villas’ private pools are the perfect place to take the property’s bread-basket breakfast spread, which arrives from the executive chef fresh and at your chosen time each morning. It’s a true feast fit for a king with breakfast pies (cheese tyropitas and spinach spanakopitas), organic yogurt and granola, farm-fresh eggs, and plenty of heritage breads and cheeses (don’t miss the whole-grain sourdough, best slathered with chia-dotted homemade jams and local butter) cover the dining table alongside orange and pomegranates juices in carafes and your coffee made to order (go with a cappuccino or espresso freddo (iced), if you want to do as the Greeks do).

The aptly named spa experience at Acro, Bath House offers a central hammam sauna, treatment rooms, and private yoga and Pilates classes. Do yourself a favor and book a facial or the 80-minute Hammam Experience where you’ll steam, scrub, relax with a massage, and somehow leave both relaxed and invigorated for a day lounging beneath the sun. Post treatment, you’ll be served herbal tea on a blissful outdoor patio overlooking the sea.

What to do nearby

Mononaftis Beach is a ten-minute walk (or swift golf-cart ride) beyond Acro Suites’s sister resort Seaside—don’t miss it for one of the prettiest, calmest coves on the island for incredible snorkeling, scuba experiences, and local-watching. The property’s expert concierge is always a WhatsApp message away and can arrange a menu of experiences at the villas or nearby resort for you—or leave your schedule empty for hours spent by the pool and traversing nearby cliffs and beaches.

The backstory

Open since spring 2026, the villas are the newest of four properties on Crete owned and operated by the family-run Omicron Hotels Group. It’s operated by the Orfanake family, native Cretans who include twin brothers Yannis and Nikos, and their daughters (turned creative directors) Danae and Konstantina Orfanake. Nearby Seaside welcomes Acro and Tierras guests for beach trips, infinity pools with expert service, and plenty of lounging spaces and cafes/bars to choose from.

Insider tip

Bring the famed Acro spa to you by requesting your facial or massage be taken at the villa, where you can enjoy the cicadas and birdsong in the view after an invigorating swim and with calming views of the blue sea beyond.

Final considerations

• Family friendly: For ages 16+
• Accessibility: Getting around the resort requires a driver or golf cart and the villas are bi-level with steps (and no elevator), but indoor areas of nearby Acro resort are wheelchair accessible.
• Loyalty group: Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Source:  Condé Nast Traveller