Tucked away in the heart of one of the largest olive groves in Europe, KAPSALIANA VILLAGE HOTEL is a modern retreat to authentic Cretan living with refined comfort, privacy and tranquility. Inspired by sustainability spirit and incredibly intuitive, genuinely hospitable service, laid-back rustic elegance characterizes the past in a modern interpretation.
KAPSALIANA VILLAGE HOTEL is located in the village of Kapsaliana in Rethymno and its history goes back to the 16th century. A member of the Historic Hotels of Europe, due to its living history, KAPSALIANA has been described by presidential decree as having a “high cultural value”.
PAST & PRESENT
The village of Kapsaliana was built around an old olive mill, which was used to supply oil to the monastery of Arcadia, a few kilometers away. People came here to work and built their houses around the mill.
The settlement gradually prospered, and at its peak, Kapsaliana had 13 families and 50 residents. The old olive oil mill has been the lifeblood of the community for over 200 years.
At that time, the olive tree was considered a sacred tree, and olives and olive oil were priceless commodities as they were a staple food, a source of light and warmth, and were also used for therapeutic purposes. However, after the Second World War, Kapsaliana experienced a period of decline, and in 1955 the mill closed.
Twenty years later, Crete-born architect and owner of KAPSALIANA VILLAGE HOTEL, Miron Tupoyannis, discovered this abandoned village of just seven inhabitants. This place deeply touched his soul and inspired him to be revived as a pioneering world-class resort, promoting an eco-friendly yet luxurious and exciting lifestyle.
After a long and painstaking restoration that lasted more than four decades, the abandoned village turned into a Hotel complex that has preserved the traditional Cretan architecture and the original structure of the settlement, and above all, its heart and aura.
The mill, church, utility rooms and former residential buildings have been preserved down to the smallest detail, and each room has its own role in the Hotel complex.
The three large halls of the mill now serve as a museum with an impressive collection of antiques related to the production and trade of olives. Here you can also watch a short video with original footage telling about the village and its former inhabitants.
“Kapsaliana today is transformed into a unique hospitality complex that seamlessly blends past and present and balance with indulgence. Here we seek to reintroduce you to the terms luxury, hospitality and sustainability, — says Myron Toupoyannis. — In effect, we have stripped away contemporary excess in the stead of harmony, and through a deep respect for the setting’s history, we believe that Kapsaliana today embodies hospitality luxury in equilibrium.
Kapsaliana is a pure “green village” immersed in the wild nature with its actual story inspired and shaped by its current day manifestation. Our hotel is a historical holiday resort that reinstates the concept of the good life. It constitutes a novel travel proposal: redefining modern luxury through the rebirthing of a historical place and reinstating authentic experiences that offer a window into the simple yet fulfilling way of life of the former villagers — one where the quest for equilibrium is the ultimate objective.”
ACCOMMODATIONS
KAPSALIANA VILLAGE HOTEL has 22 houses, connected by a labyrinth of stone-paved lanes, and surrounded by flowering trees, olive groves and orchards of fruit trees — pomegranate, quince, apricots, lemons.
Each room is unique and has a lot of original details: huge olive grindstones, high ceilings with wooden beams, massive tables made of natural wood, unique interior items.
The clear Cretan skies, clean air and transparent light inspired the hotel’s rooms and suites to be named after the stars and constellations.
All rooms offer wonderful views of nature or the sea. The rooms on the upper floors have their own terraces, there is also a house with two rooms and a private pool.
The rooms have everything you need for a comfortable stay: a coffee machine, an electric kettle, a mini-bar, and all bath accessories and perfumes of the Greek brand based on olive oil in the bathrooms.
LOCAL & DELICIOUS
The raised terrace that once served as the center of the village is now the terrace of the main Elaia Bistronomie restaurant, shaded by vines, tree foliage and low, wide stone walls adorned with large glass jars of macerated fruit.
Inspired by the purity of the land and the freshness of its fruits, the award-winning Executive Chef of KAPSALIANA VILLAGE HOTEL Nikos Thomas has developed an exquisite concept of traditional Cretan cuisine, using mostly local products, as well as vegetables, fruits and herbs from the own garden, served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also, all menus are updated in accordance with seasonality.
In the mornings, you can treat yourself to a healthy and tasty buffet breakfast in the open air with a wide range of traditional and local delicacies.
Specialty cheeses and cold meats, homemade muesli and jams, nuts and dried fruits, honey, fresh seasonal fruits and juices, large selection of hot drinks, fresh pastries, desserts, as well as egg dishes in variations.
During the day, discover the unique tastes of everyday comfort in the form of organic, healthy products, while relaxing in the shade of spreading trees.
The lunch menu offers a delicious range of dishes also inspired by the Cretan heritage and prepared with lots of love.
– Spreads, served with toasted sourdough bread: White fish roe with bottarga sprinkles, Eggplant topped with pumpkin seeds, Hummus (chickpeas purée) with tahini and sumac
– Green Salad with dried fig — green vegetables with rocket and mustard leaves, anthotyro cheese rolled with pistachios and rose pepper vinaigrette with dried fig
– ‘Dolmadakia’ — wrapped’ traditional ‘dolmas’, vine leaves from own viney ard, mint & yogurt sauce aromatized with fresh herbs
‘Chortopita’ — homemade pie, wild Cretan green herbs cooks hand, galomizythra (soft white cheese)
All dishes are served with Cretan extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and bread basket. As a wine accompaniment, you should definitely try local Greek wines, in bottles or by glass.
In the evenings, to enjoy coolness after the hot sun, Elaia Bistronomie awaits its guests for dinner, introducing even richer flavors and traditional Greek recipes in a modern interpretation and using raw ingredients from the best local products, the quality of which is evident in every bite.
Starters:
– Fish Carpaccio — grapes, sour grape vinaigrette, salicornia – sea asparagus, topped with bottarga sprinkles
– Beef Carpaccio — from local beef, traditional bulbs, picked baby artichokes, aged Cretan graviera chips, ‘rakomelo’ gravy
– Zucchini coal — grilled from orchards local staka butter from Chania, topped with fish roe
– Strawberry & Tomato salad — with Greek salad broth, cucumber sorberi olive tulle, mastic flavoured cheese from Chios island
In the Photo: Rosé wine from the Heraklion winery — Victoria Zacharioudakis
Mains:
– Fish of the day — zucchini-basil purée, grilled lettuce hearts, smoked olive oil and lemon sauce
Signature desserts:
– Galaktoboureko — cardamom flavoured Vanilla velvet crème, crunchy & caramelized ‘leaves’ with sheep butter orange slices, foamy syrup, orange sorbet with sweet scented geranium cardamom
– Chocolate Olive Oil — 77% Bitter chocolate mousse, extra virgin olive oil gel, milk skin ‘snow’ olive oil thyme crumble honey ice cream
Pop in for a pre-dinner aperitif or an after-dinner cocktail at Lemonies Cocktail Bar, romantically nestled among the foliage, named after the flowering lemon trees that surround the place. The bar also hosts wine tastings.
To revitalize the life of the village in the 1700s, guests are invited to experience an unforgettable olive oil tasting experience, which takes place in the authentic Pytharia room, the “monastic” part of the hotel’s museum.
What is a vacation without water and refreshing cocktails on a hot summer day?
The large swimming pool, surrounded by greenery and sun loungers, is situated in the quietest part of the hotel, overlooking the silvered olive groves and the distant sea.
Levanda Pool Bar, which means lavender in Greek, offers a casual atmosphere with light modern dishes made with seasonal products and organically grown salads, colorful and creative cocktails, juices, coffees and locally flavored herbal teas.
– Flatbread – Goat Cheese — homemade dough, local goat cheese, zucchini slices from own orchards, fresh mint
– Green Apple Salad — green vegetables from own garden, peeled green apple, mint leaves, pistacchios from Aegina region, sauce with Cretan olive oil & apple cider vinegar
– Cretan Dakos — variety of tomatoes from own orchards, ‘owl’ carob rusk pudding, fresh oregano, capers, galomyzithra (white soft cheese), extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) – tsounato variety
Myron Toupoyannis: “We are pleased to provide our guests with all the best opportunities for a comfortable stay and the most positive emotions. Our gardens and orchards are rich in delicious and healthy products, so now our immediate plans include the production of exclusive products, that our guests may take at home and allow them to experience wholesome tastes that are made from the finest of local ingredients and is not easy to find. The idea is also to extend the experience one may have at Kapsaliana and bring back home anything that might have made their holiday routine better either this is something edible or a little present for themselves and loved ones.”
Kapsaliana Village Hotel
Address: Kapsaliana, Rethymnon, 74100, Crete, Greece
Contacts: Tel: +30 2831083400
Fax: +30 2831083062
info@kapsalianavillage.gr
Instagram: @kapsalianavillage
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
