Gerald Durell Pink Strawberry Pool Villa
Villa in Corfu, Greece
7 guests · 3 bedrooms · 4 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
Top-tier experienceOne of the higher cost properties in the area
About this villa rental
Historical villa ideal for those who adore Gerald Durrell!It is located up in a hill very closed to Perama beach.The winding narrow road leads, through Ancient Olive trees that still produce the Golden Oil, in Perama, exactly opposite the- Mouse Island –Pontikonissi or petrified ship of Ulysses, to the first Villa that the Durrell family settled when they reached the Garden of the Gods, called Corfu, in the `30s. Gerald Durrell, created his love for the nature and the small beasts, in that villa, that was until the `80s left to its luck, as the Greeks say. The new owner, took it over and saved it, keeping its shape and basic look,but upgrading it to the modern standards.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
Hot tub or spa
TV
Wheelchair accessible
Garden
Map of Corfu, Greece
RRRR
Ratings and reviews
2.0 / 10.0
Difficult to know where to start with this. The place is on the landing/take off path of airport. The cooking and cutlery supplies were totally insufficient, the electric supply keeps tripping, the dishwasher doesn’t work, there is no shade around the pool, there are no cushions on loungers, there are 3 ancient huge tube TVs scattered around to fill space,
The property was so bad - I left after just 2 nights and luckily( although expensively) I found an excellent villa on another app.
In respect to VRBO - dreadful there is no human that can be contacted. I requested a refund from the owner but he rejected that option - saying the villa is excellent but people from different countries have different expectations!.
6.0 / 10.0
My family of 6 adults (two 60+, 4 under 30s) spent 10 days at the Strawberry Pink Villa, or SPV, as we nicknamed it for texting purposes. The SPV was one of 2 sites for an extended family reunion of a total of 16 Durrell-lovers on Corfu. Overall, the house was delightful -- good location for taking buses to other Corfu sites and beaches, great for hanging out and card games, comfortable furnishings and nicely sized rooms. Our reason for only a 3-star rating is that the house was not, overall, up to spec in terms of details and amenities such as: enough cutlery and dishes to serve 6 people; an adequate election of cooking pots & pans, bowls, utensils, etc. for meal preparation and service; functional air conditioning units (the one in the master bedroom leaked relentlessly and we ended up buying aluminum pans to catch the drips rather than sacrificing any of the scarce kitchen vessels); and sufficient supplies of basics like towels, toilet paper, garbage bags, and so forth. Vassilis, the owner, was helpful and delightful in many ways: provided transport to the grocery store, had his guy install a screen door to keep out the neighborhood kitties (see note below); stopped by periodically to check in and chat, shared some wonderful Durrellian memories with my brother, and was generally a pleasant host. However, during the family's 10-day stay, none of the "details" issues noted above were actually resolved. We are a flexible and enterprising lot, and managed to have a delightful stay in Corfu, despite a lack of knives and forks, daily snag-the-towel competitions. etc. Renters also should be aware that: 1) the road/driveway leading up the SPV is steep and narrow, and parking is shared with other properties. If you don't absolutely need a car, consider not renting one. Bus service is ample and generally on-time. If a member of your group is going to have difficulty walking a tough 300 yds uphill, consider how you'll manage this during your stay. 2) this villa, like many Corfu properties, has a herd of resident felines -- at least 8 of various ages, colors, and sizes who slip through the fence throughout the day. Watching them try to catch the swallows that swoop over the pool is fascinating and a pleasant way to while away a sunset glass of wine. But they can be pesky and require attention to screen door closure to keep them out. All in all, with a little improvement on the details, this could be a 4- or 5-star property.
8.0 / 10.0
The strawberry villa is a grand house. It has high ceilings and beautiful art work. The furniture is comfortable. The TV has mainly Nat geo / wildlife channels. DVD player, 2 DVDs, wifi slow even if you sit in a prime spot. The pool is huge and well kept. Friendly cats live outside.
The villa is approached up a steep narrow slope. If you hire a car, get a small one or you may not be able to get it up to the top. The location is excellent, less than 20 minutes from the airport and close to an excellent restaurant and some basic supermarkets. You can walk into Corfu town across the walkway at the end of the airport runway.
The accommodation is good, although the main bedroom is considerably nicer than the other two. Its bathroom is enormous featuring twin basins, a large bath and a shower with an enclosure, the other rooms are much smaller, have twin beds and have smaller ensuites with a small shower tray but no enclosure so the water goes on the floor, not a problem as there is a drain in the floor, but it does mean that the toiler and floor get wet.
There is a lot of nice poolside furniture and a small table for four, but not sufficient space for six to eat outside which was a shame. There was a barbecue but it had not been cleaned out.
The kitchen needs updating. There is a tap for drinking water which is great as you do not have to fetch and carry drinking water, a large fridge freezer and a 2 slot toaster. There is a mixer tap for constant hot water, however the basin has cracked so this is not secure and it is easy to accidentally direct the boiling water onto your feet. There is a hob but the pans that are provided do not fit onto it very well. There is an oven (with only one shelf!!) There is a microwave (above head height) but no suitable containers to cook anything in. There is a dishwasher but not enough crockery to fill it (not even 6 full place settings of crockery) so we washed up by hand. The main omissions : no measuring jugs, microwave pots, spatulas, casserole dish, oven to table dishes, egg whisk, oven gloves, only 1 tea towel, only 1 wineglass, no cafetière or teapot. No jugs. Meal preparation is a challenge! We did not use the washing machine.
There are wires sticking out of the walls in many places and a number of ineffective switches - if we had taken my son when he was younger this would have been a concern.
10.0 / 10.0
The villa was a true throw back to "The Durrells"
We've had a brilliant week. The villa is a short walk to the hotel Aegli where we enjoyed several wonderful evenings and a short walk from lots of other restaurants and facilities . The beach was just across the road and we would recommend hiring a boat and visiting some of the nearby coves and wonderful fish restaurants for a day trip .
The owner of the villa was a great host and looked after us brilliantly .
10.0 / 10.0
Great Stay, Basil was very friendly and helpful. We loved it!
10.0 / 10.0
We had a great relaxing and fun week in the Strawberry Pink Villa. Enough space for seven of us to relax inside the house (it's a big space) and enjoyed the pool. Incredible sunset views from the front balcony. House is surrounded by Cypress trees and old olive trees, We even picked fresh figs from the along the path up to the house. Thank you Basil for all the great Durrell reminiscences and stories. He is on hand to help with anything we needed for the house and tips on where to visit on the island, a real life Spiros (in a good way).
You can hear the planes coming in and taking off from the airport but it doesn't take away from the peacefulness or charm of the house
We used CorfuTownBoatRental company for 2 days of boating to swim and eat at Agni and Kalami we were picked up and returned to the house by Tony. Highly recommend them for very reliable and reasonable priced boat hire.
We had a wonderful family stay in this house. It was a summer in Corfu that we will remember for a long time.
10.0 / 10.0
We spent a week in the villa in June 2016. We booked via Owners Direct by selecting our dates and emailing Mary and Basil. Based on our dates we were given a quote, placed a 30% deposit via bank transfer which secured our booking and then a month before our arrival we paid the remaining balance. I was dubious of booking a holiday this way as I have always used a travel agent, however I was surprised at how easy it was and once we were at the villa and met the owners I was very happy with our decision to visit.
As a group of six young people we wanted to make the most of our stay on the island and we definitely did! With Basil's help we hired quad bikes and did nearly the whole of the North of the island. The villa was amazing, everything was very clean, modern yet extremely grand with the high ceilings and decor. Mary and Basil had even kindly bought us some food and drink for our arrival, this was greatly appreciated. The pool is huge and always clean. Nothing was too much trouble and we were made to feel very welcome. I would definitely recommend to my friends and family, but I would suggest getting some form of transport at least for a few days if you are looking to explore, there is a regular bus (stop is on the road next to villa) which would be great for getting in to town but obviously you don't have the freedom of going when you like. If anyone is looking for picturesque beaches/sights I would suggest visiting Paliocastritsa, Canal d'amour, Nissaki beach and the Old Fort. As you can see from the pictures, there is a small island in the sea close to the villa and Basil's hotel and cafe, we swam to the island (approx. 150m) or you can get a boat trip, I would recommend the trip because there is a church, gift shop and cafe on the island- we didn't have any money! I can't praise the villa and owners enough and hope that everyone that visits has a fantastic holiday!
10.0 / 10.0
Spacious and well kept villa with beautiful grounds and a large pool. Lovely interiors and all mod cons available. Stunning balcony views.
Villa is near Hotel Aegli (good to reference for taxi drivers) and only a 15-20 taxi journey to the airport - regular airport traffic & noise does take a little while to get used to. Shops are very local and the bus to Corfu Town and further afield are regular and affordable.
We arranged the booking via email with the owners who are very friendly and helpful. Initial deposit and final payments required via bank transfer with email confirmation - no payment upon arrival. When we arrived the villa the owners exchanged stories about Gerald Durrell and his family (the reason we booked the villa) and were wonderfully helpful in giving advice about local trips and restaurants. Any requests we had for amenities were quickly answered.
We had a wonderful holiday and would highly recommend booking the Villa.
FAQs
How much does this villa cost compared to others in Corfu, Greece?
The average price for a rental in Corfu, Greece is R 1,840 per night. This rental is R 12,164 above the average.
Is parking included with this villa?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Gerald Durell Pink Strawberry Pool Villa . For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this villa?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at Gerald Durell Pink Strawberry Pool Villa . Enjoy the water!
Is Gerald Durell Pink Strawberry Pool Villa pet friendly?
Yes! This villa is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Gerald Durell Pink Strawberry Pool Villa ?
We found 14 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, and internet / wifi.
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