When it comes to showing off the latest “eco-chic” in Greece, Elounda’s Villa Gaea just snatched a coveted spot in CV Villas’ Positive Impact Collection. CV Villas—one of Europe’s biggest names for jaw-dropping vacation homes—has handpicked a small crowd of properties that supposedly care about more than infinity pools and brag-worthy views.
Villa Gaea stands out, not just for playing host to affluent travelers, but for ticking boxes like energy savings, local art on the walls, and furniture made by real humans, not faceless factories. The only thing more handcrafted around here is the guest complaints about too few USB chargers.
If you think “eco” is all buzz, CV Villas means business. Each villa has to score high on these pillars:
- Supporting actual people in the neighborhood (imagine that!)
- Keeping local culture alive, not just for themed cocktail nights
- Being energy efficient and not trashing the place
- Making guests think twice before hailing a private jet
The island of Crete, often better known for its sunburned Brits and all-you-can-eat buffets, just got some green bragging rights. Elounda is now a poster child for how luxury tourism and not doing harm might occasionally be seen in the same sentence. Villa Gaea proves it’s possible to offer five-star stays and leave a small mark on the planet—other than tire tracks from black SUVs. CV Villas’ CEO Pete Brudenell spells it out: “Making a positive impact on the destinations we serve remains at the heart of what we do. With this latest villa collection, we aim to showcase some of the positive and sustainable initiatives happening at our villas as well as offering less impactful ways to travel to our customers.”
Byway: For Tourists Who’d Rather Take the Ferry Than Fly
But wait, there’s more. CV Villas is also working with Byway—the go-to travel crew for anyone who still likes trains, buses, and ferries in 2025. Byway puts together travel options that skip planes altogether so that travelers can parade through Europe with something like a clean conscience (and some wicked train selfies). Villa Gaea’s green guests can now arrive in Crete without boosting their carbon tab—even if it takes longer than Odysseus’ trip back to Ithaca.
A local hotel manager oh-so-proudly claims: “Travelers keep asking if we really care about sustainability or if it’s just for Instagram. Now we have actual receipts.”
This isn’t just for the show. CV Villas offers homes from Italy to Portugal in its Positive Impact Collection. Still, Crete’s presence adds a Mediterranean punch, especially as headlines roast the region for mass tourism and environmental headaches.
Crete’s Spot on the Sustainable Tourist Map
It’s rare for any Greek villa to hit this level for eco standards, which makes Villa Gaea’s inclusion an eyebrow-raiser. Locals hope that sustainability will finally be more than a buzzword thrown around at conferences in Athens.
A bored Elounda receptionist adds, “Tourists expect us to change their towels every day and save the planet. We can only do one of those.”
For the cynically-minded (so, most people), Villa Gaea offers proof that the luxury crowd might care about not destroying paradise as they vacation there. For industry players, being selected for a collection like this could set them apart in a world where ‘eco’ and ‘luxury’ often go hand in hand, much like olive oil and a suitcase.
For now, CV Villas continues pushing its “responsible luxury” across Greece, with properties not just in Crete but all the island hot spots—from party-loving Mykonos to Corfu’s leafy corners and even the wave-bashed shores of Kefalonia.
If this trend sticks, future tourists may brag as much about their carbon savings as their tan lines.
