Where the Minotaur trod, an eco-development rises
Places are nowhere without a narrative. We visit locations because of the stories they have to tell, and we’re drawn to the places where we choose to live our lives because their identity – their history, their culture, their way of being – is something we want to absorb as our own.
Nowhere is that more true than around the Mediterranean, cradle of Western civilization. Even the most comatose of sun-bed holidaymakers can hardly resist the notion that bronzing with a little Greek and Roman history in the air carries more allure and more stories to bring home than the local tanning salon provides.
The Palace of Knossos, built around 1700 BCE, believed to be the home of King Minos and his trusty minotaur. (Shutterstock)
Around the Mediterranean, few places deliver a richer narrative than Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. Here a sense of the mythical pervades every sun-warmed stone, as tiny lizards dart in the shadows of the olive trees. For those who haven’t yet visited Crete, here are just a few of the headlines.
Myth #1 Crete is where Zeus, the god of gods, was born.
Myth #2 Crete is where the half-man, half-bull Minotaur prowled his labyrinth, waiting for sacrificial Athenians.
Fact #1 Crete is where the Palace of Knossos was uncovered, along with an archeological treasure trove of Byzantine and Egyptian remains.
Fact #2 Crete is now where one of the most advanced sustainability-led residential developments in Europe is being built.
Drive one hour east (70 kilometers, 43 miles) along the coastal road from the Cretan capital’s Heraklion airport, and you arrive at Elounda Hills. Above the shimmering blue waters of the sheltered bay of Agios Nikolaos, a small vibrant port town, something remarkable is happening. On a seamless sprawl of hillsides covering 90 hectares (222 acres), a masterpiece of modern architectural design – all sweeping white stone curves and lush green terraces – is being carved out of the sinuous landscape. From afar, it looks like an ancient civilization unto itself.
Elounda Hills will be home to the largest privately managed marina in Greece, with 64 berths and a warm welcome for superyachts, opening in 2026. Only 20 minutes away, a new airport will open later this year, with private jet access.
Hillside homesites sit like spectators in a grand Grecian amphitheater. (Roula Rouva Real Estate)
In six clusters across the contiguous hillsides, apartments and villas (in two- to eight-bedroom configurations and most numbers in between) occupy large planted lots that cascade from the manicured peaks down to the turquoise waterfront, where Ralph Lauren branded residences come fully furnished with curated interior design.
Hinging the development is a panoply of facilities: nine restaurants, high-end retail, a spa and wellness village, delicatessen, beach clubs, a botanical garden, a promenade, a helipad and (wouldn’t you know it, in this part of the world) an amphitheater. A 143-key five-star hotel beckons as centerpiece.
Crete enjoys over 300 days of sunshine annually. Interiors bask. (Roula Rouva Real Estate)
So far so expected in these echelons? What distinguishes Elounda Hills from other upscale developments is not just its ambitious physical scale or pursuit of perfectible quality. What makes it remarkable is the absolute resolve of developer Mirum Group’s vision to create the apotheosis of sustainable eco-placemaking. Sustainability here is not a superficial sales phrase, it’s a value statement embedded in the whole scheme of things.
The decision, for example, to partner with the 1 Hotels group resulted from 1 Hotels’ active, statement-making commitment to sustainability, from their design and construction methods through to the operating practices they instill in each of their hotels each day – all either LEED- or BREEAM- accredited to the highest level.
Environmental standards like this live across the entire estate. From the first drawing board, the vision and the spirit of the Elounda Hills venture has put environmental stewardship at the heart of every decision. “It’s so forward-looking,” says Mrs Roula Rouva, head of Roula Rouva | Forbes Global Properties, strategic partners of the project with exclusive representation of a variety of the Phase 1 villas reaching the market in 2028.
“In today’s real estate market, the environmental agenda is becoming ever more meaningful, indeed vital,” according to Mrs Rouva. “The difference is that, at Elounda Hills, purchasers aren’t just ticking a one-off shortlist of green credentials. What they’re buying into is a permanent ecosystem – one that seeks continuously to future-proof and protect the residents’ way of living.”
Like all Mediterranean islands, Crete has seen its share of invaders down the centuries. Different occupiers, belligerent mainly, have left their marks on its shorelines in the sun. Elounda Hills seems set to begin a narrative of a different, beneficent way ahead. No minotaurs in sight.
Warm evenings melt into sublime nights. (Roula Rouva Real Estate)
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