10/10 Excellent
Sophie N.
19 Aug 2019
Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect for 4 people - Away from mass tourism yet close to beautiful beaches & interesting sites
The property was perfect for our family of 4 and is beautifully situated at the end of a track up a hill. Everything feels new & minor details have been thought of (salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, bin liners, dishwasher tablets, toilet paper, tea towels, thick bath towels). The garden which is already very pleasant will be delightful once more mature.
Our 2 teenagers shared a bedroom and had their own bathroom. Their comments: 'This is the best house we've stayed in. It is very clean, the beds are very comfortable and the aircon made a massive difference'. Jodi & Nikos are only down the road and dealt with any query very swiftly and discreetly.
The house is only a 5 minute walk from the very pleasant Pitsidia's where all essentials can be found. We shared our time between the beaches of lively Matala (fab coves to explore and cliff jumping), tranquil Komos (turtle nests but rocky bottom) and our favourite Kalamaki (turtle nests, families but peaceful yet with restaurants & bars by the beach, free parasol & loungers if you have a meal or drink at the restaurant opposite - we kept on going back to Dolfinia Taverna as the food is excellent and the service very friendly . The 40 mins walk to Kalamaki is best done before 9am and is well worth it or 10 mins drive. Water sports/excursions are sparse.
We also recommend visiting the nearby Festos, Kamilari, Vori (museum) and Sivas. We did a day trip to Heraklion (1 hour easy drive) to the unmissable archeological museum and too crowded Knossos. Another day trip (1hr30 drive) was spent going to Moni Kato Preveli (monastery) and Preveli Palm Beach - the journey takes you through the mountains so is quite tiring but apart from the stunning scenery, the rich and moving history attached to the monastery and Preveli beach makes it all worth it. The walk to the beach takes about 40 mins (takes good sandals). Prevelli beach is crowded but unique. One morning, we also drove to the reservoir near Faneromenis and drove part way round it. The kids were amazed at the sight of the dam and the scenery the water created in the flooded valley. This was one of our favourite trip though quite off the beaten track.
From the day we landed when a lady went out of her way to help us find the motorway (broken GPS) to the day when a shop keeper gave us water for free (lost purse) to the hospitality provided by Jodi and Nikos, we have found Cretan people to be the most hospitable. They can be proud of their island.