Cottage home at South Chania

We are so happy to have booked this house for the last week of our 3-week holiday in Crete! It is an excellently equipped house in a very tiny village in the quiet mountains of the western part of Crete. When we were there, in high-season, it was not unusual to meet nobody else on our daily 25 minute drive to the sea (Paleochora). This might give an idea of the quiet environment that we found really relaxing after our first 2 weeks in a crowded touristy area. The house itself has a fully equipped kitchen, a nice bathroom with comfortable shower and good Wi-fi. There is a spacious outside area with lots of cool shadowy places, a huge barbecue and plenty of wood (olive tree!) and 2 hammocks. The house is surrounded by an olive tree plantation. There is a path that leads through the trees that goes all the way down the mountain. Except for the cicadas, you don’t hear a sound and the stars in the night are bright enough to see the Milky Way. Really special was the warmest welcome we have ever experienced on our holidays. The family lives in Chania city but they love their house and they seem to enjoy to share their love with visitors. We met the grandfather who is (justly) proud of the house he build, the grandmother with all kinds of products from her garden, the owner Maria and her 2 lovely sons on the day we arrived and we had a bbq far into the night (selfmade wine!). It was such a nice evening! We really like the Greek people, they are so friendly and this family is the best example you could meet! In short: if you like crowds you should avoid this place but for everybody else: if you have the chance book this place and you won’t regret it! Thank you Maria and family for a wonderful week.

The house is super cozy and in the kitchen there is almost everything you can possibly wish for - even a sandwich toaster and an electrical orange squeezer (which was especially useful because Maria gave us about 5 kilograms of oranges and lemons from her mothers garden). Also all the basic cooking ingredients (like oil, salt, spices) were already there - along with lots of fruit and vegetables from their own garden, eggs from their chickens, home made jam and more… It basically felt like arriving in paradise! But most of all we enjoyed the beautiful terrace with two hammocks, Barbecue and a big dinner table - surrounded by a gorgeous flower garden and a view to the valley. We enjoyed our stay a lot and were really thankful to Maria and her parents!

It was a bit difficult to find (keep in mind that there is at least one more place called Grigoriana near Paleochora - it is the one near ,Sarakina‘) but Maria helped us to find our way. Although it was late in the evening she came for us and leaded the way - and even waiting for us to share her family dinner with us (which was delicious by the way)! As the house is a bit far off in the mountains it is a half hour drive to paleochora and the beach. But if you search for a quiet place without other people, surrounded only by nature - that’s the perfect place for you!