What Can I say…the reviews speak for themselves. This is a special place, and that is due in large part to the host and the wonderful people of the village.
My new wife and I came here for our honeymoon. We are an airline family, so we travel standby. It was difficult to get to Greece, and involved three flights and over 24 hours of travelling. We got in after midnight and despite that VanGos was their waiting for us with a welcoming smile. He gave us a tour around his amazing home and welcomed us with fresh feta, tomatoes and some shots of Raki (if you haven’t had that yet and you go here, you will… :))
The pictures don’t do the home justice. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to live in a house hundreds of years old. It is extremely quiet inside, so bring fan or an app that plays white noise if you need that for sleep. It is otherwise cozy and has all the amenities and more that a hotel has. It’s like living in small castle. Fireplaces are all around, the indoor “grotto” pool is fantastic (but COLD! No doubt good for hot summers) as is the outdoor pool. Our host even partners with a local massage therapist, where my wife was able to get a relaxing massage by the indoor grotto pool. The bathrooms were clean, as was the kitchen where our host had stocked with coffee and fresh veggies from his garden, as well us some milk and Greek yogurt in the fridge.
The setting is magical. The town of Goulediana is a small village in the Cretan country side. It is hard to describe. It is peaceful to the max, off the beaten path and a place the probably hasn’t changed for many, many years. The Local Taverna, Goules is an absolute blast. The owner is charismatic and a friend of VanGos who cooks food that will have you coming back every night you are there. All his food is locally sourced, and cooked according to Cretan tradition. You will leave stuffed every night.

I cannot recommend this place enough. Crete is beautiful, and this home and town only add to that. As world travelers, it is a true privilege to be a guest in other countries, and to see firsthand how other people live their lives. If you come here, you will experience that and more. In short: this was a truly romantic honeymoon, and a trip we will never forget!