'Villa Chrissi' and the local area provided me and 5 of my friends with an extremely enjoyable week away. The villa itself offered everything we expected and more. The pool and the amazing sea view together meant that for a few of the days we needed not leave the villa, but just relax and enjoy the combination of the weather and the tranquility of the surrounding area.
The villages surrounding the villa are very peaceful and about a 10 minute drive for the city of Rethymno. They offer several small shops, a supermarket and a few tavernas with a relaxed atmosphere where one can enjoy a light meal.
Within Rethymno, (that I must say is a very clean, beautiful and vibrant place), there is an array of fantastic restaurants and bars. From my experience I would recommend the restaurant 'Corina' which is located in the old town; the only thing better than the service was the food! We also had a great time sampling the nightlife and also enjoyed a day at 'Baja beach bar', where, with thanks to Kostas and the management team, we enjoyed a free sea front gazebo and a bottle of champagne free of charge.
The only criticism regarding the villa was that if the adjoining unit was being used by other holiday-makers, we would have had to share the pool and outside area. That would have removed the benefit of privacy which was a key reason why we enjoyed the villa so much. But it was empty during our stay and may well be permanently so please do contact Kostas to discuss this if you are interested in the villa.
If I return to Crete in the future I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else.