The villa is absolutely lovely, the rooms are spacious and the en suites clean with plenty of hot water. The views across the valley from the balconies are magnificent, we recommend an early evening drink on the upstairs balcony watching the sunset - and then coming back later for some star spotting. The pool is a wonderful resource and you have the added bonus of twice daily visits by local swallows who swoop down to take a drink whether you are in the water or not. I found watching this activity totally magical. It's worth saying that if you are hiring a car, getting one with a bigger engine (bigger than 1.3) for all the mountain roads (and particularly the very steep drive to the villa) would be very helpful. Visiting big attractions (such as Knossos/Samaria Gorge/The Acqua Plus water park) are all a tiring drive away (at least two hours for each of these) and if you haven't got a head for heights some of the drives may be quite challenging...but they are all worth it. Local hits for us were the beach at Plakias (the clearest water we found, perfect for swimming and watching fish)- a 45 minute drive, Spili's water fountains and folk museum (which has the most enthusiastic guide I have met) about 20 minutes away and the St Antonius Gorge which has a fabulous taverna to eat in once you have climbed up and down. Again it's worth noting that the gorge is challenging for those not good with heights so make sure you check on Trip Advisor where reviews are honest about what to expect during the hikes. Rethymno's fortress and venetian streets are well worth a visit as is Heraklion and it's archeological museum. Valia and Mrs Zina who looked after us during our stay responded very quickly to all our requests and supplied us with useful information on local holidays and activities. Mrs Zina regularly changed linen and would leave us gifts of local produce which we thought a lovely touch. We had a wonderful holiday.