We had a fabulous 10 day stay in the ‘Kefali Village’; a party of 9 with 3 generations. The properties were well presented, maintained and immaculately clean. The views from the pool area are fantastic. The property is fairly remote, 15 mins by car to the nearest small shop. The agent provided a set of directions….but take care, google tries to cut some corners on unmade private roads. We were enthusiastically met 100m from the house by a friend of the owner who spoke perfect English and then guided us to the property. The final 100m stretch is narrow and steep – the first few journeys there was definitely a bit of clutch wear. Parking is in a small turning area in the hamlet about 25m from the house. The hamlet is about 6 properties all occupied by friendly locals, lots of ‘Ya’ and ‘Kalimare’. Towards the end of the stay we were even given a 1 Kg block of cheese produced from the milk of the goats that lived next door! I really believed the owner and agent when they said there had never been a crime there and rarely, if ever, locked a door or car. (Although each property has a safe and the gates/houses can all be locked.) The properties were immaculately clean and well presented with nice decorative touches. There is enough crockery to go around and enough pots and pans if they are pooled (less than a let in Fr/UK). The pool area has a sink and a BBQ. We carried a fridge down to keep drinks and evening supplies. The BBQ and pizza oven are huge. Initial supply of charcoal and lighters were provided. We asked for plastic plates and glasses and they were provided immediately. Unexpectedly, a cleaner arrived every 3 days and changed sheets, towels and gave a sweep around. The outdoor area was cleaned and the pool serviced. Given the number of trees around the pool, we found it beneficial to sweep every day and use the net to keep the pool immaculate. To get anywhere from the property takes time. Crete roads are small (and full of hire cars in Aug) and windy; 25 km can take an hour or so. The countryside is beautiful so the journey is part of the holiday. The nearest beaches to the south are near Plakias; we liked Schinaria and Ammoudi for snorkelling. A little further afield Ligres has a fantastic sandy beach (and great Tavern). The Palm (also known as Preveli) Beach accessed adjacent to Preveli monastery is picturesque but we avoided as so busy. If you want to get there, I recommend the track that winds to the east of the river (starting near Gefyra tavern and ending at the beach by Dionyssos tavern) and then a short walk over the headland – if too busy then you can return to the stony beach where you parked. Our favourite excursion was to the Patsos (or Agios Antonios) gorge. We parked at the...