I truly enjoyed my stay in Mades. It was the perfect way to wind-down from a stressful week and get into "vacation mode." The apartment is right next to the beach - so close I could hear the waves as I slept and see the sunrise in the morning. Everyone in the town is very nice and will help if you have any questions. You can rent chairs and umbrellas on the beach for just a few euros. The next (slightly larger) village, Ligaria, is only about 20 mins walk and it has some great tavernas on the water.
Vasilis was a great host making sure that I was all set up. The first night, his mother drove me to Ligaria for dinner. It was so thoughtful of her.
The location is probably a bit far from Heraklion if you wanted to get into the city for during the day (unless you had a car), but I found it a picture of paradise.