Our stay in Mochlos was extraordinary; I will even say magical at times. We’ve been guests at many Airbnb’s all over the world, but Odi and Anali’s hone on the ocean offered the best overall experience. Our goal was to reunite with our adult children and their partners in a relaxed environment. As American ex-pats living in Germany, we haven’t seen our children nearly often enough because of Covid, and for some, this was their first experience in Europe! It did not disappoint. Nobody wanted to leave, and I have to say it was the most enjoyable time I have ever spent with the kids as adults.
Readers will want to know what makes it so special. First, the location. The pictures probably speak for themselves, and they are totally accurate. It is really that beautiful. Perhaps even more so than the pictures can capture. The water is clean and warm and feels amazing. There are beautiful tiny sea creatures everywhere in the tide pools and my kids, even in their 20s now, were delighted to rediscover how much they loved the ocean. The weather in May is amazing, with refreshing water temperatures, warm breezes and sun ever day.
We are also a family of pale redheads, so we loved the plentiful shade either natural or created with clever use of awnings. Nobody went home sunburned, which is a miracle. The air conditioning in the Airbnb itself also worked beautifully, and it could easily be controlled to set the exact temperature, not too much and not too little, so that everyone was comfortable.
I loved the three rooms each with their own bathroom. Each couple had their own privacy, and with a separate floor for the kitchen, dining, and living area, everybody got the amount of privacy and alone time they needed, as well as time together. This is actually extremely important when traveling together. It creates a harmonious atmosphere, and everybody feels comfortable. The bathrooms were very high quality and the showers have plenty of water pressure and warm water. I loved the open window in our room, and the view of the little cave of the hill with all of the wildflowers was just delightful with each shower.
The balconies were also fantastic. The top floor has a completely private balcony, and the middle floor is mostly private. Across the small road there is a full out deck where you can feel the ocean breeze and has a fantastic view. Reading a book out there with a glass of wine is like heaven, or chatting with the kids. So many good memories and balcony.
As hosts, Odi and Annali are attentive and really helpful. We arranged to rental cars through their partners, and set up some really fantastic experiences for our whole family. I highly recommend Niko‘s raku pottery class; you get quite an education on a number of topics while making your own pottery. It was super fun and everyone had a great time. In our family, we have geologist, historians, and artists, so Odi & Annali made spot on recommendations for activities and locations they would enjoy. Heraklion is actually a very interesting city and isn’t just for the airport! We also went to the Palace and Archaeological museum in Knossos which are both wonderful. One of the most unique experiences was taking a tour of the Minoan civilization on the small Island literally a two minute boat ride across from Mochlos. It’s not only beautiful but full of history and surprises. Our hosts arranged an island to her we got to go into some excavated tombs and it was super cool seeing the gold extracted from those tombs in the museum!
The food in this little fishing village is amazing. There are seven taverns, and although we had a full kitchen that was well appointed, we loved picking a different tavern every night and meeting the owners and their families. This was a unique experience that I have never had in my life. We felt like family by the end of the trip with these wonderful, warm, welcoming Islanders. Fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables every day and I think we all walked away more healthy and we came in.
Finally, I have to say that it’s rare that all the kids and their partners agree on anything. So it’s kind of a big deal that every single person on this trip loved the experience and wants to go back. I highly recommend this Airbnb and I do hope that readers are inspired to get their tickets and go!