An absolute pearl...!
A centuries old Cretan house restored lovingly over ten years by Dimitris - restored not to modernise it, but to restore it to its' original beauty, using both the same methods and materials as originally used - is nothing short of wonderful, and is a truly extraordinary place to stay. There's beautiful tree covered, stone waled garden out front, and a terrace with hammock and sun-beds and a shower to cool off on the roof, whilst inside the house is cool and charming.
Gavalohori is a small, traditional, typically cretan village which sits in low hills about 10-15 minutes from the coast, accessible by narrow window roads leaving the impression of being quite isolated.
Yet for all that, we found the driving easy, enjoyable, and all of the places we chose to see were within comfortable driving distance. The roads through the Mountains through to the West Coast were sublime.
The village also has two really nice restaurants just 5 minutes walk away from the house, "Monica's Tavern, run by an Australian lady, and another, Arismari which was a family run restaurant which was an absolute delight. All home cooked food in both restaurants, and a welcome place to go at the end of a hot days exploring.
There is also an extremely good museum which explains the making and working of silk, of the stone work which is so prevalent, and the wood engraving which they area is renowned for. A must...
Dimitris was a superb host, always full of information and suggestions (which were always spot on) of where to go, what to see and - as much as anything, particularly in these COVID times - what to avoid, and he was always available to answer any questions or queries.
We saw and did a lot in one week, yet barely scratched the surface of what there is to see...so we'll just have to go back!