As I told Despoina and her family many times, this was one of the best weeks of my life. If you are considering staying at her lovely little home, please, think no more and book! We found Tourloti on a whim, saw it as a small highlighted area on a map and and decided to book the Airbnb on the view alone. The house has been apart of their family for years, there are stories littered across the walls and within the cupboards, we new we had entered a new dimension. I want to tell you that you will be staying with some of the most incredible people I have ever met. You will be welcomed with open arms as apart of this family. You may not be able to communicate with words at some (most of the) times, but through eyes, smiles, gestures and laughter which make it that much more special. From having Greek coffee and pastries every morning with the family, all while looking out past the mountains, flowers and olive trees to the deep indigo sea to family dinners cooked by Titika (a truly amazing cook and woman), to picking grapes in the family vineyard and stomping them with your very own feet. This village is very special; as you walk past beautiful white homes adorned with flowers and say hello to the little Greek ladies sitting outside of their homes cutting potatoes, knowing all the village gossip, you are brought to a level of peace, nostalgia and happiness. It truly can not be put into words, it must be experienced. Every morning I would watch the sunrise over the mountains and every evening watch the sunset beneath the sea. The culture, the food, the richness of the Greek family dynamic, the air, the wind, the mountains...walking just down the road and picking fresh figs, grapes, tomatoes, herbs, olives, walnuts, almonds! What more could one want? I have never experienced such a pure, beautiful, simple way of life. We were treated like more than guests, more than friends. I truly can't wait to return, and I'm honestly looking at buying a home in Tourloti in the future! SO, sorry for my lengthy review, but I hope that this shows you how passionate I am about my week in Tourloti. You are not just renting an apartment, you are experiencing a different way of life, with a family of Greek angels, in the most charming village on a mountain in Crete, no less. So, best Airbnb experience without a doubt, and, best life experience without a doubt.
We will be back! For those considering, BOOK!
<3
xoxo