If you like peace, a bit of authentic Crete - the drone of bees, the clanking of goat bells and the slow easy pace of a rustic mountain retreat, Villa Galatia is perfect for you.
Firstly the villa is lovely - its perched up on a small hill overlooking the Askifou plateau so the views are great. You share the hill with local villagers, a couple of restored getaway retreats and a jumble of old, crumbling dwellings that
give it a real sense of history and place.
Despina's done an amazing job with the villa - feels very authentic, from the lovely pinkish stone and exposed brickwork inside to the pretty lace and traditional Cretan decor and solid, dark furniture. The building is newish but it feels steeped in history.
There's lots of options for sitting, lounging, relaxing outside. With terraces, a gorgeous veranda and a pool that is really well maintained.
As others have mentioned, locationwise it's really handy for of the must-do stuff the guide books tell you about. Imbros gorge just a couple of miles down the road. Hora Sfakion and access to some of the gorgeous southern beaches is just 25 mins away down a twisty, windy but well maintained road. The walk to Loutro from Hora Sfakion is stunning. There's some nice food options in Hora too - try the cakes at Despina's cafe ( a different Despina!) - they're tasty and she's quite a character. She has some very funny stories to tell.
That said, its really worth just chilling out and exploring Askifou. The place is all about cheese, yoghurt and honey! If you wander around the valley you pass sheep farmers driving flocks down through the little lanes, bee-keepers harvesting honey...villagers tending their vegetables/ crops in the fields. You can get some of the local Mizithra cheese and yoghurt at the local supermarket. - Its very tasty. (The shop set behind main road in the village is really friendly - and were patient with my trying out a few words of greek.)
For some great views of the area ( and to get a brill birds-eye view of the villa) head up Mega Oros - the hill you can see from the villa with the tiny house on top. Its'a straight-forward hike up a track ( i think its around 6ish miles in total - the only challenge may be the heat ) and there's a lovely wee church at the top - Despina's dad helped build it!
Finally, Despina is a really attentive host - she genuinely cares that you have a great time and will go out of her way to make sure you are comfortable.
I'm definitely going to come back here!