I was fortunate to stay at Gabriella's Gardens for a month while remote working due to Covid-19.
I cannot recommend this place more highly. My apartment was clean, spacious and very comfortable with a balcony from where I worked and enjoyed many sunsets. The strong WiFi allowed me to work from my apartment, balcony and the gardens - I would highly recommend this as a location for remote working - it is quiet, an oasis and conducive to a demanding workload. It meets Covid-19 requirements on social distancing, with spaced outdoor seating and hand sanitiser on entry.
Palaoikastro is a small local village at the foothills of the mountains with a small beach 50m away, three Greek restaurants (Manoli’s is a must), a cafe and a small beach shop. A 10 minute walk will bring you to The Chelidoni beach - a tropical beach bar at the bottom of a cliff (worth the 130 steps down).
This is a great location from where you can easily explore the rest of the island. Some favourites would be Matala for sunset, Elafonisi for a blue lagoon paradise, Heraklion for city life (if you have time to walk along the pier at sunset), Palaoikastro beach for a sunrise and moonlight swim, Agia Pelagia for crystal clear water - perfect for snorkelling, Rodia - the village in the mountains above Gabriella's Garden for an authentic local experience – enjoy a dinner with panoramic views of Palaoikastro and Heraklion.
Gabriella and her family hosted many wonderful Cretian dinners, one of my fondest memories - good food, good company and many nationalities to share your experience with. It was authentic, relaxing and full of the most wonderful times with the best people. The soul of the place really is the people - Gabriella, her father Vasilli, her brother Charlie and the many incredible guests I was fortunate to meet. I am beyond grateful to have experienced a month at Gabriella’s Gardens and look forward to many more visits in the future.