If you want to avoid busy tourist centres and get a feel for what life in rural Crete is like, but still be within easy reach of gorgeous beaches and a good range of shops and restaurants, then we think Giorgos and Chrysa’s place is a great choice.
The apartment is on the first floor of a building on a small plot of farmland. There are fields all around, and the neighbours (apart from the other apartment next door which shares the same staircase) all seem to be involved in farming, rather than tourism. We were fascinated to watch what was happening in the fields around, and really appreciated Giorgos’ gift of beautiful figs and grapes picked from the garden behind the house.
The roads tend to skirt around the fields rather than cut through them, so it takes a bit longer to walk to the nearby beach (which is easily visible from the apartment) than you would imagine, but only about 10 minutes. It would also be possible to walk to a few local restaurants, but the roads are not well lit so it wouldn’t be an easy walk at night. We drove to a couple, both of which were very good, in less than 10 minutes (and that included getting lost a few times as there aren’t any sign posts!). The large town of Kissamos is less than 10 minutes’ drive away and has a good range of supermarkets and other shops and restaurants. I don’t think it would be a good idea to not have a car staying here as the nearer mini markets are quite small and tend to shut in the afternoon, and a big advantage of staying in this area is that there are a couple of amazing beaches within a very short drive: Falasarna (about 15 minutes drive) and the famous Balos Lagoon (a slightly more challenging drive of around 20 minutes on a rough track, then a 20 minute walk over the headland). The local beach, Viglia, is very characterful but quite small.
The pool and surrounding small sunbathing area is fenced off from neighbouring farmland and adjacent small road (the only traffic is to neighbours’ houses) and is only for the use of Balos residence guests. Only built this summer, it’s a great addition to the property, and we loved relaxing there when we weren’t on the beach, although we sometimes felt a bit guilty lounging by the pool when all the neighbours were working so hard in their fields! This is still very much a rural area.
Inside, the apartment is very modern, clean and well laid out. A balcony stretches all around so you can chase the sun (or escape the wind on a breezy day). There are great views to the sea in one direction and farmland and hills in the others. There is a large dining table on the balcony, as well as another downstairs by the pool (and a third in the house). The kitchen is well equipped, well designed and everything works well, so ideal for a self catering holiday. It’s very light inside as all the rooms have large sliding doors leading out on to the balcony, sensibly with sliding mosquito screens to keep bugs out. We had the luxury of staying for a few days as a couple, but think it would have still been comfortable for two couples or a family. The third bedroom is a bit smaller than the other two so perhaps a bit of a squeeze for 6 adults.
Giorgos came to meet us when we arrived and gave us a lot of useful information about the house and surrounding area (his tip about going to Balos very early in the morning was spot on as it gets ridiculously busy after lunch when the day trip boats arrive). We really appreciated the gifts of fruit, juice and water as well as wine and raki!
We felt instantly at home and relaxed at Balos Residence, and would have been happy to stay longer. Thank you Giorgos and Chrysa!