We really enjoyed our stay at Iris. The space is great - the living area is large, light and airy, with the french doors opening right up so the garden and pool are an extension of the villa.
It was very easy not to leave the villa as you had everything you needed there. We were lazy on the cooking front, but the villa was well equipped for eating at home with a table both indoors and in the garden, and a built in bbq outside. You can also have meals provided by Lena. We went out all the time, but the menus looked really good, and if the cake she left us was anything to go by then i'm sure they would be delicious!
There's a good local coffee shop, with delicious croissants a few minutes walk west of the villa, and a number of good local restaurants, all on the sea. We didn't have time to try them all but enjoyed the ones we did. We'd also spent a night in Old Rethymno Town where there are loads of good restaurants, shops - a great place to wonder round. It's around a 20 minute walk into town, and we walked in every day, though you can pick up a taxi on the way back and it's around 5 minutes and 5 euros. You could also bicycle which would be quick too. We didn't need a car, but car hire is pretty cheap in Greece and you could park right by the villa. It could be handy if you were a family doing big food shops, or wanted to explore the island further.
Valia was excellent with all communication, advice, recommendations and local information. She was prompt in her replies and happy to help. We were met at the villa by the owner Marianna who was also friendly and helpful and gave us plenty of information.