Alexandros is a perfect host. We arrived very late and he came to guide us to the villa from the airport. Lovely guy, and quick to answer his messages. The house itself is close to Heraklion by car, but in the countryside. We very much appreciated that it felt isolated, private and not overlooked. But it was still convenient to shops. It’s on top of a hill and commands far-reaching and attractive views over acres and acres of olive groves down to the mountains. The pool was lovely. A perfect temperature in late august. The sun loungers got a lot of use. As did the excellent BBQ. The kitchen is well supplied with pots, pans, dishes and the like. It was just perfect for the quiet week away that we were looking for. We’d been to the local area before and seen many of the local museums and other sites like Knossos. Much recommended btw. But this time when we went out it was to beaches. Matala took an hour and a bit to get to. Worth it, for a day. But on balance, we preferred the closest beach just past the start of the Heraklion airport runway. Doesn’t sound promising, but it’s well worth a look in if for no other reason than because it’s so close. Overall, we loved our stay and thought it was good value.