If you would like a taste of authentic Crete village life, come stay here for a few days. Yannis was the most gracious host. His house is beautiful, has a spectacular view, and was complete with everything we could need. On our first night we were wandering around looking at the property, and we ran into him and a friend in his workshop. They invited us in, plying us with raki & mezze. More friends arrived, and we had a wonderful time. The house is in a very small village, so we ran into the same friends in the taverna the next day, and they introduced us to more folks. Everyone was so friendly, and despite us knowing only a few words of Greek, we had a great time. Tavern preparations are simple, but the ingredients are local & outstanding. We hiked around the hills, did a little siteseeing around Heraklion (archeological museum is amazing, as are the Knossos ruins), and generally had a wonderful time. Highly recommended!