We have been 2 weeks in Stella´s house from mid August until beginning of September. The house itself is very nice with enough space for up to 4 guests and nicely furnished. The view over the bay of Souda is really exceptional. Stella was very helpful for everything you may think of and very responsive for all type of questions we had during our stay. We arrived on a Sunday, but the refridgerator was well equipped with all the basics you need, as milk, butter, cheese, vine, bred .... Aptera is a small village with 1 small supermarket and 3 restaurants. We have been several times in Taverna Aptera, where you will find not only tourists, but also many locals and the food was always delicious. We also had the opportunity to attend the yearly event of the local football club together with Stella´s family, which was a very nice experience with all the locals from the village and life music all night.
Ancient Aptera is within 10 minutes walking distance (if it´s not too hot... we took the car....). You can reach the next beach (Kalyves) in a few minutes by car. It´s a very nice sandy beach with some sunshades and you can get somethink to drink and some snacks. Overall, it was a great vacation and I can really recommend Stella´s house!