We had a truly delightful stay at Penelope. It is a rustic affair but clean, tidy, functional and really well thought out. We had excellent communication from our hosts throughout. Their local tips and suggestions were really helpful too.
This is not 5* luxury but that’s exactly what we were after; a traditional, Cretan home away from the bustle of hotels and crowded beaches with lots of traditional features and everything you might possibly need there in some shape or form. The pool was bigger than we thought and having diplomatic neighbours downstairs in Dimitra house made sharing that and the downstairs BBQ area really easy. The house is set in lovely hills about 10 minutes walk from central Elounda. Set back, you didn’t feel in thick of it but were never far from anything you needed and Elounda had it all. Head to the harbour before 8am to see if any of the local fisherman will sell you their catch and a beautiful fruit and veg market in the bus station by the main square on a Friday morning from 9am. Excellent bakery in the town and can highly recommend The Ferryman for a non-touristy evening meal though you’d need to book. Just be aware; it gets pretty windy! But a nice breeze was always welcome in the hot, August sun.