Just WOW. We spent 10 days at Niko’s house and it was the best holiday we’ve ever had – without exception!
We arrived in Chania and collected our hire car (a must to get the most of Crete) and travelled the 1 hour drive to Rethymon, where Nikos had kindly agreed to meet us. Then, we followed his to this beautiful house , nestled in the mountains above the main town of Rethymon. As we approached in darkness, Villa Aspa suddenly emerged and the children we’re super excited to spot the pool, lit beautifully in dark.
We entered the house and it is if anything , more beautiful in reality than we could ever have imagined. Very homely with lots of pieces of unusual furniture and ornaments which made it very comfortable from the beginning. We lots of room in the two living rooms and spacious kitchen, with a double room downstairs and two upstairs. At the top of the stairs there is a door to a huge roof terrace overlooking the pool and the valley of Margarites.
Nikos gave us a tour of the house and offered advice on places to go and things to see – and advised he would be on hand if we needed anything at all. He was a great help particularly in the first few day as we tried to find our bearings. He is and was – super responsive.
The Villa is fully stocked with sheets and towels, washing machine, bikes, bbq and so much more – you will want for nothing. If you do need anything there is a Supermarket in Margarites (5 mins drive) or more in Perrama, 12 minutes’ drive. When in Perrama, have a coffee and a club sandwich in Stamatis on the left toward the top of the town- great value. When in Rethymon, we love Galero in the OId Town near the fountain and oddly a little Italian restaurant just off the side street (La Piazza Pizzeria) When the sun came up next day we saw the incredible views of the valley and the coast in the distance.
The house is in a very quiet area and you will need a car or be willing to cycle to get to a shop etc. It is very quiet at night, save for the goats bleeting but that was the one thing we loved! Our biggest challenge was getting the children to want to leave the Villa – they loved it so much.
As a holiday – we found the villa helped us save money of eating out very often – leaving us more to spend on exploring and taking part in activities – such as Lottie Water sports and Quad Safaris. We do recommend going to Mantelos Restaurant in Margarites and the first one on the way down the hill on the left, owned by a lovely lady “Elena” and her daughter Aspa. We also recommend the Fortezza (Fort) in Rethymnon and the old town itself to get...