We loved our stay at Soula’s place so much, it was our favorite place so far on our trip through the Greek islands. It truly felt like a home away from home. There is a patio in the back (with a fragrant fig tree) and front where you can sit and have your coffee or wine. There is also laundry and a full kitchen, which allowed us to go to the market and cook dinner in. The house is well insulated from the heat and very quiet - it was so easy to relax!
Also, Soula’s mother was so kind to us, coming by to check on us and give us treats, even though we didn’t know any Greek. I highly recommend learning some phrases if you’re going to stay here for any length of time. It will make your experience in the village very rewarding.
We aren’t city people, so we preferred our stay in Kerassa much more than the time we spent in Heraklion. We liked the countryside, quiet farm roads, rolling hills lined with olive trees and grape vines leading up to Psiloritis, where you can hear the sheep being herded home in the evening. For a nice “hike”, I recommend walking up to the ruins at Prinia, first established by the Minoans. Use Google maps. It takes you gently uphill through idyllic farm roads for about 1.5-2 hours until you get to the archeological site. There is some walking on paved roads, but you will hear the cars coming and can stand to the side. The site is in the process of being excavated, and there’s not much information on site, but it’s very neat just to walk around and discover it for yourself. There is also a small church with an excellent view of the valley (all the way to Heraklion).
I recommend Soula’s place if you want to experience a little of traditional village life and get away from the tourist crowds and the busy city, without being far from any of the big attractions. We loved it!