We are regular visitors to the Mediterranean and use airbnb a lot. We chose Sitia as a less developed, beautiful but rugged area of Crete and looked for an apartment close to the town.

Oceanides is a delightful complex of eight apartments around 2km outside Sitia on the more attractive eastern side of town, around 200m from the sea.

The apartment was bright and spacious and it was a treat to have it cleaned every day with regular fresh sheets and towels. There is a balcony where we ate our meals which afforded a wonderful view over the extensive gardens and pool to the coast.

The pool area is beautifully laid out with reclining chairs in sun and shade, set amidst palm and olive trees. It is a large pool with fresh seawater so very good for swimming. For those interested in history, there are many Minoan sites of global significance - these are the earliest European settlements dating back 4,000 years - some just within walking distance.

However, what made a big difference to our holiday was our host, the energetic and charismatic Nektarios who simply could not do enough for his guests. On arrival everyone was welcomed with a drink – usually his trademark frappe – and olives and then equipped with a tailored programme for their holiday to fit with their particular wants and needs. In our case he spent an hour with us writing on a map the different destinations and restaurants we could visit. He was on site every day in the late afternoons to deal with any issues and provide guests with advice and his unique Cretan warmth and hospitality.

Over the winter Nektarios is investing to upgrade the apartments so they will be even better next year.

We could not recommend them more highly.