Ya Hara! was a fantastic retreat for our holiday, the Villa was superb, it was well maintained, very clean and well equipped. The location is in a small village, and the nearest shop/bar would be a 10-15 minute car drive so a car is essential. The view from the breakfast bar is great, and the facilities are very good, with everything you might need available. The location is a bit exposed, so the enclosed terrace on the first floor is a great place to have a quiet drink on an evening.

On arrival, the fridge had milk, juice etc, and we were supplied with bread, jams, honey, raki & fruit to get us going on the first day - Chrysa had also baked us a lovely cake! - Nicole was great in communicating with us whilst we were there to check that everything was OK.

The area is much quieter than the East of Crete, it is more relaxed, cheaper, and more friendly. We found typically you could eat out for €12-20 per head with drinks, and everywhere provided complimentary fruit and raki (and often cakes) after the meals.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Ya Hara! - It is probably not for you if you are a party animal, but if you are after a lovely villa, in a quiet location and don't mind driving, you will not be disappointed.

The beaches at Elefonissi & Balos are stunning but crowded - we preferred Falasarni, which is closer and much less crowded. We also found the beach at Roubini Cafe (just after Carrerfour in Kissimos) nice as there are free sunbeds, good food and very clean (and good Wifi). The Wave on the Beach restaurant at the bottom of the hill is very friendly and the food is good - It's also a great place for snorkelling.

My only minor negative was that the Wifi was very slow and the mobile signal was patchy but it was a small price to pay for such a super location and Villa. Having stayed in a number of villas in Spain, Greece & Turkey, this was one of the best and certainly the best value for money.