The reviews are all accurate! We had a fantastic stay here. We never met Roula, but we did meet her lovely mother who helped us check in. She was an absolute sweetheart. The house itself is so cool with such an interesting history. It's in a really really cool area and is definitely off the beaten path. Roula wrote some really insanely good and descriptive guidebooks about local hiking trails and attractions. Personally, I highly recommend visiting the nearby Botanical Gardens.
It's a kind of funny story.... I arrived in Crete the day before and decided VERY last minute to rent a car for 10 days with my girlfriend to do a road trip around Crete we loved the island so much. We booked Roula's place for 2 nights so that we could use a calm and quiet place to "plan" the next 8 days of our trips -- going on the internet to figure out maps, where to go, things to see, making accommodation bookings, etc etc. Upon arrival, we learned that there was no wifi. This made things difficult for us to say the least, but I also really do understand why there is no WIFI... this is a place you stay to truly get away from it all. In my case, it helped me to understand how sadly addicted I am to having access to internet. Staying here helps to slow your mind down and simply be present. But if you become desperate and need wifi to sort out directions, make bookings, etc etc, just walk 20 steps to Emilia's restaurant and enjoy dishes from the lovely server Emily, who provided us with all the lamb, goat, rabbit, wine and wifi we needed :)
If you want a unique and memorable mountain experience in Crete -- stay here.