Crete self catering cottages, Haniotena

Charming 1-bedroom cottage plus mezzanine sleeping area, sleeping 2 - 4 guests with private swimming pool.

Kritsa is one of Crete’s prettiest inland villages yet is only 15 minutes drive from Agios Nikolaos. The main street rises quite steeply up the hillside between white-washed houses, most with verandas and local pale blue and cream woodwork and many displaying the traditional embroideries and lace for which the village is still famous.

To either side narrow lanes lead away to secret backwaters where, suddenly, time stands still. Haniotena’s cottage is at the end of one of these, in a nearly perfect position, set between a tiny whitewashed chapel, a large fig tree and the village spring in its stone-carved surround.

If the cottage itself is a surprise then when you enter the gate, further surprises await. Haniotena feels like the home of an artist; the secluded courtyard garden is filled with a shady tangle of flowers, which are a treat for all the senses: jasmine, irises and a lemon tree, rosemary and oregano in earthenware pots, bright geraniums and hibiscus. Just at the end of the garden, is a newly built swimming pool.

Inside the cottage has immense charm: downstairs is cool and quite traditional, upstairs is light and has fine views over the countryside. The village has plenty of tavernas and shops and the church of Panagia Kera has the most famous Byzantine frescoes in Crete, whilst the ruined ancient city of Lato is just two miles away.

Please note: Based on return flights from the UK - supplements / reductions may be applicable depending on flight & class availability at time of booking.