Villa Marina

The owners are welcoming and friendly, and the pool has plenty of sunbeds. There’s also a bar serving drinks and snacks, and it’s very peaceful at night. Bus stops in both directions are just a five-minute walk away. Compared with our last visit, a lot has changed. The apartments used to feel tired and run down, but they’ve clearly spent a lot of money on them since then. They’re spacious and well furnished, with pristine bathrooms, fully enclosed showers, and comfortable beds. Highly recommended.

The family running the apartments were lovely. The elderly couple who own the place, along with their grandchildren, were happy to help with anything. The pool area had plenty of sunbeds, and the food was very good, including a special meal each day. Sunday was Greek night, with a barbecue and lots of well-cooked food. The apartments are basic but clean, and the bathrooms have been updated without those curtains that cling to you. We all had a lovely time, but I wouldn’t return because of the location. It’s about a 20-minute walk to the beach. Going down was fine, but the uphill walk back in the heat, without shade, was hard work. A taxi costs 10 euros. There aren’t many restaurants or bars nearby or along the beachfront, though a couple of restaurants gave you sunbeds if you bought food or drinks. The beach is sand and shale, and the sea is fine for a few meters before you have to step onto a rocky seabed. It wasn’t my ideal beach or swimming spot. The best meals we found were in old Hersonissos, Piskopiano, and the Port, each a 10-15 euro high-speed taxi ride away.

I’ve stayed at Villa Marina six times over the years and will keep coming back. It’s a great family-run place where you’re treated like one of the family. Marina cooks lovely traditional food, and it’s only a ten-minute walk to the beach or a five-minute bus ride to Hersonissos. It’s peaceful if you’d rather stay close by. Give it a try, you might like it. When we got back in July 2022 after missing a couple of years because of the pandemic, the same warm welcome and Greek hospitality were waiting for us. It was lovely to see old friends and make new ones. Marina’s food was still restaurant quality. We planned to come back again before the end of that season, since waiting until the next one felt too long. We returned in late June and early July 2023 for another relaxing holiday with old and new friends. The food, drinks, and company were all great, and we hoped to return before the season ended for another happy, restful break.

Marina and Thesos were wonderful hosts during our ten days in Crete with the children. Chris brought our food and drinks to the pool, and the place was quiet and family-run, with a lovely clean pool, bar, and restaurant. Marina’s moussaka was the best I’ve ever had, and her cakes are a must. The accommodation was very clean: the cleaner came every other day, changed the bedding, left fresh towels, and emptied the bin. The shower room was amazing. The only snag was having no hot water in the mornings, though in that heat you get used to cold showers. I’d highly recommend the place, including their home-grown fruit and vegetables.