Valentina apartments

We spent most of the week relaxing by the lovely, clean pool, where the really sweet staff brought us drinks and food. You feel like family here, and we’re already keen to return. There are only about eight rooms, plus a shop with a little restaurant serving fresh food to order. The place feels secluded but is still open and easy to get to, and it’s clear the family business is always being upgraded. The rooms are really nice, too. There’s a good walk up the nearby mountain through the olive groves. It’s not too high, but the heat makes it a bit of a challenge. This was our first holiday away from the beach itself. The nearest beach is about a 20-minute walk, and the main Kato Gouves strip, with a well-stocked supermarket, is about 30 minutes away on foot. There are also plenty of good restaurants within roughly 25 minutes’ walk, though the food here is all we really needed. We stayed for a week early in the season, after having a fantastic time at another property on Kato Gouves beach the year before. We wanted to be a little farther from the main beach this time, and this place was just right.

This year I’m in Crete with my son, keeping up my tradition of choosing a local family business for our stay in Greece. The apartment is spacious and clean, with a balcony or terrace, well-equipped kitchenware and very good beds. It’s a peaceful spot with a nice pool. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the food is good with very good prices. There’s also a small supermarket for anything you need. The beach and other restaurants are about a 25-minute walk away. For more travel tips and adventures, I’m on insta @leen_travel_is_life.

The hosts were great, and they left a bottle of wine and water for us when we arrived. The private pool was very well kept, and the location was nicely away from the crowds. We enjoyed the tasty home cooking, and the price for our 10-day stay was reasonable. My family gives it 5 stars.

There were dead insects in the fridge, lots of mosquitoes and even a dead mouse outside our porch. The floor under the bed looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years, and the pool wasn’t the cleanest I’ve seen. Sheets were changed every 7 days, which isn’t ideal in summer. They didn’t provide shampoo, body wash or a hair dryer. The owner said another tourist had stolen the dryer. The decor was old and rustic Greek style, and the cutlery was basic. If you’re on a tight budget and can accept only a basic level of cleanliness, this may be the place for you.