Blue Pearl Villa

Save a dinner for the porch, it's a must. The house was clean and the beds comfortable, with wonderful sea views and sunsets. It gets very dark, which is great for spotting stars and the Milky Way. The sea pool below is a seven-minute walk with kids, and around the rocks we found lots of sea life, crabs, snails, and fish.

The owner puts in a lot of effort to make sure you enjoy your holiday. The villa sleeps six and is in a village off the beaten track, so it's ideal if you want a getaway from everything.

We stayed in May, when the sea was still 20 degrees Celsius and the heated Jacuzzi was a pleasant 34. It comfortably fits six adults, and you can hear the waves from it while looking out at the sea through a clever glass partition. The villa is secluded and peaceful, with a separate basement apartment that has its own big terrace, sun loungers, and private seating area. Upstairs are two bedrooms and a large eat-in kitchen, plus a covered terrace with a luxury Jacuzzi. The two living areas work especially well for two couples or a family with older children. The owner doesn't live there, but was always reachable and remarkably warm and friendly. When unusual Saharan dust fell as mud in May, Giorgos came the next day to clean, change the water, and replace the filter. We'll be back!

The villa is a great choice for peace and quiet, away from the main cities but still within a few minutes' drive of a well-stocked minimarket and some good tavernas serving authentic Cretan food. The owner was very kind and helpful, offering excellent advice and sorting out a few minor issues. The outside is the real highlight: complete privacy, sea views and sunsets, an outdoor hot tub and shower, sun loungers, and a hammock. It's near some of the island's best beaches. Inside, it's a little dark and rustically furnished, but well equipped with air conditioning throughout, a giant fridge, coffee maker, kettle, toaster, and more.