Mike Omalos Houses

We had a wonderful week at Mike's house on the Omalos plateau. That's the short version. For anyone who wants the details, the house was very comfortable and had everything we needed. A hot air mass from the Sahara was approaching the Mediterranean, with temperatures above 40 degrees, but the house is built so well that we didn't need the A/C. We spent peaceful evenings on the terrace couch looking toward the mountains above the Samaria gorge. All we could hear were the little bells from sheep grazing in the meadows, and the night sky was full of stars. It's so quiet and relaxing. There are plenty of ways to spend your days in Omalos. We hiked Samaria gorge, the gem of Crete. Book ferry tickets online from Agia Roumeli to Sougia, then KTEL bus tickets from Sougia back to where you started the hike. It was easy and worked well. We swam in Sougia, a 45-minute drive away, where there are plenty of tavernas and bars. Try the Cretan Charma bier at one of them. We also walked Lissos gorge from Sougia to the Lissos archeological site and beach, visited the Botanical garden near Chania, took an off-road trip to Kallergi's shelter for the amazing view over Samaria from above, and hiked to Afchenas saddle at 1706m for more views over Samaria. We were well looked after for food and drink. Mike had left us food, great raki and a ton of water bottles. A little kafeneio just 200 meters from the house served good coffee and refreshments, and we stopped there several times. In Omalos village, the few tavernas always gave us a good experience, with real traditional food and good wine.

The area is quiet and peaceful, with only the bells of sheep or goats breaking the silence. From the two terraces we could enjoy the surrounding mountains, and the cottage itself sits in a valley with beautiful views. Inside, we had a spacious living room with a fireplace and kitchen, a separate bedroom and a bathroom. It was fully equipped, including a washing machine. Mike, our host, welcomed us and carefully showed us how the house and appliances worked. We also arrived to local cheese ravioli with honey, plus a jar of local honey, olive oil, sesame breadsticks, cookies, wine, raki, farm eggs and water in the fridge. We haven't had such a generous, pleasant welcome in Crete before. Samaria Gorge is just 5 km away, and Omalos village is about 2 km away, so you can walk to the local tavernas in the evening or cook at home. A lovely spot if you enjoy nature and peace and quiet.

We arrived to raki, little cheese pastries, spinach, and homemade honey from Mike and his wife. They were so welcoming and attentive, the best in-person welcome we had during nearly three weeks driving around Crete. We had the second accommodation at the back. It was exceptionally well equipped and comfortable, with a proper shower, a filter coffee maker, kettle, waffle iron for toasting bread, and a large fridge full of bottled water from Mike and his wife. The bed was just right, neither too soft nor too firm. Even in a very hot Cretan summer, 30-35°C, we didn't need the air conditioning. Omalos is higher up, so it was around 15°C the next day when we set off hiking. It's ideally placed for an early start at Samaria Gorge. On Mike's advice, we arrived at 7:30 am the next morning to avoid the tour buses coming from the area. After the gorge, we enjoyed another peaceful night despite aching calves and thighs. Truly unbeatable value for money.

We spent two days here and loved how secluded it was, with beautiful views across the Omalos Plain. The welcome was very friendly, and the fridge already had complimentary groceries, something we'd never had at a place before. We also explored the area on the free bicycles. I'd suggest coming by car or taxi, since the bus stop is about a 35-minute walk away.