White River Cottages

Press Reviews

The Guardian, August 2009
"The White River Cottages [are] a hamlet of 13 interlocking stone cottages so in tune with the rocky hillside that it occasionally takes a moment to realise that what you're looking at is a roof or a wall. During the day the cicadas scream blue murder, but at dusk, at night and in the early morning, the silence is deep and clear.

And the cottages themselves are calm and cool. The walls are over 1½ft thick and inside, apart from the occasional abutment of exposed rock or recess of fireplace, they are whitewashed. The decor is minimalist but warm: rust-red bedspreads, a vase of flowers, a cookbook and a carafe of local wine. Every cottage has a terrace with a view - of olive groves, mountain, or Libyan Sea, or of all three - a thoughtful piece of planning that, combined with the fact that all the terraces are private, and none look in on each other, must have required a particularly fiendish bit of architectural origami. Ours had an ancient olive tree shading the table; a lemon tree that already bore one yellow lemon (and a flower or two; it seemed a little confused) nudged up against the wall."

The Experts, Conde Nast Traveller (UK), July 2007
"September is the perfect time to visit Crete: you are guaranteed sunshine and glorious sandy beaches without the crowds. A[n] offbeat [choice] is White River Cottages, one kilometre inland from the lively seaside village of Makriyialos. For kids, this warren of self-catering cottages is camouflaged among the olive groves is like an advantage playground. Grown-ups will love the peaceful setting and pared-down, rustic style: whitewashed walls, chunky beams and stone-built beds. There's a blissful pool if you can't be bothered to go to the beach; but if you have the energy to explore the local area, the owner can advise you on the best walking routes. It's a bargain - and if you stay for more than a week, you get a 10% discount."

Great Small Hotels in Greece
"A cluster of small cottages ... on the hill of a small and peaceful valley, once used as a refuge during the olive harvest, but [abandoned] after the Second World War. In 1986 Vangelis Mavrakis, an economist from Iraklion, bought part of the settlement and called it 'White River Cottages', 'white river' being the translation of aspros potamos.

It took him five years to rebuild the ruins and turn them into thirteen adorable stone cottages. Each has been done in perfect minimalist style with stone paved floors, white-washed walls, wood-beamed ceilings and built-in beds. The cottages nestle among olive and carob trees and they are partly built into the rocks. White River Cottages is an obvious pick for hikers and nature lovers, but it also makes an excllent choice for anyone who just wants to be quiet and lazy."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are only from people who have stayed there and booked through i-escape.

• “Glorious setting, beautiful pool and friendly hosts. A short walk to the sea for drinks by the beach. A brilliant holiday and fantastic value.”
  Henry, United Kingdom (10.05.12)

• “We had a great time. No water for the first 24 hours, staff could have been a bit more proactive (eg bringing buckets of water to guests rather than having to do it ourselves.) But overall, very peaceful environment and fantastic location. I recommend it.”
  Nicolas, United Kingdom (05.10.11)

• “Very well run place with good support from friendly staff. The area is not the prettiest, but grows on you. Probably at its best outside high season -- May, September and October -- when the place is not crawling with other tourists. There is an excellent 2-hour walk from the cottages up a gorge to a local village in the hills with an excellent restaurant, from which you can take a taxi back to base.
  
  Recommend Petra Bay restaurant overlooking the beach as the best local taverna within walking distance. Also, for those keen on cooking for themselves, the local butcher, greengrocer and baker (all just a few minutes from the beach at Analipsis) are very good.”
  Melinda, United Kingdom (28.09.11)

• “Our stay at the cottages played a very large part in the overall enjoyment of our holiday. Both Sue and Iris were exceptionally pleasant, friendly and helpful in every way. The cottage and all communal areas were spotlessly clean and very well presented, set in a picturesque and quiet location yet only a short walk from the local bakery, tavernas etc. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending White River Cottages as a destination and hope to return very soon.”
  Kevin, Ireland (16.09.11)

• “After a weeks' stay at White River Cottages we'd highly recommend it. The cottages themselves are lovely, and the quiet location takes some beating. Makry Gialos itself is great, with a nice sandy beach and it's 5 euros to rent a pair of sun loungers and an umbrella for the day. If you're driving from the airport stop in the town before (Koutsouras) to visit the supermarket as the ones in Makry Gialos are a bit small and limited. For fresh vegetables and bread the bakery and greengrocers next to 'The Pub' are perfect and near by. September is a great time to visit as it's still nice and hot but much quieter.”
  Alex, United Kingdom (13.09.11)

• “We enjoyed our stay in White Cottage River very much. A special place in Crete for people who appreciate calm and privacy.
  One small problem was the mattress of our double bed was in poor shape (spring matress with many springs that could be felt in the back, "hole" in the middle of the mattress). The management was very reactive when we complained and the mattress was immediately exchanged with another one in better condition from an empty house. Then the owner ordered a mattress cover made from special foam ("memory foam") which rendered the bed excellent. We were told that it was planned to change the mattresses for new ones soon. Altogether, the staff were very nice and service was excellent.
  As cat lovers, we appreciated all the cats around.
  We hope to come back.”
  Christian, Switzerland (10.09.11)

• “White River Cottages is well looked after, very chilled and relaxing. Staff were really helpful. Only thing that could have been improved on was the wifi signal wasn’t too strong at times but really nothing to complain about. Much quieter on the south coast than the north. Easy reach to great beaches and beautiful mountain drives. Fabulous holiday – thank you.”
  julia, United Kingdom (18.08.11)

• “The White River Cottages lived up to all our expectations for a family holiday in Crete. The Cottages themselves (former Shepard's cottage all simply and tastefully restored) are perched on the side of the Pefki Gorge and are perfect in every way - rustic yet with the advantages of aircon and an internet connection! The grounds are beautiful and the pool is fantastic (perfect for children and adults alike). Iris (the manager) was on site every day and was extremely helpful and charming.
  
  I would say that a car is an absolute essential and although it is extremely tempting to stay put and enjoy the piece and tranquility of the White River Cottages I would strongly recommend getting behind the wheel and exploring. We were not terribly thrilled by the beach at Makrygialos but a short drive will take you to secluded coves between Trachilas and Kalo Nero with wonderful snorkelling. Crete is enormous but as we had booked a two week holiday we had plenty of time to explore the East and highly recommend the beautiful drive to Kato Zakros and walking the Gorge.”
  Lizzie, United Kingdom (07.08.11)

• “Slightly uncomfy bed and my partner is a bit tall so kept hitting his head on the low ceilings
  Food: n/a but good facilities for self catering and everything we needed kitchen wise was supplied
  Service and overall value are great.
  The pool is amazing and is never overly busy – the wide variety of other guests meant that people want to use the pool at different times so you can always get a good spot for sunbathing or hiding in the shade! Innes and Sue are available when you need them and are really helpful and informative. It was good to know where they were but to not have them checking on you constantly so you could really did feel like you were miles away from anyone or anything. Someone should ask the dog across the hill to keep it down a bit.
  
  Explore the area for the more isolated beaches but make sure you pick a good path down – we ended up having to jump off a rock into the sea. Luckily a nice man helped us out! Watercity on the way back to the airport breaks the journey nicely. It’s a bit of a walk into town if you don’t have a car so I’d definitely suggest hiring one and you probably want to explore a bit further than the immediate area.”
  Alexa, United Kingdom (29.07.11)

• “We loved everything about our stay at White River Cottages. It was our idea of heaven. The cottages were amazing and had everything we needed for our stay. We loved how quiet the area was and peaceful.
  
  Will definitely be coming back next year.
  
  We loved the food and restaurants in the area. We found that it was a must to hire a car for the week so that we could get around to the wonderful beaches and tavernas.”
  Katy, United Kingdom (12.07.11)

• “The cottages were lovingly restored, the location unique, cleanliness and attention to details second to none.
  
  Ask Iris, the manager to arrange a hire car to travel from the airport to the cottages. It's a 2 hour drive but worth it. You'll also have a chance to explore the local area and check out beaches etc. You'll quickly get used to the Greek driving style! Try the tavernas near the harbour to experience true Greek hospitality & wonderful fresh seafood. Superb.”
  Emma, United Kingdom (03.07.11)

• “Amazing cottages and location. Friendly, helpful staff. Highly recommended.”
  Paul, United Kingdom (02.06.11)

• “Beautiful cottages set in a wonderful setting. Sue was very nice and helpful (in Iris's absence). Cannot praise enough, thank you. We had a fantastic time.”
  Amy, United Kingdom (31.05.11)

• “We loved white river cottages. The cottages themselves are tastefully decorated in a simple but attractive rustic style. Very well equipped, and the presentation clean and with attention to detail. The setting is lush and beautiful and I only hope will not be spoilt by ugly development on the hill opposite.
  
  Iris was charming and always helpful and patient and I had a super massage by her husband. I would like to have had a more frequent change of sheets although towels were plentiful.
  
  We found access to Makriyialos easy and a pleasant walk through the olive groves. Makriyialos itself is attractive on the sea/port side but sprawling and with many unfinished buildings along the road. At the beginning of May although the advantage is the wonderful wild flowers quite a lot of tavernas are still closed. We loved the Pepper Tree (can't remember the Greek for that) Taverna in Pefki - very authentic and terrific food.”
  Jennifer, United Kingdom (04.05.11)

• “It's a lovely, quiet spot. The cottages are absolutely idyllic, very romantic. There are lots of beaches nearby, something to suit most tastes. Our favourites were the one on the west side of the harbour, just over the hill (if you follow the sign to the Roman Villa you can park easily and walk down), and also on the way to Kate Nero, just after the turn to the Dragon Cave Taverna. It's a couple of minutes walk down to a pretty, sandy cove. We walked the Pefki Gorge and the Pervolakia Gorge - both fantastic and quite different from each other. The Taverna Pipperia in Pefki is lovely.”
  Jenny, United Kingdom (16.09.10)

• “White River Cottages are a perfect place for a quiet retreat, particularly if you're a cat lover as there are plenty around! The rooms are well equipped and the air con works better than most places, with a quiet setting for whilst you're sleeping. The location is good, though you need a car unless you fancy a lot of walking to and from the town. Overall, we very much enjoyed our stay there.”
  Oliver, United Kingdom (14.09.10)

• “Wonderful stone cottages, kept simple but with everything working as it should and a rustic yet stylish interior finish. Lovely swimmming pool and Iris, the manager, was helpful and recommended a number of great places to eat nearby. Would certainly recommend it to friends”
  bruce, United Kingdom (31.08.10)

• “Really good experience. Only complaint really would be that as the gorge is very quiet, noise tends to travel. So guys hammering on a construction from 6:30am and dogs barking woke us up. I slept pretty badly as a result of this but problem could be solved with ear plugs. Also having beds made daily would be good.”
  Andrew, United Kingdom (28.06.10)

• “A lovely place to stay.”
  Kristina, United States (22.05.04)