White River Cottages

A delightful hamlet of 13 restored stone cottages, in a secluded valley by Crete's southeast coast

Much of eastern Crete has suffered from modern development, but there’s one little area – like Asterix’ village in those comic books – which has resisted the invasion of mass tourism. It’s a pine- and olive-studded valley surrounded by rocky peaks, just inland from Makriyialos beach. At the end of this is a small hamlet of old stone houses, tastefully restored by local man Vangelis Mavrakis, and rented by the night or week to couples and families seeking the ‘real Crete’. They are simply and rustically furnished, with sitting-dining room, kitchen and 1 or 2 bedrooms.

A short drive away are the beaches and harbour town of Makriyialos, the gorges of Pefki and Perivolakia, the palm-shaded beach of Vai, and the Minoan palace of Zakros. All in all, it’s a kind of coastal equivalent of Milia mountain hamlet in western Crete, along with which it would make an excellent 2-centre introduction to this fascinating and varied island. If only there were more places like these in Greece!

Highs

• Wonderful pool in the heart of the hamlet
• Exceptionally friendly owners and staff
• Great walks - and nice beach with tavernas a 15-minute walk down through the olive grove
• Utterly authentic, unusually peaceful
• The larger cottages (which come with sofabeds) are ideal for families

Lows

• The cottages are charminly but simply furnished
• Bathrooms are fairly basic
• You have to drive to dinner (or cook it yourself)
• Some of the coastline nearby has rather ugly development, though the countryside is stunning