Eleonas (Crete)

Rooms

The 22 warm and homely stone cottages are pitched on a hillside amidst beautiful olive groves. Each has a wooden beamed ceiling, terracotta tile floor and traditional Cretan furniture with prettily coloured fabrics. Outside, among honeysuckle, bougainvillea, roses and vines, you'll find a seating area looking out past olive groves to the mountains; some cottages have their own plunge pool too.

Entry-level Stone Cottages with Terrace have a bedroom, a living area with a single sofabed and open fireplace, a small kitchenette and bathroom with tub. Mezzanine Cottages are double-height, with a wooden mezzanine-level master bedroom and balcony. The Two Bedroom Mezzanine Cottages have a double bed, 2 single beds and space for extra beds in their living rooms. The open-plan single-storey Deluxe Cottages with Jacuzzis have jacuzzi tubs in their bathrooms and are best suited to couples.

Families - and couples wanting more space and seclusion - will love the private pool cottages. The Deluxe Stone versions have one bedroom and a double sofabed (plus space for a rollaway), while the Suite versions have two bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin - or you can convert the twin into a sitting area). Both have private walled courtyards with loungers and a lovely little pool - rectangular or kidney-shaped - which is heated in the cooler months.

With fresh mountain air and total peace and quiet, you'll sleep soundly whichever you choose. We certainly did; and can thoroughly recommend visiting at either end of the season, lighting the fire (logs are supplied) and cosying up for a few days.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Barbecue
• Central heating
• Coffee maker
• DVD player
• Extra beds
• Fireplace
• Fridge
• Hairdryer
• Hifi music system
• Phone
• Radio
• Safe box
• Satellite TV
• Toiletries
• WiFi

Eating

One of the highlights of staying at Eleonas is the food, prepared from mostly home-grown produce. Meals are served at the central taverna, which is popular with Greeks from across the island, and a 5-minute walk from the furthest cottage. You can either eat inside by the log fire, or out front on the stone terrace surrounded by geraniums, with mint scenting the air, and cats idling in the sun.

Breakfast is an impressive buffet spread: freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade yoghurt and cheeses, various types of homemade pita, fritule, freshly made bread, cakes and biscuits, local honey, and homemade jam and marmalade.

Lunch and dinner menus feature authentic Cretan cuisine, and you can have full meals or snacky options. We had delicious katsohiri (homemade goat's cheese), followed by a rich kokkinisto (cockerel stewed in red wine and baby onions), and finished with a small carafe of raki.

Each cottage has a small kitchenette. Upon arrival, you’ll find a welcome carafe of raki, some Greek coffee, Greek mountain tea and a bowl of fruit. The kitchenettes are for preparing snacks and coffee rather than meals, but parents will find them extremely useful. Handily, there are 3 supermarkets in Zaros.

Features include:

• Bar
• Barbecue
• Children's meals
• Coffee maker
• Fridge
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian menu

Activities

• Swim in the pools, then join a cookery demonstration (4-12 people) to learn about local cheese making and how to bake bread, pita and other traditional Cretan dishes
  
• Walk to Lake Zaros, ringed by eucalyptus and pine trees, and home to fish, ducks and turtles. It’s overlooked by a waterside taverna and a restful café, and there’s a small playground for kids
  
• Hike up the Gorge of St Nicholas - an easy enough 2-hour walk, following a path and clambering over rocks in parts. Enthusiastic hikers might continue up a steep path to Rouvas Forest and the Church of Agios Giannis. Ask for a map at reception before setting off
  
• Hire a mountain bike (Eleonas has 20) and wind your way through olive groves to Zaros, a sleepy Cretan village with two churches, a handful of cafes and tavernas, bank, post office and watermill
  
• Visit Phaestos archaeological site, where the ruins of a Minoan palace date back to 1600BC, or Gortys (13km), which incorporates Greek temples, a Roman forum and amphitheatre, and a Byzantine basilica
  
• Spend a day in Heraklion on Crete’s busy north coast. Explore the pedestrian-only Venetian-era old town, and visit the excellent Archaeological Museum and the Crete Historical Museum

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Archery
• Cooking classes
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Mountain biking
• Playground

Kids

A lovely retreat for families, with lots of space and rural surroundings. The heated outdoor pool and farm animals are bound to amuse, as are the sandy beaches nearby. All ages are welcome.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

We'd recommend the Cottage with Attic if you're a family of 3 or a 2-Bedroom Cottage for families of 4 or more. If you're 2 adults and 2 kids, then opt for the cottages with private outdoor heated pools (they have 2 single beds and 1 kingsize). All cottages have simple kitchenettes.

Distances:

• Airport: 55 minutes
• Doctor: 20 minutes
• Shops: 3 minutes by car (Zaros)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Eleonas lies on the southern slopes of Mt Psiloritis, 1.5km outside the peaceful village of Zaros, and 42km southwest of Crete’s capital, Heraklion.

By Air:
Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis (45km) lies northeast of Zaros. It is served by daily flights from Athens the year through, and by charter flights from most European capitals in summer. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport
You could catch a taxi, but we'd recommend hiring a car (see below).

By Sea:
Heraklion port lies 42km northeast of Zaros and is served by daily overnight ferries from Athens’ port, Piraeus, on the Greek mainland.

By Car:
To explore the region better, you really need to hire a car - see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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