Vafes Traditional Stone Houses — Hotel in Municipality of Apokoronas

I 've been a lot of times to the area of Apokoronas (in Vamos), as I have origin from there. I found Vafes through a timeshare exchange with Interval International. Mrs Stavroula is running the cafe "Synantisi" (meeting in greek) and these stoned houses. She is a fantastic and very hospital woman! Vafes is an old village with 120 inhabitants, 3 km away from Vryses and about 35 km away from Hania and about 30 km from Rethymno. I was given an old house just under from the cafe, which is independent. You get in from a big iron door with stairs, there is a courtyard and you get in the house. We had a bedroom with its own bath, a living-room together with a kitchen with anything you need to cook and a second bath. Over it there is another room with 3 beds and its own bath and a very nice veranda. Yes, I had all these and we were only 3 persons!!! The rooms have air-conditioning and are very clean. In the kitchen they have preserved an old oven who worked with wood. In the bedroom of the big house you have to have in mind not to kick your head if you are tall like me (1,94 m.), as the ceiling there is low. The water there is drinkable. You can eat at the cafe "Synantisi"; Mrs Stavroula is an excellent cook and everything she cooks (it works also as a taverna) is great; try "tsigariasto" (lamb meat in the pot), stuffed vegetables, snails etc, local dishes which are cooked in a very light way, try the GERANI refreshments and forget Coca Cola, Sprite and all these, drink the fantastic local white wine, and in the end you will be served the local snaps, "tsikoudia" (fantastic) and fresh fruit. You can have also breakfast there (toast, yoghurt with honey, fresh juice, omelette etc). The prices are very reasonable. From there you can tour the Hania and Rethymno Region (and the cities of course). You can swim (if you go in the summer) in Georgioupolis, Kalyves, Almyrida, the Kournas lake (the only lake in Crete) or go further more. If you search for the soul of Crete, this is the place to find it, because the heart of Crete is in the small villages on the mountains and not by the sea or in the big cities of the island. It works year round, so you can also go there in the winter. Ask Mrs Stavroula whatever you want. Go there and you 'll love it (unless you search...

Looking for a place near Chania, we read the reviews and thought this place looked like a lovely retreat from the crowds. We arrived in the village unable to locate the place: the phone number was disconnected, no signage anywhere. We were finally directed to a café. The proprietress was insulted when I told her about the phone, and that it was much further than indicated online, so we'd prefer only one night not the two we'd book the night before. Nothing doing. She marched us up a road to our little apartment, which was lovely, but refused to give us the adjoining empty room with the double bed we requested because she'd only made up the room with two twin beds. Frustrated, we went off for a swim in Georgioupoli and a stop at a marvelous village festival on the way back got us to the place around midnight when realized that there was no controller for the air conditioning. We had no way to contact the owner. The stagnant air was suffocating. Opening the windows provided little relief but allowed in hoards of mosquitoes. The next morning when I asked for the controller, she became belligerent but gave me the controller ($5). Off we went to lovely Skafia for the day only to return and find that the air conditioner did not work (fan only). We ran down to the café, where a young man came and tried to fix it. It almost worked for 2 minutes. They finally put us in the double bed room we wanted all along, the proprietress giving me the stink eye the whole time. This air conditioner stopped working sometime before 3 am when we woke up from the sweltering heat radiating off the stone walls. Oh, and the 'anatomic' pillows were too thick and rock hard. We've never spent a more miserable 2 nights in our lives. ||I suppose that a spring or fall visit would be fine if you bring your own pillows. The apartment itself is pretty and well equipped, also not expensive. If you don't speak Greek, she may treat you better. Also, It's 47 km from Chania, not 14 as indicated online, but close to Georgioupoli and its nice beaches. Just know what...

We were at Patriko for a holiday week since the 20th of June 2015, two adults and three children of 14, 12 and 9. The house has a dining room with kitchen and bathroom at the ground floor and two bedrooms (each with a bathroom) at the first floor. Outside there is also a porch with a table where you can eat. It is all very comfortable and clean. At the half of the week they change your sheets and towels. The village of Vafes in very nice and people are quite cozies with tourists. The seaside is 10 mins by car. We enjoyed our staying very much. We particularly remind the avalaibility and friendshipness of the owner Mr. Manolis, who really makes you feel at home. If you are looking for quiet and tipically greek places you can't miss some days at...