Intra Muros Hostel — Hotel in Municipality of Heraklion

I arrived in Heraklion with no plans for a place to stay. I saw good reviews for Intra Muros and walked in. Within 3 minutes I was booked and placing my bags in my own locker. I wandered around as I became more and more thrilled at my decision.||This place is better than stays I've paid $30 traveling in Europe, better than $50 stays in California, and far better than the sh$&holes used in Las Vegas @ $100. I paid under $15 for a walkin at this place, and received much more than the cost. ||It has a full kitchen! Stavros showed me the ropes (Cali stop manufacturing such a high quantity of F- douschbags and start copycatting grade A+ Stavros souls. I'll take his sunset signatures over slick sunglassed mugs anyday.) I had about 5-10 interesting conversations per day with hostelmates and new guests I met as they cycled in and out throughout the week. I paid for each night individually, and the motivation to stay another just kept on coming. I went to less sights in town than planned because I spent so much time enjoying this place, and had I not I would have missed out on unimaginable interactions. I met an amazing saxophone player who I walked around the town with for a few days, amongst other beautiful people that treated me like a respected family member or friend.||Each day went like this: wake up, make breakfast, hang with the managers & breakfast buddies, wash some clothes on the rooftop, meet more guests, go explore for an hour or two, come back and meet someone new on the rooftop or at the checkin counter, make some food in the kitchen, watch Netflix with mates, share a few stories and ideas for day activities, leave with a new bunch of people to walk around, come back a few hours later, relax around the dining table or spend time out front of the building with the managers & guests, go get food for the 3rd, 4th, or 5th time with hostelmates and new arrivals, return to Muros, drink some beers or wine and play instruments out front, meet more new guests and go back out for food, use the colorful whimsical restrooms, go up to the rooftop, meet more guests, rock some music, make dinner with incredible chefs and dance around in the kitchen to the rhythm of the stove, yada yada yada.||My absolute favorite highlights were the times spent with the different managers working each day while sitting out front people watching and meeting passing locals walking their dogs, as well as waking up in the mornings to the managers and hotel staff starting up the hostel engine (it was as if we were everyday family members handling our morning tasks, each moving to our preferred rhythms.) Somehow they work their ass off taking care of this magical place, and yet the vibe is like they are just other hostelguests enjoying the morning. So much so that I don't even want to ask for anything because the moments are so chill (though they are ready to fire from the hip at any request.)||One of the best anythings that I've spent under $15 on in my entire life (product or place.) This hostel motivates me to discover how to stay in two places at once, because I will never stop traveling around, yet I also want to go in & out of this place all day long.||The second day I stayed here I was having a rough day (not because of this place, but because of tough experiences a few nights before arrival that were catching up with me. Eyyy you know how it is people!) Typically I don't snap back amongst the same faces, because it can be strange to get down in such cases, but the spirit of this place & people chases all the worry & exhaustion from my inside spaces on a regular basis. After that day I was back on my feet and rocking it for another 4 days. The only lingering disappointment was that the first two wonderful hostel guests I met here (sharing with me their wine & good times) on the 1st evening both checked out my second day, one in the morning & one in the night. I was closed for construction that day, so goodbyes were not on the docket. Thank you Thessaloniki wiseman for your wisdom, and cypress tree Gabby for your free spirit. ||||---I just want to state that when I came down in the evening from being on the roof all that day working through problems, I could feel that every staff member & hostelmate was quietly rooting for me to get back on my feet. I felt it all day and I hardly saw anyone because they were giving me the needed space. When I arrived in the kitchen Stavros checked on me, Apollo (manager) already knew what was up, and the cherry on top.. Gabrielle with 100% open vulnerability came over immediately asking for real if I was okay (readily willing to give up her last hour to my troubles before departing, of which I declined), and then she proceeded to walk around acting like a full-fledged holy grail Monty Python moron, quoting lines obnoxiously enough that my determined frown struggled to evade her remise and parry, though she never saw the smile & fortitude return to my soul the following day. Talk about selfless giving. That dork move is one of my goto's for cheerup tactics on others, and not often met with a comforting result. She is a real woman and a knockout champ in my book. Yamas to you Mademoiselle. If anyone can get me a contact method of hers or really just pass this thankyou along, that would complete the golden Triforce of Heraklion). If I had a sister, I would definitely want one of those! :)||||||Thank you Hector Apollo Jason (the managers), Stavros (the chef), Yanis (the humbly intimidating), Gabrielle!, Dean (the saxophonic rooftop king), Martina & Santorini friend, Pierre, the German husband & wife who shared their wisdom love & grapes with me, the Thessaloniki traveling wiseman, the elegant Australian woman, Manos the architect & his fun 1st dog, the cool cat with the late afternoon green law rooftop convo, the joyful baklava pastry power galpal, and of course the ever so infatuating exhilarating & graceful Matem (I wasn't really walking you to the bus station because I just happened to be headed that way. The difference between you and Emily Blunt is that I might be imagining her character, but yours is absolutely real.) The moment was worth far too much to interrupt with contact info, but I will take your advice on the Jordan/Israel travel plan.||||Intra Muros.. save a bed for me next...

I feel like this summer not only did I travel to Crete; I also travelled to Jason and Apollon’s hostel. A destination of its own, where time stops and everything around you becomes more beautiful, more exciting. A place where everything is perfectly made so that you could begin your journey, should it be a personal or a travel one, in the best possible conditions.

Indeed, at Intra Muros, the quality of your stay goes hand in hand with the quality of your hosts. When renovating and creating this place, Jason as an architect made sure you would be provided a beautiful, safe, cozy, well-thought, suitable space to live, talk, eat, laugh -and many more- in... Everything has been thought out so that the only thing you will have to worry about during your stay is what you are going to choose to discover next.

Nothing’s missing; from the curtain, locker, coat/towel hanger, light, plug for each -extremely comfortable- bed to the fully equipped kitchen, perfectly clean bathroom, bunch of restrooms, and let’s not forget neither about the living room full of board games, with its big wooden dining table to gather around and a nice TV with Netflix ready to play on, nor the heart of this place; the rooftop (and its room provided with plenty of great books in multiple languages and the most comfortable sofa ever!!) on which, every night, travelers from all around the world get together to share beers and views, while playing guitar or watching the beautiful Cretan sky and its veil of stars…

But to me the perfection lies in the hosts themselves; two of the most amazing persons I have been blessed of meeting, of which only the conscientiousness in their work matches the benevolence. These two kind, patient, polyglot (Jason speaks at least four languages!!!), multi-cultural, genuine, funny, as knowledgeable as they are passionate about their city/island (you can go to them for any piece of advice you need or get the best recommendations about your trip, only if you manage to ask before they propose!!) open-minded, always happy to share what they have to offer, easy-going, thoughtful, generous guys -and their lovely family and friends, who will magically, instantly make you feel at home and not in an unknown place anymore- are the reason why I will come back… And why you most...

Had the pleasure of staying at Intra Muros. Initially I just came there to settle in, meet some new friends and venture out from there. My first night there I ended up meeting the most amazing people whilst traveling and needless to say I ended up extending my stay with them because the vibe there was so good that I didn’t want to leave. Have to thank the owner of the establishment who was there during the day and all the amazing volunteers that make my stay amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better time. My first day there I was invited to go on a sunset walk by David which led to me getting to know every one who was there which ended up at an amazing Greek Mexican fusion restaurant. After dinner which we ended up going out around town. David is a volunteer staying at intra muros and does a couple of hikes and tours around the area and around. If anyone needs any food option or advice on the local eating and drinking spots he’s your man. My most memorable moment staying at the hostel was the hike that we did up to the aqueduct and the second hike we did which ended at a winery for a tasting and charcuterie. Safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and I’ll definitely be back next year. Thank you again to everyone who made my stay wonderful....