All year

Double room €45-80 per night (breakfast included)

En-suite bathroom (small shower)
Television
Refrigerator

dining room
sitting room
terraces

The house is situated above the road in a tiny village. It is a beautiful rural area with hills, and the coast is only about a quarter of an hour by car.

There are several ways to get to Crete. There’s an international airport at Iraklion another airport at Hania, and ferries from Piraeus arrive at Hania, Rethymno, Iraklion and Agios Nikolas further east. Iraklion is closest to the House of Kouriton, but Hania and Rethymno work too. To get to the guesthouse, you should follow the national road between Iraklion and Rethymno and turn off at the exit for Panormos (about 20 km from Rethymno, or 55 km from Iraklion). From here you should follow signs for Perama. In Perama, turn right and continue straight until you see a sign to the left for Margarites. The House of Kouriton is in Tzanakiana, the village just before Margarites. There is no sign, but it is hard to miss the impeccably restored stone house right above the road.

The island of Crete has everything to offer, and so does the province of Rethymno by itself: a historical town to explore, countryside where you can get a taste of traditional life, mountains great for outdoor activity and beautiful beaches. The only thing it doesn’t have is a major archaeological site, though there are some smaller ones. (And of course Knossos, one of the most impressive sites in Greece, is not far.)

The old town of Rethymno has an unbeatable charm. The 16th century fortress, the colourful historical quarter with its narrow winding lanes, Venetian and Turkish houses, churches and mosques, wall fountains and small shops, and the picturesque Venetian port make it worth at least a full day visit. Take your time to wander around, to visit the fortress, to have a meal in the port and to visit the archaeological museum.

The northern coast of the province has some long stretches of beach, but most of it is too built-up and developed to my taste and I wouldn’t recommend you stick around. There are a few spots that have kept their charm. The seaside village of Panormos, for instance, is quite exceptional. It was a flourishing trading port in the 19th century, but it hasn’t developed much since. It miraculously escaped the fate of so many other Cretan seaside villages that were taken over by tourism. There are a couple of biggish hotels on the outskirts of the village, but nevertheless the village itself has remained quiet and unspoilt, with a handful of grocery stores and craft shops, and a few small cafés and tavernas with tables out in the pedestrian streets. Next to the port there are two sandy beaches which are not bad at all.

Away from the coast, the landscape turns green and hilly, with peaceful villages scattered around. Don’t miss the ceramics village of Margarita where you can find interesting pottery. The village is also known for its excellent tavernas, each one serving its own speciality. Further south there are several mountains, including Crete’s highest, Mount Idi (or Psiloritis). In its foothills, the village of Spili is known for its 25 lion fountainheads. Other places of interest are the Sfendoni Caves, the Gorge of Kourtaliotiko as well as several monasteries.  

The southern coast if Rethymno has a wild and untamed beauty, and there are several magnificent beaches. The beauty of Preveli beach, at the mouth of a river gorge lined with palm trees, is hard to describe. However, when I went there an afternoon in August, I found it too crowded to fully enjoy it. If you’re in Crete during the high season, try to go very early in the morning, and later go on the visit the Preveli Monastery. Other well-known and beautiful beaches include Tripetra, Damnoni and Plakias, but with a good map, a decent car and some walking shoes you can find many more that are quieter.