| White River Cottages | |
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Aspros Potamos Makrigialos 720 55 Crete |
find it on the map |
Set on the hillside in the midst of greenery, this is a unique collection of little 19th century stone cottages, restored in the late 1980s by owner Vangelis Mavrakis. He did the interiors in a flawless minimalist style with stone-paved floors, whitewashed walls, wood-beamed ceilings and stone-built beds. Some are partly built into the rocks and have large chunks of natural rock dramatically protruding from the walls. Each cottage has its own private terrace. The White River Cottages are an obvious pick for hikers and nature lovers, but it also makes an excellent choice for anyone who just wants to simply relax. There is even a beautiful swimming pool that sits at the bottom of a sandstone wall amidst stone terraces - just what you need if you want to spend a few quiet and lazy days. And - not hard to guess - this is also an ideal place to come to with children. I stayed with mine for a week when they were little. They absolutely loved it.
What makes it special to me:
Charm so close to the sea and yet so far from it all, the pool, the friendliness, bliss!
But what you should keep in mind:
To me, the little notices posted on the walls are the only flaw.
| Owner | Vangelis Mavrakis |
| Address | Aspros Potamos |
| Makrigialos | |
| 720 55 Crete | |
| Tel. | 28430-51120 |
| Fax | 28430-51120 |
| wriver@otenet.gr | |
| Website | Not Available |
| Opening period: | White River Cottages are open from late April until the end of October |
| Children: | Welcome |
| Dogs: | Allowed upon prior agreement |
| Credit cards: | AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA, MASTERCARD |
| Accommodation | 5 cottages for 2 persons 3 cottages for up to 3 persons 4 cottages for up to 4 persons | ||||||||||||
| Prices: |
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| Room facilities | En-suite bathroom (shower) |
| Other facilities | Garden with terraces |
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The cottages are self catering and there is no restaurant, but each cottage has a correctly equipped kitchette. There is a wide choice of restaurants near the coast. |
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The White River Cottages are in Aspros Potamos, a little hamlet of miniature stone cottages, set among olive and carob trees on the hill of a peaceful valley, at the beginning (or end) of the beautiful Pefki gorge (a 1,5 hour' walk to the village of Pefki). It is about 1 km from the coastal village Makrigialos, so if you don’t have a car, and you feel active enough, you can actually go to the beach, do your shopping and go to restaurants on foot. |
 find it on the map
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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. If you stay at White River Cottages, the airport of Iraklion or the port of Agios Nicolas are the best choice. The drive from the airport (or port) of Iraklion is quite enjoyable and takes about two hours. First you follow the signs for Agios Nikolaos and Sitia, and about 20 km after Agios Nikolaos you turn towards Ierapetra. From Ierapetra you take the coastal road towards Sitia. After you pass through Makrigialos (about 20 km from Ierapetra) and enter Analipsi, you should look for a small sign on your left for White River Cottages. After 1 km you will find a parking area and the reception of White River Cottages. |
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When you drive along the coast from Ierapetra to Makrygialos, you may get the impression that tomatoes and package deal tourism constitute the only economic activity in this part of Crete. There are a few attractive looking stretches on the way, but in too many places the coastline is marred by random construction and greenhouses. It gets better towards Makrygialos, a small seaside village with a charming fishing harbour. The adjacent village Analipsi is touristy and not the kind of place I would normally recommend, but thanks to the combination of excellent sandy beaches, the beautiful hinterland, and some great places to stay, I very happily spent a full week here, and I would gladly go back for more. The beaches are sandy with shallow waters, perfect for families with small children. I was there in the first half of July and the beaches lining the village were reasonably quiet; there were some more beaches a few kilometres from the village that we had practically to ourselves. |
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Read here what others said about White River Cottages
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We had a wonderful stay at White River Cottages and we do totally agree to your description in your book. We were very lucky to discover your book and I'm sure that this won't be our last destination to travel to. Please let us know when your new book will come out! Eva K.Innsbruck, Austria June 2007 |
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We were extremely pleased with our two centre holiday at White River Cottages, followed by a week at Elia. The accommodation in both cases was excellent and more than expected, and service/staff were wonderful and well informed. Both places were in unspoiled areas with much to discover. Thank you for the wonderful experience. Jeffrey K.Southwell, UK August 2006 |
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From the moment we arrived at White River Cottages we fell in love with the place. Built in traditional Cretan style, they are set into the hills amongst the olive groves and yet just a 15 minute moon/star lit walk away from the sea. The cottage themselves have everything you need in terms of mod cons and privacy but at the same time retain their authentic charm. If you can, get one of the larger cottages with a balcony looking out to sea, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Also, if you can drag yourself away from the swimming pool, ask Iris, the wonderful manager, for suggestions of other things to do. She'll tell you about the best local restaurants, street markets, beautiful drives through the mountains, remote beaches and even a very highly recommended Shiatsu massage courtesy of her husband Amnon (apologies if I have misspelled his name). If we had any complaint, it was the wind which blew for a fair amount of our stay (mid July), but for us it was a welcome relief from the heat. One more thing, don't try and recreate the Greek salads when you get home, they're not the same. Toby and Nicky B.London, UK July 2006 |
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Did you stay here?I'd love to hear how you liked it