Achlada - Mourtzanakis Residence

We arrived at Moutzanakis quite late at night, after a late flight, and couldn't have felt more welcome. Our villa was lovely. Simply but stylishly furnished, airy and light, and with two terraces on the ground floor, and one upstairs, leading out from our bedroom. Outside, the two pools looked very inviting, although they were a little chilly in early April. When we awoke on our first morning and saw the views of the surrounding hills and the sea, we realised just how picturesque the setting is. This was topped off with a delicous (and substantial!) breakfast - all locally sourced - provided in the communal eating area. Marco and his wife provide a wealth of information on the local area, and they speak excellent English and French. We made a couple of trips into Heraklion, which we thought was a wonderful and vibrant town (contrary perhaps to popular belief) and we thoroughly enjoyed a visit to a nearby convent, as recommended by Marco, to see the beautiful gardens . There were many other things we could have done, but didn't have chance during our four day stay. The area surrounding Achlada and the nearby coastline definitely seems less touristy than the Chania end of the island, where we went after our stay at Moutzanakis. It's an excellent place to get away from it all and the sort of location that would suit couples or families who like to be away from the main tourist areas, and who enjoy walking or driving around to explore.