Our two weeks in the villa in July were delightful. The accommodation for the fo…

Our two weeks in the villa in July were delightful. The accommodation for the four of us was excellent, the views stunning and the village of Pendamodi provided the perfect rural setting without being too far away from everything. George’s Kafenion in the village served wonderful, inexpensive food with an easy stroll back to the villa after. Thank you for choosing such an excellent place, making sure that we had everything we needed and providing us with excellent recommendations and company. Particular favourites were the outings to the Douloufakis family winery and the amazing Festival of Cheese. The holiday was very relaxing – the villa a perfect place from which to make day trips to archaeological sites, the occasional beach but also just great to stay in, chat, read by the pool and stargaze in the evening.

This villa is situated with a perfect panoramic view of valley and mountains bey…

This villa is situated with a perfect panoramic view of valley and mountains beyond. There is a verandah to give lucky holiday guests the chance to lean against the rail and absorb the land and sky with the feeling of ownership. Perhaps! The hostess is discreetly at hand with grapes and sultanas, and, more importantly, suggestions concerning experiencing cultural aspects of the village and its neighbours - during our stay we had a memorable night of dancing to a fine trio of traditional musicians who enthralled the entire village as well as ourselves. The local kafenions are welcoming and provide genuine Greek dishes, having been alerted to the presence of tourists by the owner! We enjoyed a most relaxing mosquito-free holiday - ideal for pool paddlers, bbq lovers and both hikers and car users - Heraklion and Knossos and Gortyna not too far away and very good wine available from the management!

Our family spent 9 days in this villa during the last week of May 2014. As the o…

Our family spent 9 days in this villa during the last week of May 2014. As the other reviews indicate, the views are stunning, the villa is tastefully decorated, and the location is perfect. Far from the congestion of Iraklion and well into the hilly wine country of Crete, this villa offers an authentic and lovely Cretan experience. We adored strolling through the village of Pentamodi, sampling the excellent fare from the local kafenion, and swimming in our pool overlooking the vineyards and olive trees below. The village is only 20 minutes from Iraklion, and well within reasonable driving distance to most of Crete's biggest tourist attractions. Our Greek-speaking American/French hostess, stays in one of the three lovely villas, and she made our trip one of the best we've ever taken. She has a passion for all things Cretan, and it is infectious. She greeted us with local specialties, arranged for a Cretan cooking class, and pointed us in the direction of the best wineries, tavernas, pastry shops, and undiscovered beaches. She even donated her time to serve as our tour guide of Pentamodi and a nearby village, and babysat for our two boys so my husband and I could enjoy a rare date night out. If you are looking to enjoy "authentic" Crete, far-removed from the mega-resorts, this is for you. Rent a car and go. It is - in sum - perfect.

When we saw the description for the villa we thought "this sounds too good to be…

When we saw the description for the villa we thought "this sounds too good to be true". But, having spent 10 days there in July 2014, we can honestly say the description on the website does not do it justice. We arrived late at night and were blown away by the breathtaking view of mountains, vineyards and olive groves on the first morning. The pool was very tempting and we made great use of it throughout the holiday. It is amazing to watch the swallows swooping in for a drink without landing. The pool is well maintained but families with little ones should note that the deep end is 5ft 9in deep. The villa is spacious and well appointed and has air con although we only needed to use it on one night when it was particularly hot. A nice touch is the briki so you make your own Greek coffee. We spent our afternoons alternately taking a dip and relaxing on the veranda, taking in the magnificent view. And to quench our thirst, a quick trip to the tap situated between the villas which dispenses fresh spring water. Pendamodi, where the villa is, is not at all touristy and few of the locals speak English. But, like all the Cretans we encountered, they are friendly and we spent a pleasurable evening in each of the local bars. The villa is no more than 15 minutes from Heraklion (there's a Carrefour near the stadium where we did most of our shopping) and Crete's major road, the E75, which allows access to the rest of the island. The only issues we had were finding the place the first time - the turn-off to Mires on the E75 is easily missed - and the villa is at the top of a steep hill which the little Fiat Punto we had hired struggled to cope with. As an aside, we loved Crete. We did all the usual touristy things like visiting the ruins at Knossos but also got off the beaten track a little. We would recommend visiting Chanea and also the WW2 graveyards at nearby Souda Bay and Maleme. The food and drink on Crete is very cheap in comparison with most of Europe and English is understood almost everywhere. Beware the raki that is offered after every meal, particularly if you're driving. It's fire water. The weather was excellent although it was very windy on one day and overcast on another. Bizarrely it even rained, although only for about one minute. Finally, the last word must be in praise of the owner. She was very friendly, never overbearing, an exemplary host and a great guide. The same can be said of her husband. Without their advice and assistance, we probably would not have enjoyed visits to the former hippy beach at Matala or a wine festival in a nearby village. We are happy to give this villa the highest possible recommendation and plan to return one day. A gem.