Panayiotis House, Gavalohori, Crete

When asked where you are going on holiday, you could say, we've rented a barbecue in Crete, because this little house is more about alfresco dining and the smell of wood smoke, than it is about a roof over your head, charming as it may be.

Situated in the sleepy, leafy hamlet of Agios Pavlos, 1km from Gavalohori, this simple little cottage may only accommodate 2 people, but down below in the courtyard, under the green cover of grapevines, you'll find a large purpose built barbecue complete with Cretan oven, plus a table and enough bench seating for half the village!

The house is Panayiotis's, old family home, which he rents to us and throws in free of charge, the beautiful courtyard and barbecue area along with the adjoining terrace, the garden, the well and a shady walnut tree, plus all the nuts you can eat! Bargain or what! We thought...

From the village street, large double entrance doors open into a rustic hallway supported by lovely old stone arches and leading through to the courtyard, where a staircase ascends above the sea of grapevines to the delightful covered terrace. If you are not into barbecues, but just enjoy peace and quiet, the sound of birds in the trees and sublime pastoral views across the Cretan countryside, you've found it, this is the place to be....

Moving on, an entrance door with a huge old key opens into the living area furnished in a simple Cretan country style with characteristic panelled ceilings and exposed stonework around the window frames. Off the living room is a door to a small double bedroom, which in turn has a door to a short hallway.

Off the hallway is a smart little shower room as well as a kitchen with a full cooker and a large fridge freezer. The kitchen also has a convenient door out to the covered terrace, where breakfast, lunch and dinner are normally taken unless of course, you are barbecuing something exciting in the courtyard below or perhaps dining alfresco under the walnut tree!

Over the past couple of years, Panayiotis has furthered his commitment to the great outdoors, so that visitors now have the use of a second balcony accessed from the living room and a third large sunbathing terrace reached via a staircase on the other side of the courtyard. Maybe a little extravagant for a house that sleeps 2 but if one of the appeals of Crete is its eccentricities this one could well become your favourite.
 
Finally, the village of Gavalohori is a pleasant 20 minutes walk away if the days not too hot, and if you are there around lunchtime you may bump into Panayiotis who works for the local electricity company and tends to frequent the shady Cafenion at the top of the square! Please don't let him ply you with Raki, the local firewater, or you might end up renting his house for the whole summer, nuts and all, like we did!

Gavalochori, Crete
In the centre of the scenic Apokoronou Penisula, 3.5 km inland from Almirida and at the end of a green and wooded valley leading down to the sea, the beguiling little village of Gavalohori has enjoyed something of a renaissance over the past 10 years. This is in part thanks to a woman's co-operative where they make and sell local handicrafts such as lace and silk products. Many of the houses have been renovated in traditional fashion and the village has a pleasant air of both rural charm and prosperity. ...More about Gavalochori >>