The villa is located in a small hamlet half way up a mountain in central Rethymno province. This is definitely not a holiday resort and you are likely to be the only tourists around - and all the better for it! Surrounding houses are occupied by locals who we guess are farmers; all were friendly. Sweet little church.

The flip side is that you have to drive for everything, whether for tavernas or for shopping if you want to eat "in". Ditto for beaches but there is stunning walking from the village if that's your thing. This was not a problem for us. We ate in Plakias a couple of times (which is getting increasingly busy and touristy), one local village taverna (OK) but mostly at "Niko's" The Old Forge/ To Sideradiko just the other side of Spili - highly recommended for traditional Greek meat and veggie dishes; no menu, you choose from what he's cooked that day.

The villa itself is charming, tastefully decorated with many clever artistic touches. It gives the impression of being recently refurbished and cared for, clean and contemporary despite being in a very old building. There is plenty of room in lounge areas and on terraces as well as three good sized bedrooms and two bathrooms. The pool area is across a small lane so make sure you take the house key with you! The pool itself is fairly small but deep and great for a quick plunge to cool down. Amazing views from everywhere but especially the pool.

We were met on the main road by John (the owner) who led us to the villa along some pretty rustic roads - the last slope being a bit of a challenge! In the end we usually parked at the bottom and walked the last 100 yards! John was very pleasant and helpful and popped back from time to time to check all was well and clean the pool. Just right - there if needed but not intrusive.

The villa is stocked with useful consumables in the kitchen and bathrooms which we really appreciated (unlike many other villas we've stayed in), eg olive oil, herbs, coffee filters, kitchen towels, toilet rolls, soap. The kitchen equipment was all good quality, newish and functioning.

The maid came once during the (7 day) stay and was extremely thorough, staying almost half a day. As on arrival, she created towel "sculptures" which was fun and added to the sense that the owners cared.

Overall, a very nice villa in an amazing location if you are OK being away from beaches, night life and tavernas and/or are happy driving. We loved it.