House vacation rentals in Makry Gialos

We enjoyed a fantastic four days in Aris’ place, the views of the plateau and mountains are just beautiful! We felt right at home, and it was lovely to have Aris and his wife physically there at check in, a rarity these days! The images really don’t do this place justice, it is up some winding roads but we were prepared for that having visited the plateau in 2012. We can’t recommend staying here more, we really wish we’d have booked a longer stay! Aris had a fantastic hire car recommendation too, which was also great, and we had some amazing recommendations from them too. Thank you very much Aris!

The villa was just as described. Great location, walkable to the beach and close to bars and restaurants yet still private. We were able to check in early and were met by Maria’s family and all the amenities were explained well. Maria checked in with us regularly and came to clean during our stay. We even locked ourselves out and Maria was very helpful in getting us back in. Check out was also very smooth and easy. Overall a great stay and would recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Two friends and I just returned from a 5-day stay at Pantelis’s place, and we had an amazing time. The apartment’s location was perfect—right in the heart of town, with plenty of bars and restaurants at your doorstep, and just a 5-minute walk to the beach. One of the highlights was the newly added rooftop area with a jacuzzi pool, which truly elevated our holiday. It’s been finished to the highest standards, with thoughtful touches throughout—comfortable seating, shaded areas, music, and a great overall atmosphere. We’ve stayed in many Airbnbs over the years, and this was by far the best. The apartment itself was very well-equipped, with air conditioning in every room, and luxurious extras like robes, slippers, high-quality towels, and bedding. They even stocked the place with essentials, which was a lovely surprise. Huge thanks to Pantelis and Despina for being such great hosts—we’d absolutely recommend this place and would love to come back in the future!

remarkable and very well thought-out architecture; the building materials are of quality and the space is maximized. The whole place offers plenty of comfort. Marilou is very attentive to ensure impeccable service: many products provided, very regular maintenance, cleaning and linen change. We would highly recommend.

Snorkelling paradise! Nikos and the Stone House were both great. The house is small, but has everything you need, with the pool and BBQ area where we spent most of our time, and the steps down to the sea lead to a perfect spot for snorkelling, where we saw all sorts of types of sea life. Nikos was there with everything we needed, including recommendations of beaches / restaurants etc. Ierepetra is a much nicer town than people say and the Stone House is a 5 minute drive into town. You could walk, but we didn't. Would highly recommend!

We had a super time with Stefani and Antonis. The villa is super, the pool was warm, the area quiet, and the view down to Herssonios and out right to the mountains was lovely. We chose it because it was walking distance to some shops and restaurants. The village is lovely and a short 5-10min walk from the villa. We were at the very end of the season, so many of the restaurants in the village closed, but we always found somewhere to eat. Herssonios is a longer walk away (maybe 30 mins) and has supermarkets, pharmacies, and restaurants galore, even after the season ended. We found the walk downhill to the town, and back uphill to the village fine, even with 2 kids. Herssonios itself didn’t hold much charm for us, but we found a taxi to Agios Nikolas (delightful), Heraklion’s museum (more engaging for us than the Athens archeological museum), and Rethimno (lovely old town, laneway cafes, long stretch of beach) filled enough of our days. And with a heated pool to return to, no complaints.

As a couple staying here, we can recommend for a quiet and relaxing stay. Everything is as advertised: simple but clean. The terrace offers privacy and is surrounded by olive trees. Restaurants are on walking distance, as is the beach (20 min) if you can cope with the steep hill. As almost everywhere in Crete, a car comes in handy for any other trips.

A gem and a beautiful retreat in southern Crete. The villa has everything your heart desires, a beautiful view, pool and a modern kitchen that makes every heart of a hobby cook beat faster. I will miss the morning and evening bath in the pool with the view. Since it has almost no light pollution, you can see a starry sky and the Milky Way with the naked eye. Secluded beaches are easily accessible by car within 30 minutes, so a car is highly recommended. Doesn't have to be an SUV. Sam is available at any time and communicates very quickly. Furthermore, he or Lefteris are always available with tips and advice. Sam and Anel are more than super hosts and I can recommend their villa villa 200%.

Despina's place is a gem - perfect in every way. It deserves 10 stars out of 5.

Super host with a lovely place and beautiful view. Provided us with a lot of yummy goodies and taking. A real cretan hospitality. We will recommend his beautiful place 100%.

The house has such stunning interiors, it is laid out like a 5 star hotel suite with all the added extras too - top quality shampoo/conditioner, body lotion and more. Kitchen was outstanding with every device require including 2 coffee machines - capsules and filter. The lounge is really big and the interiors very high quality, the TV is massive! The beds are super comfy and the linens really wonderful cotton, with beautiful throw cushions and occasional chairs. It feels like a 5 star hotel. As you enter the house on the lower level there are 2 double bedrooms with a shared bathroom and the laundry room, one flight of stairs up is the lounge/kitchen, and outside patio, then up again to the top floor is the master bedroom with dressing room, storage cupboard, ensuite bathroom, and outside patio. All rooms have air-conditioning. Sitia is a lovely harbor town with many restaurants and a great beach, lots of others a short drive away. Totally recommend this place - we hit the jackpot.

Everything is very well maintained - the location within walking distance to the beach is unbeatable. Friendly welcome from the host, highly recommended!

When you are 20 steps from the waterfront and a choice of loveley taverna's, there is not much more you could whish for. Oded's place is lovely and we loved sitting in front of it and watch the world go by.

Very clean. Easy access to the sea.

Absolutely lovely space. Located on a hillside with a beautiful view of the town below and the mountains in the distance. The host was extremely responsive and gave amazing recommendations for activities around town. It’s hard to list individual things because absolutely everything was perfect. Next time we return to Sitia, I would love to stay here again.

The stay was great. The location with this beautiful view directly on the sea was outstanding! We felt like at home and the children loved it too. We were always able to reach out to Karolos and he gave us great tips for restaurants and things to do. We'd come back in a heartbeat!

After 12 days of stay, we can recommend this atmospheric, Greek, with all the amenities of a home. Two terraces allowed you to enjoy the view of the sea every day. The nearby beach requires a short effort to walk (a rocky descent from the mountain), but it guarantees peace and crystal water. In the nearby towns (5-10 minutes drive) you can find many well-stocked shops and, more importantly, great taverns with excellent food. In a word, we recommend "Katarina" with home. The owner took care of every detail - a nice welcome surprise and very quick contact. In addition, thank you again for letting us check in faster because we arrived at night. Katrina,s home, is the equivalent of traditional Greek hospitality. 🙂👍

We loved our 5 night stay here. Maria is a kind and helpful host who booked taxis for us and responded quickly to any questions we had. The apartment is very comfortable and nicely furnished with a wonderful view of Spinalonga and the sea as other guests have described. We really appreciated Maria's thoughtfulness in providing milk, fruit, snacks, and wine. The kitchen is also well stocked with condiments and tea and coffee. It is a 10 -15 minute walk down the hill to the beach and gorgeous turquoise blue water for swimming (take reef shoes or thongs for the smooth stone beach though). Of course that also means a walk back up the hill with no shade... Plaka is a delightful, small village with great restaurants overlooking the water. Maria's place is such a lovely place to relax and enjoy the wonderful view. You won't be disappointed.

All good. It's a really cute little house up in the mountains, with a lot of really nice local food left for us in the kitchen. And the beds are really comfy. And we like the view. So thank you and see you again! Etta (aged 10) & Sophia

Great place to stay which I highly recommend. We felt at home. We had the beach to ourselves, so to speak. Eftychia was always easily accessible, mega helpful and accommodating. As a welcome gift, she provided us with fresh vegetables, fruits and wine. Everything was perfect.

The house is fantastic - it’s comfortable, cute, and in a great location. It’s well stocked / supplied, and the courtyard is nice for an early morning / evening hang-out. If you haven’t stayed in a traditional-style house before, it’s a great opportunity to do so. Eleni is lovely and was really helpful - we had an issue with the wifi & she was in touch to fix it right away. Kavousi is a great place to stay in its own right, or to base yourself if you’re adventuring around east Crete.

We had a wonderful time in Despina's apartment. We just liked everything and we felt welcome and comfortable. The description is great, the reality is much better. Despina is always helpful and responsive. We had some trouble finding the place. I wrote to Despina and she responded right away. She has arranged a meeting place with us. There, she was already waiting for us🙏. We really want to come back, there is still so much to discover in eastern Crete. Many thanks, dear Despina and best regards to your mom ❤️

We loved our stay! The apartment is located just on top of the Taverna and about 15 meters from the beach. Within 5 minutes walk there is also a yoga location offering amazing drop in classes. From the moment we drove into the town we were warmly greeted by the lambros family. We spent the next 5 days at the beach and taverna relaxing. It was a great experience and we truly felt part of the local community for the short period we stayed. I highly recommend it if you want to relax and do less rather than more! The apartment is spacious and provides all you need for your stay, including a washing machine. The bed was very comfortable and there was plenty of space to chill.

We had an amazing stay in Agios Ioannis. The house is beautiful, clean, calm, with beautiful views and a great garden. Perfect location to escape tourism and enjoy the mountains. We highly recommend and hope to visit again!