Our two families (seven people in all) had a magical time at Oikos 1900 on our first (hopefully not last) trip to the island of Crete. The home had more than enough space for all of us and was equipped with everything we needed. I especially loved that the house has character and history while at the same time feeling very comfortable with modern conveniences (AC units in the bedrooms). We felt completely welcomed and well taken care of by our hosts who live right next door and are easily accessible for any questions or needs. The village of Gonia and surrounding area are incredibly charming and peaceful. The location near Rethymno was central enough to allow for trips to most parts of the island without too long of a drive. I am already dreaming of returning to Crete and would definitely stay at Oikos 1900 again!
This place has been just perfekt for us. It is located in a small, nice and quite village. The house and pool was need, clean and comfortable. The house is very special, since it is very old, authentic and beautifully arranged. We felt there just extremely comfortable and at home. Even though we felt at the countryside, we got every morning our very lovely fresh bred from the nearby cornershop or freshly made cheese from the nearby cheese dairy (sheep&goat). With our rental car we went to different beaches. All of them were fantastic. Since it was already the end of October the beaches were nearly empty and we had a very peaceful und relaxing time. The sea was still warm and therefore we could enjoy it every day. The locals there were very friendly. We didn't meet in this village other tourists, therefore it was very peaceful. Thanks a lot to our great hosts Konstantinos & Fotini! We feld very warm welcomed and at ease. You made this place so special. We hope to be able to visit this place again!
Wir hatten im Oktober wunderbare sommerliche Ferien in diesem schönen Haus. Alles war perfekt, es fehlte nichts um sich rund um die Uhr erholen zu können. Das Haus ist liebevoll restauriert, die Einrichtung einfach nur schön, und die sehr netten und hilfsbereiten Besitzer stehen gern mit Rat undTat zur Seite. Wenn wir mal keine Lust auf Unternehmungen in die Umgebung hatten, konnten wir an dem herlichen Pool entspannen und einfach nichts tun. Wir kommen auf alle Fälle wieder!!!
It always remains the big question mark when booking an apartment / house: "Is it as nice as it looks on the picture?" Well no doubt about it in this case. It was truly amazing. Perfectly accommodated house, well maintained, great service by Konstantinos and his wife and the perfect get away from the main tourist areas while still being close them.
The spacious, traditional villa has been beautifully restored with everything you need, the mountain views are wonderful, especially at sunset, and the peace and tranquillity are ideal for a relaxing holiday, but within easy reach of the beaches and sites of interest.
The owners, Konstantinos and Fotini, are warm and welcoming and keep the house in immaculate condition, they are close by if you need any assistance. The pool and garden area is separate, but completely private and very relaxing.
A car is definitely the best option, but we managed without as there are regular buses into Rethymno which run throughout the day, buy tickets from the local store which has all the essentials. The local taverna is excellent and very friendly and there are a couple of friendly bars in the village too.
We went in October and it was a little cooler than expected up in the mountains in the evenings, so take a jumper so you can enjoy being outside as much as possible.
Merci beaucoup à Konstantinos pour la qualité de service dont il a fait preuve. Il apporte un grand soin à la satisfaction de ses locataires et est toujours disponible. Etant un guide touristique diplômé, il est d'excellent conseil pour visiter l'île. Une grande maison à recommander pour celles et ceux recherchant une maison typique au calme dans un petit village charmant.
Last july we, a dutch family with 8 persons, stayed in this authentic greek house . The house is well renovated and equipped with all luxury, from dishwasher to washingmachine and 4 bathrooms.
The garden with pool is beautiful and well maintained. We enjoyed our stay very much and could recommend it to everyone, but don't forget to rent a car !
The owners are kind and caring!!
We were a party of 2 families (4 adults, 4 children and 1 infant) and we stayed at Mr Skalidis property for 3 weeks and from the time we arrived everything was taken care by the villa owners.
From the first moment Mr. Skalidis and his wife reminded us what Greek hospitality is all about . Our initial flight was delayed by 24hrs and when we arrived tired at the villa they had already prepared dinner for us and they had fruits and beverages in the refrigerator until we get the chance to do our own shopping.
The villa was better than the pictures and the garden with the pool was excellent in order to offer privacy and relaxation.
Mr. Skalidis provided us with a lot of handy tips on where to eat, beautiful beaches and other places we were interested to visit.
Overall was an excellent experience and we hope that we will visit again Gonia and the beautiful Villa.
We met the owner of the house at the village gas station and drove after him through small lanes to the highest point of the village. We were welcomed also by Konstantinos' wife Fotini, and by nice Cretan snacks and fruit. We were introduced to the nicely restored house with lots and lots of lovely details. The house consists of two separate floors, on the lower floor a perfectly equipped kitchen and a sitting area, two bedrooms and bathrooms and a nice terrace with enough space for all of us, 5 adults, 3 girls (8, 10 and 11 yrs). From the terrace a staircase leads to the upper floor with one bedroom and bathroom, a lovely large room with sofa beds and a loft with two beds. In addition there was a kitchen and a bathroom on the upper floor, and a nice small terrace. We just loved the house! The garden with nice trees, flowers and herbs and the pool was separated from the house by a narrow road - a nice place for relaxing. Especially the kids loved the good sized pool, and spent hours there! Not just the house Oikos 1900 but also the village Gonia was lovely, small lanes, mostly old houses, some not yet restored. The village has one super market, adequately well equipped, and a taverna with very good food. We have stayed in Rethymnon area several times before, and thought we know the area quite well. In spite of that we got some nice hints from Konstantinos of routes and places unknown to us! The village is nicely situated in between the north and south coasts of Crete, and not far from the beautiful Rethymnon. We really enjoyed our week in Oikos 1900, wish we could have stayed longer!
Kostantinos and Fotini, whose house this is, and who live next door while the main house is rented, are warm, generous, discreet and thoughtful hosts. Fotini prepares a light meal for guests on arrival, and Konstantinos presents the raki in tradtionally Cretan style. Konstantinos is a qualified tour guide, and though we didn't take up his offer of guidance around monuments, he offered really useful advice.
This is a lovely house in beautiful surroundings. It feels older than 1900, and stands as testament to the persistence of stone and wood in the vernacular rural architecture well into the 20th century. There's a wonderful sense of family history here. All mod cons, though the internet is slightly archaic and the signal not very consistent, understandably in this rural area - no worse than in rural Shropshire! The cleaning lady visits frequently - perhaps too frequently; but if I owned this house, I'd be careful to keep it in order, too.
Stunning view over the White Mountains! Excellent tavernas in the area. Surprisingly short driving time to places - roads much better than expected, and a pleasure to drive on, if you know what you're doing. Having driven in Sicily, I can safely say driving in Crete is a piece of cake. There is a clutch of fools, but most drivers are careful, courteous and tolerant of others' slow decisions. Rethymno is about 15 minutes away, Chania an hour, Heraklion an hour and a half. Best of all is the drive over the mountains to the South Coast. Whatever route you take, the scenery is jaw-dropping!
A visit to Oikos 1900 is strongly recommended – but beware: the longer you stay, the more you'll drift into the Cretan way of life. It's an addictive state, from which it's hard to emerge!
A traditional house under snow-capped mountains up the winding narrow streets of a quiet village. The local owners are next door, know the area and give helpful advice without being at all intrusive. The village has a small shop and a restaurant. I wouldn't say service was fast but cooking was from the heart and the family that run it very welcoming.
The house is spacious and well equipped. It is no homogenised modern box but that is why we chose it. Plumbing had its rural Greek moments but anything odd was immediately sorted by the owners.
In 20 minutes one can drive to the beach and in this week in April have it almost all to one oneself. Water turquoise and 16 degrees though the shelf away is a bit steep for the little ones. The season is gearing up with everything starting in the second week of April which made us love it all the more. The village has only a very few holiday homes and is not overly 'prettified'. Rethymnon is also 15 minutes away and whilst it has its touristy moments there is still charm in its streets. Tailors, bead and ribbon shops and cobblers amongst the keyring, sunglasses and jewellery shops.
Das Haus ist mit viel Liebe restauriert und geschmackvoll eingerichtet. Die Lage ist angenehm ruhig. Trotz Busanbindung empfehle ich unbedingt einen Mietwagen, um die schönen Strände zu erreichen. Fotini und Konstantin sind aufmerksame Gastgeber, die perfekt deutsch sprechen.
Am Abend auf der Terrasse sitzen, mit Blick auf die hinter den "Weißen Bergen" untergehende Sonne, Käse, Oliven und ein Glas Wein. Ein Gefühl von Glück und Dankbarkeit, hier sein zu dürfen, umfängt uns.
Das Ferienhaus der Familie Niti-Skalidis bietet uns alles und mehr, was wir zum Wohlfühlen brauchen. Es ist gekonnt restauriert und erweitert worden. Spuren der Geschichte wie aufgearbeitete Möbelstücke, alte Fotos und Werkzeug sind immer wieder zu finden und verbinden sich harmonisch mit modernen Elementen. Zimmer und Küche sind groß und gut ausgestattet; mit 4 Badezimmern gibt es keine Wartezeiten. Der gepflegte Garten mit Pool duftet nach Gewürzen und Blumen. Orangen-, Zitronen- und Granatapfelbäume, von denen wir so manche Frucht geschenkt bekamen, bieten Schatten und ergänzen die Farbpalette. Abends kann man sich von der kunstvoll gestalteten Beleuchtung (Fr. Nitit) bezaubern lassen.
Will man diese Idylle verlassen, um die nähere oder weitere Gegend zu erkunden, kann man auf die Empfehlungen der Vermieter zurückgreifen, die über fundierte Kenntnisse verfügen, was die Insel Kreta betrifft. Wanderungen, auch durch weniger bekannte Schluchten, schöne Badestrände und Buchten, pittoreske Orte, Ausgrabungen, Museen, Galerien, Geschäfte und gute Restaurants haben wir durch ihre Tipps genießen können.
Mein Mann und ich waren mit 2 befreundeten Paaren in Oikos 1900 zu Gast. Uns allen hat der Aufenthalt außerordentlich gut gefallen. Auch in anderen Konstellationen, z.B. eine Großfamilie o.ä., lässt sich hier wundervoll Urlaub machen.
To us September is a great month to visit Crete, Gonia might not be the hottest spot on the island but if you're seeking quietness, the sea close by (approx. 8 km, easy if you have a car), a tavern you could dine every evening, and if not eating out, a property with large kitchen and space to easily take four parties (as equipped with four separate bathrooms) Oikos1900 is your place.
Beautiful home - even better than the pictures on the website. Spacious, clean, well equipped. Very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and generous hosts: knowledgeable suggestions, fresh local fruits and jams, and always available for help. Highly recommended!
We had a really lovely time at the villa. It is spacious, well-equipped and full of character. We had lots of fun in the pool, which is set in a beautiful garden, shaded by orange and pomegranate trees. The villa overlooks the village and the surrounding countryside, and is just a few minutes walk from the village square.
Konstantinos and Fotini were attentive hosts who welcomed us with some much-needed food, wine and raki on our arrival and cooked a delicious Cretan meal for us during our stay. They also gave us plenty of useful advice on places to visit.
Gonia is a pretty village with a friendly bar on the square, where we spent several evenings drinking the local wine. The food at the village Taverna was excellent, and there was also a pretty well-stocked shop in walking distance of the villa. There is also a fantastic butchers and bakers within a five minute drive, as well as several supermarkets within a 10 minute drive. Rethynmon was easy to get to, and the main town beach was really good, but the best beach was about 20 minutes the other way down the coast (Lappei beach). This beach had miles of sand, a fantastic bar/restaurant and great swimming conditions for the kids. Getting to the beaches on the other side of the island took about 45 minutes, and was worth it just for the drive which takes you through the most beautiful countryside.
We spent a wonderful week at the villa, which was even better in person than in the pictures. There were 7 of us in total, and there was plenty of room for all of us. We had lots of room and never did use the extra kitchen upstairs. We made great use of all the amenities, including the courtyard, upper deck with the great views of the valley, and the great pool. All mealtimes were spent outside in the warm sunny weather. Our host offered to cook a celebratory meal, and did a great job. He even presented the birthday girl with a present...a signed book that he wrote about Greece. We even had food in the fridge when we arrived, honey & homemade jams for the week, and fresh vegetables would appear on the table. The property has citrus trees and a pomegranate tree as well. The village where this is located is very handy to the main highway as well as the southern coast. We did day trips in our cars each day, and found it to be very central. The host was very accommodating, spoke great English (as well as other languages), arranged tours for us, and provided maid service half-way through our week-long stay. I would highly recommend this villa for anyone (including my friends and family) wanting an authentic Greek experience on Crete. I hope to return one day & stay here again.
After last year we spent again wonderful days in Gonia. The accommodation was very comfortable and cozy, the hosts as always very warmly. The right place for those who likes real cretan life. And if you want good tips for excursions, ask Mr Skalidis. He knows everything about he wonderful island because he is professionell Tour Guide.
This villa was a fantastic venue for a 2 week family get-together for my wife and I from Edinburgh, and my two girls and their partners from London. We enjoyed great barbecues, cooked by the pool in the beautiful garden, and the youngsters practiced their yoga there.
The traditional house built in 1900 from stone and wood, provided a huge amount of space for 6 of us. All bedrooms were well air-conditioned and had en suite shower facilities. I particularly enjoyed watching the sun go down from the veranda over the beautifully silhouetted Cretan mountains to the west.
Our hosts Konstantinos and Fontini were very welcoming. There was food waiting for us when we arrived late and they waited up to welcome my girls’ party that did not arrive until 2 am due to a delayed flight. The house was cleaned and our bed linen and towels replaced every three days. When we left we were given gifts including Konstantinos' book about ancient Cretan culture. We were very well looked after. I would thoroughly recommend this Villa and these hosts.
Oikos 1900 was even better than the description. We were welcomed by Konstantinos and Fortini with homemade delicious Cretan produce, we recommend their homemade food one evening as it was truly delicious!. The villa was clean, well maintained, fully equipped and spacious, easily accommodating 9 of us in two families. The pool and gardens were beautiful and we really didn't need to go anywhere other than down to the local shop or Taverna! We did do the Samaria Gorge trip, make sure you take plenty of food to last the 5-6 hour walk down to the beach on the South Coast and water bottles which you can fill en route with fresh spring water. It was busy but beautiful. We also had a fun day at the Water Park near Chania and visited the old town which has lovely Venetian character overlooking the harbour. We would highly recommend a visit!
I can honestly say that I did not want to leave - I had a tear in my eye as Konstantinos and his wife Fotini waved us off. We had an amazing 12 days in this villa - two families - 4 adults and youngsters ranging from 18 to 11.
We were greeted (at close to midnight) on our arrival by our hosts who were thoughtful enough to provide us with a very much appreciated light meal (and local wine). The villa suited us perfectly, it has been beautifully modernised whilst retaining a lot of character. The pool and gardens are immaculately kept by our hosts and are lit up at night with gourds decorated with coloured glass - just magical!
There is a gas barbeque in the courtyard and a larger coal barbeque in the garden area - the kitchen is also well stocked with plenty of crockery.
Our hosts were often on hand to answer any questions or give advice about local beaches and culture and also provided us with tomatoes and cucumbers from their garden which were perfect in a Greek salad.
I cannot recommend this villa and it's hosts highly enough.
Beautiful property, rural location, lots of space for a party of 9, delightful pool and the friendliest and warmest of Greek hosts. We had a wonderful week, including a fabulous evening meal prepared by Mr and Mrs Skalidis. Local store and restaurant in easy walking distance. Car needed for longer trips to beaches and mountains, but well worth it.
We did the challenging but stunning walk through the Samaria Gorge ( via a mozaic of modes of transport - car, bus and boat to do the one-way, 5hr walk) but absolutely well worth the effort and early start. Konstantinos was very helpful with suggestions and advice but always discretely aware of privacy and family time.
This house is full of charm and character, having been beautifully restored. It exceeded all our expectations, being spacious, clean and well equipped with everything we needed for a comfortable stay. We especially enjoyed relaxing in the shade of the citrus trees in the garden before cooling off in the pool and we also made good use of the barbecue.
The house is in a quiet village location with lovely views from the terrace over the surrounding countryside, with the benefits of a local shop, cafe and taverna within walking distance. A car is essential, but it is an easy drive to more grocery shops as well as Rethymno and the north coast beaches. The south coast is about an hour away, with stunning scenery and quiet, pretty beaches.
Our lovely hosts gave us a warm welcome, greeting us on our late night arrival with Cretan food and drink, including fresh produce from their garden. Throughout our stay they were available to answer questions and give advice, without being intrusive. They went to a great deal of trouble to ensure that we had an enjoyable and memorable holiday.
Overall, we couldn't have asked for more.
We hebben een heerlijk verblijf gehad in het huis van de familie Skalidis. Een oud huis dat met behoud van alle karakter is gerenoveerd en zo een state-of-the art vakantieverblijf is, waarbij de hand van de eigenaars tot in alle details zichtbaar is. Prima keuken, mooi terras en balkon en een verfrissend zwembad onder de citrusbomen. Het dorpje Gonia is authentiek en rustig, cafeetje op het plein, Kretenzer taverne en een minimarkt, slechts enkele kilometers van Rethimnon maar in een mooi landschap. Een prima uitvalsbasis voor het ontdekken van westelijk Kreta.
De familie Skalidis is enorm gastvrij, af en toe vind je zomaar een zak tomaten, augurken of courgettes op de trap, vers uit hun overvloedige tuin. En anders hebben ze nog wel verhalen en tips over de regio.
to see. Beatiful surroundings. Recommendable.
As a party of ten, 6 kids(age 3 to 10) and 4 adults we had very relaxed vacation at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Skalidis, who welcomed us with a typical kretan meal. They were allways trying to find out, what we could possibly need and trying to take care of that. Enough space in the cosy home with a fantastic view, good possibility to shop for groceries nearby and to visit some sights, although without a car that would have been difficult... Overall we enjoyed it very much and will surely return sometime.
Wir haben insgesamt vier Wochen im Haus der Familie Skalidis verbracht, zwischenzeitlich zu sechst plus Baby Das Haus ist vollständig und liebevoll saniert, dementsprechend in hervorragendem Zustand. Das gilt für jedes der Zimmer, Bäder und den Pool. Da wir mit einem kleinen Baby unterwegs waren, war das unbedingte Voraussetzung.
Das Haus liegt wenige Kilometer von Rethymno entfernt, gerade genug, um keinen Massentrubel zu erleben, dem man aus dem Weg gehen will und nah genug, um schnell mal etwas zu besorgen (ca. 10min mit dem Auto). Das geht aber ganz prima auch in Gonia selbst. Eine zu Fuß erreichbare Taverne im Ort lässt keine Wünsche offen, weder geschmacklich noch preislich. Wäre die Küche im Haus nicht so groß und gut ausgestattet, in der Taverne könnte man jeden Abend essen gehen.
Das Haus kann 100prozentig empfohlen werden. Ein eigenes Auto ist hilfreich. Parken am Haus kein Problem.
Très bon séjour passé en groupe avec des amis et enfants.
La maison est magnifique et la déco très soignée.
La piscine est séparée dans une zone grillagée ce qui est sécurisant pour les enfants.
Nous avons fait un barbecue un soir et aussi nos hôtes ont cuisiné pour nous un repas délicieux et très économique.
The property has absolutely everything we needed as an extended family of 8 staying on Crete. All modern conveniences and yet the historical character of the building shows through and makes for a much more interesting visit. The pool area is surrounded by citrus trees bringing welcome shade. The village of Gonia is rural and quiet, just how we hoped it would be. It has a well stocked village shop and an excellent taverna, both within easy walking distance of the house. We enjoyed excellent beaches nearby on both the north and south coasts.
The house is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l !!!
Kostantinos and his wife are very nice, and can cook for you if you ask.
Gonia is perfect to visit the Rethimno aera.
The apartment is placed only 6 kilometers from the beach in the North, in a small village named Gonia. You can enjoy real greek life. The next bigger town Rethymnon, it is about 8 kilometers away with a pretty old area. The apartment is renovated in greek style, beautiful and very comfortable. We felt very relaxed and enjoyed the view from the terrace over the beautiful landscape. Our host family was very open minded and gave us many tipps for our excursions. It is a very good place, where you can come to rest and forgot your daily routine.
Beautifully restored farm house with lots of room for up to 10 people. The veranda is perfect for tranquile breakfast and evening meals. During the mid day when it is too hot outside you can enjoy yours meals in the dining room that stays reasonably cool. Nice pool area across the street (no traffic). The house is located in the upper part of a truly genuine cretian village with winding narrov streets invinting you to explore the surroundings on foot. Sheep and goats grase the surroundings and local dogs greet you whereever you go.
You find a large grocery store in Rethymnon (15 min by car) and a convenience store is also availble in Gonia for that missing milk jug or small additions. There is a genuine and very reasonably priced restaurant in the village 5 min´s walk from the house that we can recommend. The hosts who also stay on the premicis in a separat building (but keeping low profile) can help you with any questions or problems you might have. If you are looking for a peaceful time, relaxing in the sun and enjoying a truly cretian experience - this is the place to go.
We didn't quite expect it to offer so many amenities and were surpised by how well they have been integrated in such an old house. The decoration of the interior is reminiscent of Crete . We also made use of the pool in the garden, which is really nice.
We're coming to the end of our stay in this delightful traditional house conversion, and only have favourable impressions. It is actually even better than the website description, and is kept in immaculate condition by its careful and considerate owner. Everything has been well arranged and lives up to and beyond expectations. Last night Kostas cooked a magnificent meal for us (no meat, as my wife is vegetarian), showing us the secrets for those special Cretan flavours! We have spent most of our days touring the middle section of the island, swimming and hiking - yesterday we descended the wonderful Aradaina gorge. Crete is a world of its own, with so much to do. Even the nearby town of Rethymno is a delightful place to spend a day exploring. Kostas is a veritable treasure house of knowledge on Cretan and Greek history, so we benefitted greatly from chatting with him over wine and olives. We very much hope to come back soon.
Das Haus der Familie Skalidis hat uns sehr gut gefallen. Schon die liebevolle Gestaltung der Räume ist aussergewöhnlich! Dazu die Lage etwas abseits des touristischen Geschehens und trotzdem so, dass man problemlos sowohl das Meer im Norden wie im Süden in kurzer Zeit erreichen kann...! Dazu ist der freundliche Empfang durch die hervorragend deutsch sprechenden Gastgeber zu erwähnen. Alles in allem ein gelungener Aufenthalt, unbedingt zu wiederholen!
Es waren wunderbare Ferien. Das Haus hat uns sehr gut gefallen: wunderbar restauriert und mit viel Charme!!! Wir freuen uns schon auf das nächste Mal!! Die Besitzer sind sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit und geben gute Tipps für einen gelungenen Urlaub. Rundum perfekt!!! Sehr schöne, ruhige Lage, wunderbarer Blick und im Dorf gibt es einige Tavernen, in denen man gut essen kann. Das Meer ist in der Nähe und im Haus ist der Rummel aber weit weg und alles ist ruhig! Wir hatten einen wunderbaren Urlaub!