Local Area Information
There is a rough guide to Crete in the Villa.
The closest Village is Gerani, opposite the properties is the Camari Gardens Hotel, you are free to use their facilities this is a small family run hotel with entertainment throughout the day and evening, the hotel has a supermarket which has daily newspapers.
If you carry on past the hotel you will come to the Village of Gerani where there is a local supermarket, Bakers (fresh bread and cakes everyday) and a couple of traditional tavernas.
The Cove at the bottom is great for swimming, you will see the locals gather there and have a meeting and a swim at the same time, it is almost like a lido. The Taverna next to the cove is mainly a fish restaurant they have BBQ most days.
If you come out of the property and turn right onto the main road 5km away is the town of Rethymno, As you head into rethymno you will see there is a Lidl on your left, you can get wine there for €2 a bottle!.
If you carry on heading towards the sea, go past lidl bear to your left take the lower road, 1.5km along this road you will see a big “champion” supermarket this is good value and has everything you will need for food and drink. If you carry on the road you come into the centre of Rethymno.
In Rethymno there are lots of things to do, There are clothes shops, restaurants and plenty of nightlife.
The old town, has some of the best restaurants, you can wonder round the streets all week and still not visit every nook and cranny.
I would recommend restaurants in the old town the restaurants on the sea front are pricey and not that nice.
Restaurants I would recommend are The Lemon Tree, Avli and Kokkinos in the centre of town where all the taxis are is great value and has something for everyone.
If you are after fast food then McDonalds is along the seafront, also Goodys near the Taxi rank is great for fast food, it’s a greek version of McDonalds.
Markets
There is a market on every Thursday in Rethymno, this is great for fruit and vegetables which is very well priced. This is down by the port.
Butchers/Fish mongers
There are many butchers and fish mongers in Rethymno, you will see them dotted around as you drive through, meat is fairly cheap and is great on the BBQ.
Most shops are open from 9-2pm then open again in the evening, the bigger stores are open all day.
Beaches
If you come out of the property and turn left towards Chania, if you drive for about 5-7mins you will see a sign that says Eposkopi, if you pull over here there are a couple of Tavernas and the beach and sea here is perfect for all the family, it is never overcrowded and a favourite with the locals. The beach goes on for miles and the sea is fairly shallow and calm.
If you carry on for another 10 mins, you will see a sign for Georgeopolis, if you turn right into the town, this is a small touristy town with a small fishing port, it has lots of restaurants and the supermarket here is open everyday with fresh bread. You can see the English influence in this town on a Saturday night they have a live band and entertainment in the bars and restaurants. You can also get all the International papers here.
Kournas Lake
At Georgeopolis you will see a sign for Kournas lake, if you follow this you will head inland for about 5minutes where you come to a beautiful peaceful lake, here you can hire a pedalo or learn how to windsurf or simply lie on the shore there and soak up the peaceful atmosphere. It is truly beautiful and a must see.