Natalia's Houses - Douliana (Apokoronas-Chania)

				Natalia's Houses Pictures: Where it is: Douliana, see map Open: All year  Type: Apartments & stone houses Number of houses: 4 House/night: 78 to 165 € Why we like it: Village charm, cozy, private yet not isolated, comfort, own cafe. Close to beaches, Vamos and Georgioupoli CreteTravel.com guests say: Read below

OUR REVIEW

As you weave your scenic way around the coiling roads, just a little way inland, where the sea and several great beaches around Crete always seems to be well within reach - suddenly, a little way down a small road you are in one of the charming villages on the Apokoronas peninsula near Chania. With beach and sea close and surrounding rolling-hill views, Natalia's houses provide an unusual blend of small hotel feel, in an intimate, warm and hospitable setting with the privacy of self-contained facilities. A friendly family welcome may sound like a cliché, but it is very much alive.

Natalia's has accommodation for one, for a couple or a family to enjoy. Stone and wood beams, features include gallery bedrooms, loft-like shapes and arches.
A small pool and pool-side cafe, for the use of all guests. Sit down for a coffee, for breakfast, in the cafe-restaurant taverna and chat to fellow visitors... or  grill something tasty in your own private kitchen.

Added convenience: a mini-market has many of the things you will need to get started preparing your own meals. Only a few minutes away Vamos village has a supermarket or 10 minutes to Kalyves and several shops, greengrocers, butchers and supermarkets.

In the village a taverna (a welcome 5 minute stroll), offers you cozy indoor or airy outdoor dining - for a snack at lunchtime or a supper beyond sunset lingering on into the star-lit night. Earlier in the day you may have joined locals for a Greek coffee at the kafeneio where the news of the day, the farm prices for olive oil and a welcome "hello" to you, will all be offered. A smile is all it takes.

When your morning in the village is complete, drive down to the beach at Almirida, Kalyves or Kera, meander that winding scenic road to the calm cluster of hospitality at Georgioupoli, onward to visit the fortress and the ancient city streets of Rethymno....or less distant, take another look at the cute and curious shops in Chania's old Venetian harbour town. Find a cafe to watch the people, watching the people...going by! Get a taste of Culture!
Perhaps just stay where you are - there are terraces to sit out on, a pre-dinner drink to have at the cafe, a book to absorb a just bit more.
If you feel creative you will cook a locally made pasta, sprinkle some fragrant herbs from the very hillsides you wake up gazing upon as the morning light shows you what is important about the day. Or perhaps with renewed energy - drive down to Kalyves beachfront and choose one of the three really good tavernas and let the sun remain too hot for a few minutes before it cools as your dolmades, fava and grilled lamb arrive....or immerse yourself  in the countryside and enjoy the tastes of food prepared at another taverna Diadromes (just before the village of Armeni).

Natalia's Houses Photo Gallery 1  { Houses interiors & exteriors }
Natalia's Houses Photo Gallery 2  { Natalia's Houses general & Douliana village }
Read our Chania feature

THE HOUSES
Dias and Hera - 2 level houses for up to 3/4 people (very comfortable for 2)

Living-room with traditional Cretan furniture, sofa, one single bed, stone fireplace, dining-room and  fully equipped kitchen (includes hotplates & small oven, full-size fridge, washing machine). Bathroom with shower, WC and a hairdryer.
A few wooden stairs lead to a traditional open gallery with a double 4-poster bed and a wardrobe.
Telephone, TV, central heating and a small courtyard used as a veranda under the shadow of an olive tree.
Lydia - For 4 (up to 5) people. 2 bedrooms (1 double and 1 twin), living room with fireplace, dining table, fully equipped kitchen (full oven, full-size fridge, washing machine). Bathroom with shower, WC and a hairdryer. Telephone, TV, central heating and a courtyard on the road side, with a well.

Agapi - For 4 (up to 6) people. On ground floor dining room, fully equipped kitchen (full oven, full-size fridge, washing machine), stone fireplace and a bathroom with shower. Wooden stairs lead you to the next floor: a single bedroom,  double bedroom and a loft with two  beds and a comfortable bathroom with bathtub. A large veranda with views.

Breakfast: is a small feast of freshly prepared "dainties" - including coffee or tea, tea with local herbs ("malotira"), fresh bread, local honey, homemade jams of various fruits (at different times mulberry, orange...and season's fruit land in Mrs Vaso's pot!), yoghurt, eggs (boiled or fried), graviera or feta local cheeses, olives, tomatoes, peppers, season fruit or sweet preserves.

DISTANCES
Kalyves 4.5 km, Vamos 3.5 km, Chania 24 km, Chania airport 30 km.
We recommend that you rent a car, other means of transport are limited and/or infrequent.

CreteTravel.com guest experiences of Natalia's Houses    [Click here to SHOW/HIDE]

RATES 2010 (rates include our Superb, All-questions-answered Personal service)

Rates are per house (2 people), per night. They include air conditioning, heating and all taxes.

For stays of 2 weeks or longer, a lower price may be possible (depending on availability).
MINIMUM STAY: 3-7 nights, depending on season.

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