Anna Malai Penthouse

Anna Malai Penthouse is ideal accommodation for couples. At the top of the stone stairway which leads to the Penthouse, is a small entrance terrace complete with table and chairs. Once through the main door, two Cretan archways divide the Penthouse into the kitchen, the dining area and the living room (with sofa bed) with its Cretan fireplace - ideal for Spring and Autumn evenings. The bedroom with double bed has an ensuite bathroom with shower and WC.

It has a spacious flat roof terrace with shade ideal for private sunbathing, eating out "al fresco" under the shade of the pergola or admiring the breathtaking panorama of the White Mountains.

The Penthouse has beamed ceilings, stone floors and thick stone walls to ensure it is cool throughout the long summer months and warm at other times of year. There is a spacious terrace area with palm trees by the large swimming pool shared with the family house downstairs.

The Penthouse is within walking distance (1/2 mile) of a choice of village tavernas and local store and a short drive (4 miles) to a choice of sandy beaches.

The pool measures 0.7m to 1.20m in depth, with dimensions 12m x 5m. No child section.

 REVIEWS

THE INDEPENDENT We ate every night at the tiny Taverna Aptera where the food was the best I have ever had in Greece. Not a sign of moussaka or souvlaki. Instead there was lamb with lettuce in an egg and lemon sause, black-eyed beans with fennel, salt codfish in filo pastry. The taverna made all the difference to our stay. It meant minimal shopping (bread, yogurt, oranges - all local - for breakfast) and no need to use the car at night. It was a full moon while we were there and the walk back up the track to the house, if occassionally unsteady, was always a pleasure. Anna Pavord

 OFF THE CRETAN TRACK

From the moment you get off the plane at Chania, the Cretans let you know that life on their island is lived at a leisurely pace, where if things are late or not done, so be it. It is an attitude easy to relax into. Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, 150 miles long and between 10 and 40 miles wide, with spectacular and varied scenery, from a coastline of golden beaches to dramatic cliffs and gorges. Crete under the Minoans (2800–1150 BC) was a place of peace and prosperity, a time of vast palaces and beautiful pottery – of which there is still much evidence. But the story from then on was one of conquerors and conquered. The Romans, Byzantines, Turks, Venetians...all invaded and all left their mark in architecture and tradition.

We stayed in small village called Aptera, l2 kilometres (7 1/2 miles) from Chania, where the company we travelled with, Pure Crete, have a number of locally – owned village houses and farms which are clean, comfortable and, above all, traditional. With its stunning backdrop of the White Mountains, the village is an idyllic place to appreciate Greek hospitality.

Chania is probably the prettiest town on the island. A former Venetian port, it has an attractive harbour with lively, wall-to-wall tavernas. In the maze of narrow back streets there are shops selling local crafts, of which the leather goods are extremely reasonably priced. The museum in Halidon Street houses a variety of exhibits, especially from the Minoan period. And do not miss the amazing covered market with its display of fresh, local produce.

Rachael Symonds

Click for: