Pavlis

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

SHE Pure Crete should be a pleasant surprise. They specialise in refurbishing traditional stone houses in hideaway villages far removed from the brash tourist towns. We stayed in Aptera, where our house, complete with pool, offered panoramic views of snow-capped mountains on one side and the turquoise waters of Souda Bay on the other. There are good tavernas nearby and, even with children, eating out is stress-free and enjoyable. Crete is warm until the end of October and there is plenty to see. Don’t miss the ruins at Knossos, Chania old town and Panagia Kera church in Kritsa with its 14th and 15th century frescoes. Melanie Hart