Real guest feedback

Hallo Adonis, es hat uns sehr gut in Deinem Haus gefallen. Die Zimmer sind sehr schoen, der Garten und der Pool auch. Das Haus liegt in einem ruhigen Ort in einer ruhigen Strasse. Adonis und Lisa aber auch die Menschen in dem Dorf waren sehr freundlich zu uns. Wir wuerden jederzeit wiederkommen.

Thank you Adonis - Elisabeth and George were lovely and very helpful and friendly, we enjoyed our stay in the villa very much.

“The villa was lovely and had lots of useful features like the washing machine, microwave and a dishwasher. The accommodation was as described and the maid service was a real treat! The villa is located in a village, so you must have a car to do any sight-seeing. The location was perfect for our needs!

“Nous avons passé un agréable séjour, la maison est conforme à la description et aux photos. Notre hôte est venu nous chercher à l'aéroport pour nous accompagner à la villa, ce qui est fort agréable. Possibilité de location de voiture via l'hôte. La villa est située dans un joli petit village, nous conseillons le kafeneios qui est à 5 minutes à pieds, il n'y a pas de carte mais un assortiment de mezze vraiment délicieux!”

Fue un lujo de Villa para relajarse en Creta. La piscina es un complemento fabuloso para terminar el día después de visitar los alrededores de Heraklion. La localización en un pueblo pintoresco del interior de Creta. Las recomendaciones de Adonis y Lisa, fueron de mucha ayuda, tabernas, tiendas, playas, restaurantes,..... Muy amables y pendientes de nosotros en todo momento Hemos encontrado buenos amigos en Creta.

Really Relaxing rural escape

Location, Location,Location. Pendamodi is a perfect setting to explore Crete. We found some fantastic local restaurants within a short drive and everything we needed was available in the Village....even a local hostelry that served excellent local food. Unusually for rural Villas this one is serviced regularly and we found George and Elizabeth a fantastic resource who ensured our stay was everything we hoped it would be. A personal thanks to you both for your attentiveness.

I have no hesitation in recommending this Villa for a relaxing break in the heart of a beautiful island.

From initial enquiry right through to arrival at the airport and support in finding the Villa I found the service from Zakros Tours and the team first class. Thanks again.

“We were met at the airport (despite it being late and the plane being delayed) and had a car to follow up to the villa. The villa is in a lovely little village up in the hills, there is a small shop for the essentials and a taverna. The next village along (5km) is a bit bigger with restaurants and bars overlooking the mountains. We were able to easily go on day trips to Matala (lovely beach town on south coast), Rethimnon and Agios Nikolai and still get back to enjoy the pool and terrace in the afternoon/evening. The villa itself is as described, it is clean and comfortable with all of the facilities available and spacious accommodation for a family of 4. In summary: great location, host and villa”

La maison était très agréable et spacieuse. Nous étions 2 couples d'amis a y séjourner pendant 3 jours et ce fut idéal pour profiter des environs d'Heraklion tout en pouvant éviter de résider dans la ville elle-meme. Merci à Adonis et Lisa pour leur superbe accueil.

Situation au calme. Proche d'Heraklion. La villa est parfaitement équipée. Le ménage est fait correctement deux fois par semaine.

“Nous avons passé un agréable séjour dans notre villa, tout était conforme à l'annonce. Un kit d'accueil nous a été distribué quand nous sommes arrivés tard le soir, qui a bien été apprécié (pain de mie, confiture, sucre, café, pates, sauce tomate, beurre, jus...). Bons équipements de la villa (lave vaisselle...). Le rez de chaussée est assez sombre mais ce n'est pas gênant puisqu'on passe plutôt du temps sur la terrasse. La piscine n'a quasi pas de vis à vis des 2 villas attenantes mais par contre elle est bien visible depuis la petite allée privée qui donne sur le jardin (mais très peu de passage). Très calme, village non touristique, il y avait pas mal de vent, je ne sais pas si c'est habituel ou pas. 30 mn de route depuis Heraklion, mais des tavernes sympas accessibles à pied ou à 5mn en voiture. Possibilité de louer une voiture également, nous en étions très contents, 2 fois moins cher que le marché. On a été accueilli à l'aéroport, récupéré la voiture et conduit à la villa: accueil parfait, tout s'est passé sans encombre malgré un retard d'une heure de notre vol.”

Abseits des Massentourismus mit allem Komfort

Vom Flughafen Heraklion bis zum Dorf Pendamodi sind es 30 Minuten mit dem Mietwagen. Aber es ist eine Reise in eine andere Welt.

War man eben noch von lärmenden Touristen mit Koffern umgeben und schlängelte sich kurz durch überfüllte Straßen mit Geschäften, Restaurants und Straßenhändlern in Heraklion, findet man sich auf einmal in einem typisch griechischen Dorf wieder mit einem kleinen Dorfladen, der alles hat, was man wirklich braucht und zwei Kafeneons, vor dem die Männer sitzen, Kaffee trinken und das ruhige Leben genießen - und in dem man beim zweiten Besuch schon das Gefühl hat, Stammgast zu sein.

Haus, Garten und Pool sind gepflegt, sauber und werden alle paar Tage gereinigt. Vermieter und Personal erfüllen gern Wünsche, wenn noch etwas fehlt. Alle Zimmer haben Klimaanlage, Waschmaschine, Herd, Mikrowelle, Kaffeemaschine usw. sind vorhanden, ebenso ein kleiner Geschirspüler (evtl. ein paar Tabs mitbringen, wenn man keine dort kaufen will).

Wir haben die Möglichkeit genutzt, einen griechischen Koch ins Haus zu bestellen, mit dem wir dann ein tolles Rinderstifado inkl. Salat und Dessert gekocht haben. Dabei hat der Vermieter alles schön zum Mitschreiben übersetzt. Es war ein toller Abend mit sehr interessanten Gesprächen!

Man sollte auf jeden Fall das Kafeneon am Ende der Straße besuchen. Es gibt zwar keine Speisekarte, der Wirt füllt aber schnell den Tisch mit kalten und warmen Speisen. Sehr lecker und alles frisch zubereitet. Wenn man Glück hat, wird auch der Grill angeworfen und Souvlaki gegrillt. Man kann gern Wünsche äußern, was man am nächsten Tag gern essen würde!

Wer eines der Ferienhäuser in Pendamodi mietet, sollte nicht nur einfach eine Unterkunft suchen, sondern den Vorsatz haben, als Tourist ein kretisches Dorf zu erleben. Natürlich kann man einfach im Garten und Haus bleiben und ansonsten mit dem Auto die Insel erkunden. Das wäre dann aber nur der halbe Spaß!

Die 9 Tage waren viel zu schnell vorbei. Wir planen auf jeden Fall, nach Pendamodi zurückzukehren. Gern auch für einen längeren Urlaub!

Highly recommend staying at the villas

We stayed in Villa Christina 3 for 2 weeks. The villa is in a small local village in central Crete, you need to be aware that there is little entertainment or night life here, which suited us. There is also a local Taverna. You will need a car so you can explore the island which we also did through Zakros Tours, who offer special rates to visitors staying at the villa - we were met at the airport and followed Georgios to the Villa. When we arrived at the villa Georgios gave us some good local advice on where to go, how long it takes, and good places to eat. The villa is clean and functional There is maid cleaning service weekly.

No issues with the villa itself. Be aware that you if you are going to explore Crete you need to hire a car and be prepared for not only the road conditions but the Cretan drivers. There are local feral cats that tend to wander into the garden. The local dogs barking can be distracting.

Notre hote tres gentil , serviable présent a toutes nos demandes Venu nous chercher a l aéroport malgré l heure tardive , il est trés charmant maison confortable , propre, piscine agreable, endroit très calme je vous le recommande fortement bravo bravo merci beaucoup georges.

Our Stay at Pentamodi was just what we needed. Adonis was a great host and looked after us on arrival, meeting us at the airport and guiding us back to the Villa. The Villa was clean with everything we needed for our stay, plus a hamper so that we didn't need to rush out and go shopping. The kids really enjoyed the pool and people in the village were very friendly. We got a great sense of the traditional Cretan village life during our stay. Would have no problem in booking again or recommending this Villa the only downside was that our stay felt very short. Thanks for a great holiday and letting us stay in your wonderful Villa.

Number 3 Christina Villa was exactly as advertised on the website, the location perfect for us.

We also hired a car from the owner and were met at the airport and guided to the villa. We didn't include GPS in the hire and would do that next time. The villa is south of Heraklion in a small village with beautiful views of the surrounding hills. The location is certainly a big plus, the property feels very private and secure. The village shop had everything we needed including freshly baked bread every day, lots of locally grown fruit and vegetables, cheese and wine and friendly English speaking staff. There is also a restaurant which serves food all freshly prepared by the owner at really low prices, An excellent dinner with wine and raki, locally distilled was just £10 a head and this less than five minutes from the villa. I last went to Crete forty years ago when there were no cars but what hasn't changed is the people, they still have a great sense of hospitality and very friendly.

The villa turned out to be much larger than I expected, two twin rooms and a double, large by modern standards with lots of storage cupboards. The downstairs is open plan with a reasonable kitchen area and a good sized fridge-freezer. We had all our meals outdoors and used the barbecue nearly every day. The villa was clean and in a good state of decoration, cleaned and towels changed twice a week. There is enough sun beds around the pool for six and the garden is planted with trees and flowering shrubs, but remember not to leave things out overnight as the sprinklers pop overnight to water the grass. The location means that both north and south coasts can be reached in half an hour and Agios Nikolaos and Chania about an hour.

Number 3 Christina Villa the perfect quite getaway in apart of Crete which retains the old fashion charm and values; we thoroughly enjoyed it and would not hesitate to go again.

Comfortable villa in lovely wee village

Just returned from a lovely holiday in Pentamodi, the villa is clean and comfortable with everything that we required.it is not the most glamorous villa that we have been in but nothing to complain about. We didn't use the tabletop dishwasher ,but it is there if you want to use it. The swimming pool could do with a bit of attention,it's just a wee bit grubby with the leaves etc falling into it, and although we scooped them out daily the overall appearance is that the grouting and tiles could do with cleaning.

The village is lovely with a great wee taverna where you get a nice meal, pot luck but always very tasty. you definitely need a car, and a map!!, but it's only 15 minutes to the nearest resort. We had great assistance from Elizabeth, meeting us at the airport to guide us to the villa and advice on where to visit. The wifi is not great, but it kind of works. Overall we would recommend this villa if you enjoy a peaceful location and don't mind driving.

Amazing holiday

We enjoyed our stay. Good experience to live in a small Greek town. Nice people all round. God little Taverna in town. For our benefit a little more kitchen supplies ind the form of bowles , would have been usefull. As well as garden funiture in the front porch would have been nice for when it is windy. Which we had a lot of wind the first week. Just small stuff. We genuinely enjoyed our stay. Thank you for your fine service!

Our host was wonderful. He answered all my questions before arrival, and sent someone to met us at the airport, helping us to find the house and save the frustrations off getting lost. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, both with the house and in terms of planning our trips and excursions in the area. The house is located in a small village along a magnificently beautiful valley, that is extremely central in the island and allowed us to travel with ease in a different direction each day. The house was exactly as it was presented and is a wonderful place for a family who want to explore the island and come back and have a swim at the end of the day.

Amazing holiday

From start to finish our holiday was amazing. There was 6 adults and 2 children and we fit perfectly into the villa. When we arrive late evening George had provided us with a welcome pack for breakfast in the morning this was really helpful. We hired 2 cars from zakros tours to get us about the island. George told us of places that might interest us. On the Tuesday it was my little girls 3rd birthday and when we arrived home in the evening there was a present and balloon waiting outside from the owners of the villa. It was these little touches that made our holiday. The village is gorgeous and the little tavern in the village is where we ate most nights which served amazing Greek food. We will definitely be returning for another fab family holiday.

Very nice Villa. Got great tips which places to visit and good maps for finding things like a supermarket easily. Greek standard of cleanness. We missed some extra towels for the pool or beach, but thats the only thing to complain about. Price -benefit is very good! and we loved the quite surrounding without a lot other tourists!

Très bon séjour

Située à une vingtaine de minutes au sud de Héraklion, la location est localisée dans le village de Pentamodi, petit village très calme et charmant. Nous avons été accueillis par Giorgos à notre arrivée à l'aéroport d'Héraklion, que nous avons suivi en voiture jusqu'à la villa. C'est un service extrêmement appréciable car le réseau routier crètois est assez chaotique et les panneaux pas toujours claires... La villa est globalement bien entretenue et globalement bien équipée, bien que peu lumineuse au rez de chaussée (contrairement à ce qui apparaît sur les photos). En effet, nous étions contraint d'allumer la lumière en pleine journée. Par contre, la villa reste très fraîche, ce qui est appréciable lorsque la température extérieure est élevée.

Le seul point dérengeant, mais qui doit se retrouver dans la plupart des habitations crètoises, est la présence incessante de fourmis qui sautent sur la moindre occasion pour investir plan de travail et placards de la cuisine et s'attaquer à toutes les denrées alimentaires. Du coup, on finit par tout renger au frigo, même le pain...

Pour résumer, c'est une très bonne location si l'on recherche des vacances au calme et au soleil et que l'on n'a pas peur de faire un peu de kilomètres pour visiter. Toutes les personnes que nous avons eu l'occasion de rencontrer étaient très disponibles et discrètes (Giorgos passe faire l'entretien de la piscine plusieurs fois par semaine) et nous ont donné de bons conseils. Je recommande donc vivement !

Perfect for our needs

Just spent a fortnight at this great villa up in the hills above Heraklion. Villa has everything you could want for a great holiday. When we were there we alternated between days at the beach, the water park in Hersonissos and the pool! It's about 15mins by car to the tourist centre at Ammadouro along with its big Carrefour supermarket and a Lidl around the corner.

Adonis, Manolis and Giorgios were great in giving us tips of where to go and what to do and can get you a good discount at the water park. We also hired the car from them as they offered us the best price and it is essential if you rent this property.

Nicely situated in a quite village (although there is a very convenient shop) we were able to go to both north and south coast beaches (although the south coast is about 1 hr away). There is a cleaner who comes every couple of days and is brilliant. All in all, well located, well equipped and a real find. Very tempted for next year!

We had a wonderful time in Crete. We enjoyed staying in villa Christina III vey much. We liked the village it was in and rally enjoyed spending time with the local (very friendly) people. It was centrally located and we have seen a lot around Iraklion.

So when J. said he wanted to study Minoan civilization at University I had to look for somewhere away from mass tourism. How lucky I was to have found you!

Our holiday was fantastic. The villa was lovely and Pentamodi is the most beautiful place I have ever been to in Crete. The views from the balconies are just stunning and I loved living among the local people. J. and I took many evening walks in the area and with the help of a smattering of Greek found the local people very friendly and welcoming.

We followed Lissimachos' suggestions for trips, going out early morning and returning mid afternoon. Would recommend that guests wanting to visit archeological sites do so early as they are much quieter then. Phaestos was impressive and Lissimachos suggested Komos beach while we were there. I'm not much of a beach person but he was right. It wasn't full of tourists, rather a Greek family place. J. says the snack van serves a very good chicken burger!!

The couple who run the bakery in Agios Myronos were lovely and introduced me to some fabulous breads, warm from the oven.

We loved the sunrises and sunsets, the butterflies in the garden, watching the locals pruning vines and tending the land. It really felt like staying in a friend's house. Tll Lissimachos that we can recommend Gournia as a site to visit. It is an easy journey and can be combined with Agios Nikolaos. The site gives the best impression of a working Minoan town and really should be seen before going to Knossos. I remember Knossos 30 years ago before there were whistle blowing officials and so many no go areas!!! Heraklion History and Archeology museums are also well worth a visit. I even liked Heraklion once I got off the main tourist drag and found where locals shop. Lissimachos was also right about Gazi being a better place to shop than Carrefour!!!

I'm not surprised we didn't see you at the airport before we left. It was chaotic! It must be one of the worst I've traveled through. It took nearly two and a half hours to get through baggage and security. Perhaps you should warn future guests of this.

Thanks again for your hospitality and restoring my faith in Crete. Was wondering whether J. and I should come back November time for the olive harvest!!

Wish we had had time to meet. Am very curious about Christina. Did she ever live in the village and was she as happy there as I was?

Nous revenons d'un séjour de 7 jours en Crête et la villa d'Adonis a grandement contribué à la perfection de nos vacances. Dès notre arrivée, on nous attendait avec la voiture de location (louer à prix tout à fait raisonnable) et on nous a reconduit jusqu'à la villa. On a pris le temps de bien nous accueillir avec en prime une petite épicerie pour le petit-déjeuner! Nous étions les premiers de la saison a profiter de la villa et nous avons rencontré quelques pépins, surtout en ce qui concerne l'eau chaude. Toutefois, dans l'heure qui suivait, Adonis avait réglé la situation. Le service a été impeccable! Il nous a aussi fait découvrir le restaurant traditionnel du village...un pur délice! Nous vous recommandons fortement de vivre l'expérience crétoise comme nous l'avons fait dans cette villa. Par contre, vous êtes dans les montagnes, ce qui signifie que le wifi n'est pas au top. Merci Adonis, à toi et ta belle famille pour votre temps et votre générosité!

Les Québécois, V. , V. D., et J. xx

We had the most wonderful holiday with everything we were looking for. Christina 1 villa provided perfect accommodation for my husband and I and our three grown up children with their partners. It was sparkling clean with everything we could need provided, we spent as much time in the pool as villa I think! The villa was perfectly placed for exploring Crete, beaches archaeology and local towns, to suit all our tastes. We enjoyed the local village with excellent tavern food and very friendly locals. Our airport pick up, George, was delightful and took great care to look after us. Thank you to our friendly host, we had the perfect holiday to celebrate my husbands 60th that we wished for. Crete is a magical island, Christina 1 a perfect place to stay and we would all would love to return.

C. D.

Spacious, comfortable and clean villa in charming, relaxing, authentically Cretan village setting.

We stayed in the 3 bedroomed villa Christina III and were a group of 4 adults. The villa was well appointed with hair dryer, microwave, kettle, toaster, dishwasher and washing machine plus a large fridge freezer and full cooker/ stove with hob. It was clean, comfortable and there was plenty of hot water. The gardens and pool were well maintained and attractive. Having returned to Greece after about 20 years of holidaying elsewhere, my experience of Greek self catering accommodation is not current, however I would have to say that Christina III more than exceeded my best expectations. We had a lovely holiday staying there and Crete is a superb island for culture, panoramic views, sea swimming and quality local cuisine.

I would highly recommend renting a car from Zakros tours, the villa management company. Their efficient, courteous and knowledgeable representative Giorgios, was waiting at the airport when we arrived. He gave us our hire car and then we followed him in convoy to the villa. The villa, in the little village of Pendamodi, would have been very difficult to find without our guide, especially as we arrived at night. Whilst only being 25 minutes from a Heraklion, the roads are not well signposted and the major intersections around the perimeter of the city are confusing and often counter intuitive.

Giorgios provided us with a small welcome pack of groceries for breakfast and returned later the following day to make sure we were settled in the villa. He gave us several excellent suggestions for places to visit, beaches to swim and tavernas to eat. He couldn't have more attentive and considerate. It was obvious that he genuinely wanted us to have an enjoyable holiday.

Subsequently, on our return home, we realised that we had left some items of clothing in the villa by mistake. Giorgios considerately found for us and has sent them to the UK.

I cannot fault the attentive service and customer care offered to guests in this villa. Well done to all the staff at Zakros tours for making us feel welcome and valued guests.

What you see is what you get

Big, spacious, well equipped villa, exactly like on the pictures. Very quiet, real Cretan village. Traditions, peace, olives and raki. :) Friendly, helpful staff. Welcome pack at arrival for the next morning. Plenty of ideas for excursions. Local kafeneion, shop a few steps away from the villa. And cats. :) You could always ask George/Giorgos for help, information, tickets etc.

Would definitely go there again.

Manolis,

We are heading out shortly and I wanted to thank you and your team for such a lovely welcome. This has been a great stay. The village was breathtaking and the local people were so warm and friendly. I will definitely plan to return.

This was the perfect holiday. The villa was lovely and the staff could not have been more helpful in every aspect of making our stay enjoyable. We were met at the airport, shown to the villa and given extremely useful advice in the local taverna - drinks were bought for us. On our third day we had a flat tyre (our fault) and one of the team arrived and replaced the wheel with great charm and efficiency within an hour. The local tavern served us superb meals each night - food, water wine and raki included for fewer than 20 euros per night. Quite excellent.

Recommended for: Age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children and romantic getaway

The villa was exactly we were looking for: a comfortable place in a quiet region, with quite easy access to many historical and natural sites (if you are motorized). We also rented a car from zakros tours who provided the villa. It was very handy that they waited for us at the airport and guided to the villa at 9 p.m. on our arrival. We even received a welcome pack to be able to have breakfast next morning without running to the local shop (very basic, but provides fresh bread and milk products and some essentials). The private chef service is great to taste local food and learn how to prepare it.

Kalispera Adonis

Just to say many thanks for a truly enjoyable experience in Christina Villa II. Also to say many thanks for the wonderful hospitality from Giorgos and especially for the help we received when we couldn't find our way back to the villa from Iraklion.

We dined at your cousin's taverna and the food and service was wonderful. Hope the cats and Pipet are not missing us too much. We have some wonderful photos and memories of our stay and hope to return. We will certainly recommend your villa to family and friends.

Kind Regards

Hello,

we have to say thank you for the great time in your Villa.

Hope to see you again, we had a perfect time by you.

Thanks a Lot

Yasou Adonis,

Ola kala?

Just thought that Katrina and myself would let you know that we arrived back home safe and well on Tuesday night. Thank you for meeting us at Iraklio airport on Tuesday afternoon to take the car off us. It certainly saved us a lot of time.

We had a wonderful two weeks holiday at Christina2 in Pentamodi. The villa was lovely and had everything you would expect a villa of that quality to have. We both loved the peace and tranquillity of Pentamodi. The food and hospitality at the "Cafeneion stin Platea" was excellent. Ieorgios was very good helping me out with my limited Greek but at least I could read the menu which was only in Greek so I could order our food.

We have already told you how much we enjoyed Lissimachos cooking the meal for us and in addition, we can also highly recommend the villa and the lovely tranquil area it is located in. Our holiday was very relaxing and we were able to use Pentamodi as a base to explore Crete. Overall it was a first class holiday.

Feel free to use this as a testimonial on your web site for the Christina villas.

Efharisto para poli kai sas efharistoume yia ti filoxenia sas...

Yasas

Kalimera!

Dear Adonis,

We are now back in the UK and missing the sunshine already. Thank you for the help you gave us to have a really good holiday and for the Birthday cake. Many thanks to Lysimachos for the meal he cooked us, we would recommend his services to your guests. It was good to meet you all at the Taverna and for the opportunity to sample snails!

Looking forward to another visit.

Best Regards

Excellent service and very good quality / price ratio. Home Maintenance let great kindness and efficiency of the team are added to this. We will return…

We stayed at the Villa Christina 1, what a blessing... The accommodation was amazing and had enough space for all of us without stepping on each others toes... The views of the village where just what I expected and wanted from the REAL CRETE and the staff were by far the most helpful and co-operative, it was more like being surrounded by more extended family. I loved my time there and hated leaving. All my needs were catered for... I could not ask for anything else... my idea of HEAVEN.

Many thanks Adonis,

We had a really fantastic time and the service was amazing.

We will be back, Bx

My husband and I decided to go to Crete for our first year anniversary in April 2013. Adonis and his family and friends have made our holidays one of the best holidays we have ever had! On our arrival, Giorgos greeted us at the airport and showed us the way to the villa (approx 20 minutes). There we were shown the villa and Adonis came to greet us with a nice bottle of Cretan wine and some snacks. The day after, they (Adonis and Lissimaros) came to the villa and showed us the best places in Crete to visit, they even drove us to the supermarket where we did our weekly shopping and then came back to Pendamodi where we were offered a few drinks and lovely food prepared by Giorgios, the owner of the local taverna (2 minutes walk from the villa). Brilliant food and quiet atmosphere..

The region is wonderful! Heraklion has a lot to offer, views, beaches, bars and tavernas. It is only a 20 minutes drive. There is also the ruins of the palace of Knossos just outside the city, definitely worth seeing. You also can reach the beautiful coves of Bali or Agia Pegala on the North West coast in between 30/40 minutes. If you are more adventurous, we would recommend you drive to Matala. The beach is great and you can visit the Roman caves located by the sea.

ChristinaVillas also offer a home catering service. Lissimaros is an amazing cook! We had home made tzaziki with Cretan salad, followed by greek meatballs and rice as well as a typical greek pudding (sour cherry and cream). If you want to try the local food, Lissimaros is the man!

We would highly recommend Christina Villas, which you can pair with a car rental through Zakros Group. They offer very cheap deals.

All in all, we fell in love with Crete and we will definitely be back. Adonis and family hospitality is undeniable, and they are there for you at any time. 10/10 for these holidays which we will never forget!

Just a short note to thank you for a wonderful stay in Crete. The Villa provided everything we needed and was very comfortable and clean. We enjoyed the friendly people that we met in Pendamodi, the surrounding villages and the Tavernas we frequented.

Our drive from the village every morning provided some breathtakingly spectacular vistas that will forever be etched in our memory.

Your personal hospitality and the special meal that was prepared for us was greatly appreciated.

We will recommend Zakros Tours to others.

The amenities and the equipment of the villa were really good: like home! Fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, microwave, toster, large fridge, etc. The villa had parking, private pool and garden, as also fireplace and air conditioning. Finally it had even Playstation!!! For our great convenience, as we were travelling with two babies, it had also baby cot and baby chair + washing machine.

Pendamodi is a traditional village, close enough to Heraklion (15 minutes by car which we rented), where one can relax while being close to the capital Heraklion. At the taverna close to the villa, we have had the best meetballs in Crete!

The staff were friendly and was willing to help. The most impressive was the private chef of the villa, who showed us two cretan recipes!

Concluding, the price was very good considering the quality and the amenities of the villa.

Kalispera Adonis!

I'm just writing to say that we had a great time in Pentamodi, and really enjoyed meeting you.  Thanks for your help with getting to the airport and to Heraklion - we weren't expecting this.

We were very happy with our stay.  Do let us know if you and your wife to be ever decide to come to London.

Well equipped spacious villa with a private pool and parking in very small village. Excellent Service from all Zakros tours staff - really helpful people who go out of their way to make you welcome. The village is tiny so don't stay here if you want lots of night life. We had really relaxing stay with easy access to main roads for touring and sightseeing.

Adonis and Zakros Tours made sure our Cretan adventure was authentic and comfortable, from start to finish.

We fitted well into Christina II with our 2 adult children, into 2 bedrooms, each with aircon. The upstairs bathroom had a small laundry, and the downstairs bathroom was fully fitted out. The village is in the hinterland, and you definitely need to have a car (which we also hired through Zakros), and there are several larger villages within a few minutes drive. I had the best rabbit stifado of our entire Greek holiday in one of the villages, wish I could remember its name! Lissiandros, a Cretan chef, cooked for us one night, and that was a highlight too.

We stayed for a week at Villa Christina II in the village of Pendamodi. Pendamodi is a small village a short drive away from Heraklion, and it was a wonderful base for exploring the island of Crete.

We always travel with our son, and we look to stay at places that are affordable, clean, include a kitchen, and room to relax and play. Villa Christina was a perfect fit for us! We also like to get off the well traveled tourist path so that our son can experience the culture of the places we visit, and the location of the Villa in the village of Pendamodi gave us this opportunity.

We were well taken care of by Adonis and Zakros Tours. You will need to rent a car, and they offer special rates to visitors who are staying at the Villa. We were met at the airport with our rental car and followed Adonis to the Villa. (He helped us to the port at the end of our stay as well.) Upon arrival at the villa, Adonis sat down with us to talk about what we wanted to do on Crete and gave excellent advice on where to go, how long it takes, and good places to eat. There is an informative guide to the area provided in the Villa as well. Most nights we took advantage of the wonderful hospitality of the local Taverna. The food was excellent, the atmosphere welcoming, and my son made fast friends with the owner. We also had the experience of a local Cretan chef cooking for us at the Villa. It was a delicious experience and highly recommended!

Do be advised that your GPS may lead you on interesting, but possibly unwanted, adventures around the island that include tiny roads that are not paved or well marked. We easily avoided traveling these roads by purchasing a map and familiarizing ourselves with the main roads.

We could not have been happier with our experience and highly recommend Villa Christina!

We stayed in Christina 3, one of the three villas in Pendamodi, offered by Zakros Tours. I can not say enough good things about the villa and the staff of Zakros Tours. The Villa is a very nice three bedroom free standing home. The main floor has a large kitchen eating area, fireplace, living room, a 3/4 bath, and a wash machine. Upstairs are three large bedrooms, a full bath, and a separate W/C. There is a very nice size pool in a private garden area. The village of Pendamodi is 20 minutes away from Heraklion, and you will need a car. We were there for seven days and used the villa as a base, traveling to different parts of the island each day, and returning each evening. The villa is clean, modern, looks brand new.

As good as the villa is, the extra special feature is the staff of Zakros Tours. It is a family owned and operated company that really cares about making your stay special. They go out of their way to meet your needs. Adonis, the son of the owner, was too good to be true. He offered to include a car as part of the package, at a very reasonable rate, and I was very glad he did. He picked us up at the airport, on the way to the villa, he took us to a supermarket so we could get some provisions, when we got to Pendamodi, he took us to his nephews Taverna (George's) for a welcome toast of Raki (a local beverage made from the pulp of the grape after the wine has been extracted, just a little stronger than gasoline) It was a fantastic glimpse into the real local life of Crete.

On night Adonis brought a chef to the villa and cooked us a traditional Greek meal, a wonderful salad, Dakos (twice baked bread similar to bruschetta topped with tomato and feta), a stew of lamb, vegetables, potatoes, in a very tasty lemon sauce, with toasted bread and Tzatziki sauce, for desert, a yogurt parfait. He prepared it from scratch in our kitchen while we talked about everything from marriage to politics. It was a fantastic meal, and a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange.

The villa is a wonderful place to stay, just be aware, it is a secluded retreat. Pendamodi is a sleepy little village with not much to offer in the way of entertainment or night life. You will need a car so you can experience the charms of the island, and then return to recharge at the villa.

Dear Adonis,
Thank you very much for your attention . The Villa is very pleasant. Crete is a beautiful country. We have seen plenty of nice places: Matala, Chania, Rethymnon, Lassith... People are welcoming! If one day, you will come to France, it is with a great pleasure that we will invite you!

I just thought I'd drop you this short email to thank you and Giorgios so much for the wonderful welcome you and your family extended to me and my family. We had a wonderful time at Christina 1 and enjoyed some lovely trips out. Pentamodi is a lovely village and we felt very much at home there.

This was my first time to Crete, and because you are such a good ambassador, I am sure that I will be back in the future.

Please extend my warmest and most sincere regards to the rest of the Zakros Tours team.

Warmest regards

Thank you for all your help. We have had a great holiday.

My family and I visited Christina Villa's last August and enjoyed a great, relaxing holiday in the traditional village of Pendamodi.

The villa was to a high standard with good facilities, plenty of space and privacy. The property had a lovely garden incorporating a swimming pool, BBQ area and good sitting areas to accomodate those who enjoy the sun or those who prefer a shaded area.

Pool and Villa cleaning was carried out on a regular basis by friendly, and helpful staff to a good standard.

On arrival we received a warm welcome from Adonis and his family and they remained helpful and available throughout our stay.

We enjoyed good local cuisine in Pendmodi as well as great restaurants in the surrounding villages, all to a high standard at affordable prices.

For those who are looking for a quiet realxing break in a traditional village not too far from the capital Iraklion( Heraklion) and the major attractions we would highly recommend Christina Villa's.

Endroit calme et bien situ? pour ceux qui veulent, comme nous, visiter le pays.

Excellent accueil avec m?me un panier pour le premier petit d?jeuner, m?nage fait tous les 3 jours en m?me temps que les draps et linge de maison sont chang?s.

La location de voiture a ?t? parfaite, une personne nous attendait ? l'a?roport D'H?raklion et nous a m?me amen?e jusqu'a la maison. Des conseils de visites int?ressants nous ont ?t? prodigu?s par le loueur.

La "taverna" du village est excellente, lΆ?pici?re, ouverte quasiment en permanence, offre le minimum n?cessaire.

If you want to experience *real* Crete, this is the place for you. Situated in the hills south of Heraklion, there are lots of places to explore nearby & excellent tavernas and cafes. The owners & managers of the villa were extraordinarily generous with their time & very thoughtful--so much so that I felt badly about the amount of time of theirs we consumed. And what's more, they can help you rent a car, which you'll need.

In the village is a lovely cafe/taverna with *excellent* food, and the owners were very thorough to point us to lots of other great places to eat & visit. Strongly recommended.

We stayed at Christina III last October (2010) for a week. The experience was absolutely great. The villa is large (good for 3 couples) & comfortable with all you need to eat in & with a nice swimming pool. We went out almost every night to Heraklion and during the day we had great traditional dishes and drinks at the local charming CAFE (best Raki in Greece!).

The village is inspiring and the people are warm and welcoming.

Adonis, Manolis & George who ran the place are super & will assist with what ever is needed. If you plan to go on a vacation with kids or with a few friends - this is definitely a great spot!

Dear Adonis
Thank you to you and George for all your help. Also to Mia (The maid) for keeping the villa so lovely.

We particularly liked George's taverna in the village and George helped with our Greek and the food was good too.

As for villa it was great and we all really liked it.

These are only suggestions and we thought the Villa and village were great and we had a brilliant holiday.

We would like to return sometime and would recommend the villa to friends.

Thank you to all your family for the help.

The facilities were great and the owners were brilliant. The villa is owned by a local family who take real pride in their work and hospitality - they went to great trouble to ensure we had a good stay - advising us on local beaches, site seeing, restaurants etc. We even got a competitive car hire deal through Zakros Tours.

We really enjoyed chatting to both Georgious (?) & Adonis about life in Crete, which gave us further insight into the culture.

The local taverna (also owned by the same family) cooked up some delish dishes. This (coming from a fussy eater) is not to be snuffed at!!

I really couldn't fault the team or the villa - If you're going to Crete, this is the place to stay.

Christina was a great place for us... Surrounded by a beautiful scenery with trees and flowers. I loved the outdoor pool where I used to spend many hours with a book or music. My little sister also got excited with the video-games and the DVD player. The rooms were big and clean. My mom used to cook in the full equipped kitchen it was very useful to have everything you need in the place you stay. From kitchen, micro, boiler even dishwasher and washing machine in a small room in the house. It was twenty minutes from the main city of the island Iraclio and also close to Knossos one of the most famous ancient palace in Greece. The beaches of Crete were amazing and the owner was very helpful and provide us with all the necessary information to get the best of our trip... Best thing was that they also rent cars so you could actually combine everything and get a very good deal, cause without a car it's not that easy to do a lot of things since the island is huge...!! It is amazing how many thing were there to see and do... Ten days were nothing at the end we wanted more...!

We wanted to thank you and Giorgos for your kind attention and the hospitality during our vacation. We enjoyed our stay in Villa Christina and in Pendamodi in general very much and hope to return to Crete soon.

We wish you all the best.

I want to thank you for your disponibility, to make for our holiday.

Our holiday was great and Creta is a wonderful island.

Christina villa 2 was very beautiful and comfortable even for the six of us. The description of the villa on the website is was as really as the reality.

We wait you and Marina for a little tour in our country!

We have visited the beautiful Island of Crete many times but usually stayed in a coastal resort. When we saw Christina Villa we decided to give it a try.

The villa is fantastic, very private and the villages were marvelous.

The people were very friendly, and the food at the taverna was really scrumptious.

We would definately go back and recommend it for a truely relaxing holiday.

Manolis is the owner and couldn't do enough for us, he is a truely lovely, genuine person.

Dear Mr Adonis,
It was our first vacation in Crete and honestly much better than we could expect. Especial we like staying in your villa, which is perfectly adapted for family like our or bigger. Villa we could recommend for all holidaymakers who like travelling, comfort, privacy and excellent location.

Thank you very much for nice staying, best wishes for you and George.

We all had a lovely time at your lovely villa. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. Pendamodi is a lovely place. Thank you to everyone who helped make our holiday so good. Goodbye and we may meet again . Love from all the family.

Adonis,
Many thanks for your message - we enjoyed our holiday in Crete very much and your villa is excellent. Thank you for your help.

For future visitors we would recommend the beach at Ligaria - it is fairly quiet and is a lovely bay for swimming.

One other place which we found and which has a spectacular view is at the small chapel at Rhizenia - on the hill by the ancient cemetary site - just before Prinias.

Once again, many thanks.