We had a fantastic 2 weeks at Villa Sofia, partly due to Wall to Wall sunshine and temperatures consistently around 30-35C, but mainly because of the great facilities at the villa and in Prines. The relationship with the owner was very friendly but not intrusive and we took advantage of the additional services including a wonderful local meal cooked by a neighbour and a short voyage in yacht Ariadne out of Rethymno port. The layout of the villa suited our holiday lifestyle and the plunge pool was a huge benefit when returning from a day out in the heat. Two terraces enabled us to find sun or shade at all times of day and the interior remained cool despite the absence of air conditioning and the heat. Good wifi enabled us to keep in touch with friends and family who weren't enjoying the same weather as us ! Appropriate use of the anti-mosquito sprays and plug ins reduced bites significantly. A car is essential and strong nerves are needed to negotiate the local roads and drivers. Gravel routes to some of the best beaches make an older, less pristine, vehicle a benefit ! Having 3 good, but different, tavernas in the village a few minutes walk from the villa, together with a well stocked, "open all hours" store gave us all the opportunity to indulge in local wines and raki. Thank you Manolis

The villa and location was excellent. We were met by Michael at the village taverna and shown he very well equipped villa. The villa is in the small village of Prines with only a 2 minute walk to the local shop,taverna or cafe. The villagers were very friendly and the area was extremely relaxed. The villa itself is only a 7 minute drive to Rethimno where there is easy parking, the pretty harbour front and all the places to eat. The villa is nice and private and a great place to escape and relax yet very close to the main road systems to travel further and other areas of Crete. Overall the villa and stay was excellent with a very nice and and well equipped villa.We thoroughly enjoyed the stay.

A beautifully restored property in a really good location. Quality installations, and a kitchen more than happy to cook and eat from. Michael the owner was more than welcoming, and very helpful. However......most unfortunately our stay was incomplete and marred by a problem....no hot water!. Michael did all he could, called a plumber etc. but things were very sporadic in that area. Apart from that, feel sure its all fixed now and anyone else would have a good holiday.

We had a wonderfull experience here.If you want to met the typical village in Crete ,this is a very good option.Is a small village called Prines , not so far from Rethymo wich is one of the most important towns in Crete, Rethymo is very nice and we had visited everything in Crete. The house is new, there is all kind of details for doing your stay very comfortable.There is 3 spacious bedrooms ,1 nice living room,2 bathrooms,and a small swiming pool,that is enough for refresh you when you come back from any of the amazing beaches of Crete or first bath before doing a barbacue with a glass of good Crete wine. The owners are very friendly and always are pretending that your stay should be perfect.

This property is in a lovely and very authentic location. The owners are extremely hospitable, friendly and helpful. The property has been converted beautifully: it is spacious, airy and very comfortable, with lovely views from the balcony. It has all conveniences. The village is well-located for sight-seeing and there are two shops and two tavernas very close by.

The photos on the web site do not do the villa justice as the property is outstanding in every respect, and alot larger than it appears in the photos. All the fittings, furniture and electrical appliances in the villa are brand new and of the highest standard, which makes it a very comfortable and plesent place to stay, with plenty of room. The owner of the villa could not of been more helpful to us, and everything was done to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. I would recommend renting a car to make the most of the villa and surrounding area.

The owners are lovely, courteous and attentive but not intrusive. The house has been refurbished to a high standard, has character and style and is on the whole well equipped and there was lots of information on the local area in the villa which was useful. Nice to have wifi and a phone for incoming calls. Very private and very quiet inside the house at night. The village and local environment is welcoming, peaceful and pleasant as well as interesting. Crete is such a great mix of history, Greek island culture, dramatic landscapes and of course the wonderful Aegean Sea and beaches. Good range of shops within few kilometres to buy freshly made feta, breads, patisseries, as well as seafoods, some fabulous quality wines and other local specialities. Also plenty of nice tavernas and restuarants to choose from nearby and within short drive times into Rethymno. Parking is a little problematic and it might be helpful for future visitors to better understand the situation and the options available before arrival. We also think mosquito screens and some way of fully blacking out the windows (the shutters have slats which allow early morning light to creeps in) would make the bedroom more sleep friendly. Overall, we had a lovely family holiday in a comfortable villa, where we felt very at home.

This villa was amazing, and we had the best stay. The owner was so helpful, and he answered all our questions and gave us directions on mail and telephone before we arrived. When we arrived late in the night the owner and his son met us at the Taverna nearby. The villa is perfect. It is newly renovated and everything is very new, including the kitchen and bathrooms. The terrace with the pool was so nice and cosy, and the rooftop terrace had the most amazing view over the mountains. When the owner came and cleaned the house, and changed the linens and towels(it is included in the price), he gave us lots of information about nice beaches and thing to see. We would definitely recommend this vila for everyone. We were 9 girls staying there, but it would also be perfect for families.

We stayed in Villa Sophia in July 2011, had a great time. The owners were extremely friendly and the Villa was clean and welcoming. The local village is quiet and well equipped, the local Tavernas serve great food and great hospitality all within a few minutes walk from the villa. Our best part of the Villa was enjoying the views from the top veranda and lounging by the pool in the peace and quiet.

We stayed at the house in early September. I was thrilled when I opened the door and saw the large clean and open ground level. The house is beautifully restored with a clean modern kitchen, architecture fans will love it. Ancient village house and modern decor, a mix of old and new. It easily can fit 6 comfortably. I loved sitting out on the upper balcony in the mornings and looking out over the village houses. The neighbors gardens where ripe with pomegranate trees and bougainvillaea. It was easy to get from the house to the tourist sites around Crete, and there was a large super market on the main road before you come into the village where you could buy breakfast and other supplies. As you come into the village the road has some nice cafés and bake shops and there is a small store on the corner near the house. The family who own the house all speak English so it was easy for us since we do not Greek. We just had a great time there and would go back in a second there was so much more that we wanted to see in Crete. Ruben unio n City USA