Maro's Spitaki, Varipetro, Crete  *** 2009 Sunday Times Top 100 Holidays***

No more than 15 minutes by car from bustling Chania harbour and a 5 to 10 minute drive across country to the beach at Kalamaki, Maro's Spitaki, nevertheless feels as though it exists in an alternative world consisting only of orange groves and distant mountains. Varipetro, the local village, boasts no more than a bakery, a couple of small shops selling basic necessities and a little cafenion. For dining out, there are some very good tavernas close at hand, in the nearby villages of Galatas and Daratsos approx 5 - 8 kms away.

Perfectly formed for two, this little house with its, and here we make no apology, somewhat ostentatious swimming pool and huge barbecue is screened by high hedges from the only neighbouring house and simply oozes tranquillity behind Its large wrought iron gates.

The open plan living room has a cosy sitting area with fitted sofas and a TV and CD Player sitting amongst the prettily decorated Cretan artifacts arranged on meticulously crafted wooden shelving, in keeping with the simple, aesthetic style of the house. At the far end of the room, the immaculate kitchenette has a large fridge freezer along with a full electric cooker and a dining table by an open fireplace where logs crackle on a coolish evening. Off the living room, the air conditioned small double bedroom has a well-appointed ensuite bathroom, attractively finished with blue and white wall tiles. The cloistered rear courtyard is a veritable suntrap and has stairs up to the roof terrace with a shady grape arbour and astounding panoramic views across miles of open countryside, where orange and olive groves stretch to the distant phantom blue hills.

Beyond the house a flower bordered path stretches some 80 metres to the start of the orange groves. On either side of the path are yet further fruit trees, including avocados, kiwi fruit, pomegranates and kumquats as well as oranges and lemons. Stone tables and benches are located in shady spots around the garden and there's even a couple of swings for the young at heart. Apart from fruit trees, Yiannis, the owner keeps rabbits and chickens in separate outhouses in the garden and there are also some itinerant ducks who wander off into the orange groves during the day and return at night to boast to the chickens of their exploits.

Please bear in mind that Yiannis will call in every few days to tend to his livestock, but if you like going native and prefer the world of nature to human kind, Maro's little house is definitely an experience too good to miss!

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Varipetro, Crete
If you would like to stay somewhere within striking distance of Chania and are looking for a double bed, plus peace and quiet in a Cretan Garden of Eden with Noah’s Ark thrown in for good measure, then this is the mixture of metaphors you’ve been looking for! Some 500 metres from the tiny village of Varipetro and reached by a rough track through the olive groves, Maro’s Spitaki (little house in Greek) is destined to launch a thousand postcards! ...More about Varipetro >>

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