Greece, Crete and the Greek islands

My name is Hans Huisman, I live in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and I am the super-fan of Greece its islands. I've been visiting the Greek islands for a long period and in they year 2000 I started a small website that just kept growing and growing. I go to Greece two or three times a year, usually in May, September and October. Over the years I've seen seen over forty islands and some of them I have visited more than once, sometimes up to ten times or more. I have visited the Cyclades, the Sporades, Corfu, the islands in the Northern Aegean, Rhodes and the biggest and the most beautiful of them all (for me so far): Crete. On this island I drove around for over a year to visit all kinds of places and I am working on buying a house there. Every time the plane lands in Heraklion or Chania it feels like coming home. I prefer the south of the island where it is more quiet and I usually stay in places like Lagada (next to Makrigialos), Tsoutsouros or Tris Eklissies, where there are wonderful quiet, sandy beaches. The small settlement of Lagada is my happy place. The plan is to retire early and spend a lot more time there.

I try to make original texts and I make my own pictures to make the website personal and different from all the other websites about the Greek islands that are sometimes written by people that have never or hardly ever been there. I review the hotels, villas and apartments that I have visited and give my opinion of beaches and restaurants that I have visited. If it is good I will tell you this and if it is bad I will also tell you that. It is not possible for anybody to pay me to put an advertisement on my website.

If you navigate the islands on the left you will notice that some islands contain much more information than others. These islands that have more info and pictures are mostly my favourite islands that I visit whenever I have the opportunity (Crete, Iraklia, Skyros, Alonissos, Mykonos, Samos, Patmos, Santorini, Milos, Thirassia, Paros, Antiparos). The website is regularly updated with new pages and new pictures, so check it from time to time. This is how it goes when you are a super-fan of the Greek islands.

During my visits to Greece I have met many special people, made some good friends and I have seen beautiful beaches, special villages and nice hotels. You can read about that on this website. Who knows you can do something with my tips. I usually look for peace and quiet, so if you like that as well than maybe you can pick up some ideas. There is also a lot of information on naturist beaches and naturism on my website because I prefer this over the "ordinary" beaches with parasols and beach beds, where it tends to be more busy.

I want to thank all the people that have contributed to my website with their tips, stories and pictures. Without people like Rita Woldringh, Truus de Graan, Carla de Goede, Marianne Holleman, Marjan Beintema and a couple of other people / correspondents that made contributions to this website it would be much less interesting. If you like my website than tell a friend about my website.

I also want to thank all my friends in Greece, like Lilian from Mike's Place in Antiparos, Arianne Geervliet from Ariana's Place in Crete, Anna from Ikia Studios in Paros, Anastasia and Mrs Soultana in Milos, Vivi from Kiklos Car Rental in Samos and many, many more. A very special thanks goes to the fabulous Frankie Miles in Almyrida on Crete, who has inspired us with her books about the island and who has always made sure our stay in Crete was unforgettable. Frankie is one of the sweetest people that I know. Besides writing wonderful books Frankie runs the travel agency Villas Crete Holidays that rents out a vast number of beautiful villas and some select beach front apartments. Frankie has set us up for many years and you can see quite a few of her villas on my pages of Crete.

I dedicate this website to my mother Truus Hagman, who died on February 24th 2013 after a long battle with cancer. She was also a big fan of Greece and my first trips to Rhodes and Crete were with her. She always supported me with everything I undertook and never judged me. All she ever wanted was my happiness. Thanks mum for all those times you comforted me and thanks for all the times you made me laugh. Thanks for your time, your wisdom and your patience. Thanks for your unconditional love and for being proud of me all your life. You are an example of what a parent should be like. I turned out so well thanks to you. I will miss you so much, but you will always be here in my heart, not only as my mother but also as the best friend I ever had.

Villa Athina is situated on a hilltop in Kokkino Chorio, a village just east of the city of Chania, in the area called the Apokoronas. In October 2012 we were one of the first visitors in this new house which is built in traditional style, with stone and round arches between the rooms and the terraces. The villa has a private pool and is set in a very private location (not overlooked). The view from the grounds of the villa and the various verandas is phenomenal. You look out over the sea, three peninsulas (Apokoronas, Akrotiri and Rodopos) and three islands, including Souda Island with its fortress and the island of Karga, that lies in front of the village of Almyrida. There are views over the bay of Souda,the naval base, the fort Izzedine and you see the cruise boats and ferries sailing in on their way to the harbour of Souda. On the west side you look out over the village of Kokkino Chorio with its church and behind it you can see the White Mountains. More information and pictures you can find on this page.

This beautiful large stone villa with private pool Villa Prinolithos is located on a hill just above the village of Gavalochori, in a region called the Apokoronas. It is about half an hour to forty five minutes away from the city of Chania and the trip from the airport is approximately one hour. The villa has three bedrooms and a separate studio that can accommodate four people. The maximum number of people that can stay in the villa is ten. We visited the Villa Prinolithos in September 2012. The name of the house comes from a tree, the Prinos, which surround the villa. Probably these trees are also used in the construction of the villa, because the ceilings are made with tree trunks. Prinolithos villa is in a very quiet and very private position, so ideal for those who seek tranquillity and and want the possibility to to sunbathe and swim without swimwear.

For more luxury apartments, studios, hotels and villas click here.

I also especially want to recommend the Ariana's Place (see picture on the left) in a small village just above Kissamos on Crete. They rent out one studio, one apartment and one house and all three of them are wonderful. It comes with a swimming pool. Very private, very quiet and my friend Arianne that runs it is super friendly. It is also not expensive. There are great views over the sea from the accommodation. A real gem! For the people that like to swim naturist style: the beach of Falassarna is not far away!

What an enchanting and beautiful island Milos is. I love it to bits. Especially the coastline, the cliffs and beautiful sandy beaches are breathtaking and unrivalled. The people are super friendly and the food is excellent. Our stay at the Heliotropio Hotel was fantastic and worth a real "super tip". It is a beautiful and peaceful place, right on a private beach and you look out over the bay with the boats, the village and one of the two larger beaches of Pollonia. The decor is very tasteful and it is fully equipped. We had a big porch and when you walked down the stairs you were on your own little beach. The large village beach is about a two minute walk away. A little bit further you find another quiet beach. Within 5 kilometer distance there are at least 4 more quiet sandy beaches.

Of all the 40 islands that I have seen Milos is the island with the best beaches, and also a good destination for the naturists. Besides on the more secluded sandy coves there is room for naturism on the beautiful large beach of Achivodolimni, an official naturist beach, and of course outside the high season on many more places. If you are looking for amazing landscapes, gorgeous beaches, azure blue waters, peace and quiet and terrific food than this is your island.

The views from Villa Amalia on Crete are without a doubt truly magnificent. You look out over the Bay of Souda and two small islands and the naval base that are in front of the villa. On one of these islands is an old fortress. You will have naval vessels sailing in and out and see the fishing boats and tour boats go up and down to Chania. Also cargo ships and ferries sail by. A few times we saw a submarine in the bay. In the evening when the ferries depart from Souda with their lights on it is a festive sight. In the background you can also see the planes land and take off at the airport of Chania (the noise is neglectable, too far away). To the west you can see the mountains and the village Megala Chorafia that lies within the woods. In one way or another the evening skies here are often very beautiful and they have a special color: yellow or orange or pink, it is like looking at a painting. There are a couple of comfortable outdoor spaces where you can watch it all. On each floor there is a large terrace with table and chairs, and the garden (with BBQ) and also the pool look out over the beautiful bay.

The Windmill Hotel on the beautiful island of Kimolos, Cyclades, previously known as the Doctors Windmill, dates from 1852 and remains one of the few authetic, traditional windmills in Greece today. It has been recently renovated to create an elegant boutique-style hotel. Its exceptional location, traditional design, professional management and small scale, combine to create a rare blend of intimate and attentive service, offered against a backdrop of the stunning Aegean Sea. Located between the port of Kimolos and the main village, the Windmill of Kimolos welcomes you to enjoy the commanding views over the bay of Psathi and explore the island formerly known as Arzantiera, the so-called Pirates Island.

Fata Morgana Studios on the island of Folegandros in the Cyclades. This is where we stayed while we were on Folegandros in 2011: the lovely Fata Morgana Studios in Chora. It is probably the accommodation with the best view of Folegandros island, so good that every now and then a stranger would walk in to take pictures of it. Sitting on our balcony we could see the Chora and the Panagia church on our right hand side, the sea with the islands of Sifnos, Sikinos, Paros and Antiparos in front of us and on the left hand side there was a beautiful landscape and even more sea with the islands of Milos, Polyaigos and Kimolos in it.