The area around the villa

Giannoudi is picturesque village located just 5 km away from Rethymno city and its Old Town offering plenty restaurants, cafes and shops. At the village we meet a three-storey tower which probably served as a fortified residence of a Venetian nobleman.

The building has been declared as a monument by the Greek state and one can still discern parts of domed buildings, probably cisterns, surrounding the tower. Also, the closest organised sandy beach (Platanias) is only 3 km away and the area offers beach bars, restaurants, super markets and cafes as well.

5 km away, starting south of Prasses village, it offers a three-hour walk through the stunning gigantic rocks and through some relatively hard passages, which make the hiking very interesting. The Prasano Gorge, which is today the "overflow" channel of the Potami dam, maneuvers through the rocky hills of Gargana, and its stream ends in the suburb of Platanias east of the city of Rethymnon. The river is drowned by vegetation and large plane trees, ideal for a cool excursion. Prassano is accessible only from mid June to mid-October, because of the water flowing through it. It is a very important biotope of Crete, since it hosts buzzards and a small population of Bonelli's eagles. 

Furthermore, 6 km away Mili Gorge is a stunning green oasis near the town of Rethymno. It is actually a ravine, which hosts a huge number of plants and trees, a real botanic garden.  At the middle of the canyon we meet the deserted village Mili (i.e. mills) which is divided into two neighbourhoods. Today we can see in good condition only one watermill that has been renovated so the visitors can get an idea of how they operated. The water never stops running from the springs located in the canyon at various points, with the larger springs being that of Saint Anthony and Five Virgins. Along its route, the water creates small waterfalls and lakes where you take a refreshing bath under the shade of huge planes.