Villa Barozzi

This is an excellent house and the owner is incredibly accommodating.

The first thing you notice when entering the villa courtyard is the pool surrounded by lovely Venetian walls, this is a fantastic area of tranquillity and becomes the centre stage of your stay. You then move into the outside kitchen area before moving into the villa itself, this outside area next to the pool always ended up being the meeting, eating, late night drinking entertainment area.

Maroulas is a lovely and quiet village with three places to eat/drink plus only 10 minutes by car from the busy nearby town and beach. If you want somewhere with character and quality it's to be recommended. Also the daily cleaning service and attention of the owner make it really easy to stay in.

The positives are the character, having plenty of space, the distances between rooms (we had three couples who all effectively had their own areas to be in), the courtyard with and outside kitchen and the roof terrace.

If I could have made better I would have added a view from the pool (roof terrace good view but not a great place to be all day if very hot) and some of the fixtures getting a little tired but this is a small point.

Highly recommend the owners chef who came in and made a superb meal for us - make sure you starve yourself the day you do this!

Overall a great place and if you like something different rather than a standard white block villa next door to a load of other similar places then this could be the place for you.
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"Do not rent this place if you're an exhausted corporate drone with no romantic imagination or interest in Cretan history, seeking a generic faux "luxury" seaside experience with fellow dullards in Greece. If, however, you'd enjoy waking up as a character in a surreal romantic novel, in an actual 15th century Venetian castle, in a town inflected by millennia of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian influences, I expect you will find no better place in Crete. Unlike most restored castles, which are dark and boring inside, this one is well-designed, imaginative and full of light, which, as you might imagine, is incredible on Crete. Much of the surrounding structure was left original, and, as you can see here, is as dramatic as the villa itself. Your first day he draws you a map for an itinerary of the most interesting towns, vistas and relatively unknown beaches accessible in day trips from the villa, which is to say, everywhere on the island. You tell him what drew you to Crete, and he unobtrusively guides you to the best experience of whatever that is -- even when that includes the best restaurants and music venues off the beaten path. This is a typical day out with Yourghy (who gets extra points for using a Belgian mid-life crisis to move to Crete and restore a castle): He guides you through winding Maroulas walkways that look private to protect from Turks and tourists the town's ancient church, which is built into a cave. He unlocks it, shows you inside and then points out the 12th century BC burial chamber recently discovered on site, explaining that archaeologists now think a settlement here may date back 9,000 years. On another evening, he takes you down into Rethymno to the club and music venue just opened by a leading local underworld figure, to whom he introduces you, because Yourghy knows just about everyone who matters in Rhythmno prefecture. Between the spread he prepares for you upon arrival and your emotional farewell over too much Raki lay weeks of pleasure, inspiration and serotonin-rebalancing Cretan light in an astonishing environment. You should stay here"

"We stayed with 9 adults and 4 children (under 5 years old). We could not have been happier or more impressed. Yorghy went over and above for us by pointing out local attractions, actually taking us on a brief tour of the best local places to eat and hangout and offering his assistance at a phone call. The photos do not do this place justice. It is set close to shops and the beach and there is a lot of history within walking distance. Parking is available directly in front of the villa. We had 3 cars and no problems. The cleaner is fantastic and the wine cellar provides a welcome change from the local wines! We were a group ranging from 6 months old to 60 years old and everyone was super happy. I hope many more people get to stay here and enjoy Crete. I cannot say enough in favour of this villa and Yorghy. Cheers, Robin, Vonnie, Mike, Britta, Olive, Julie, Leighton, Shelley, Wanda, Jim, Zaya, Lilly & Nina"

"If all holiday experiences were like the one that Yorghy created the world would indeed be a fantastic place. The villa is amazing, it was like we were living in a dreamland for a week. The beautiful historic Venetian building mixed with contemporary touches was spot on. The town of Maroulas is fascinating and it feels a world away from the tourist towns on the coast. The cheesemaker down the road was an exciting and delicious bonus. Taverna Katerina was hilarious. Yorghy took time to show us around and his recommendations were spot on. The drive to the South Coast was excellent. We loved Taverna Fantastiko. And knowing where to shop for what makes the holiday so much easier. There is a lot to see and do in the world but Crete and in particular Villa Maroulas definitely is calling my family back. An authentic holiday experience is a very rare thing and Villa Maroulas really stands out from the crowd" Michael B