My boyfriend and I have just returned from an absolutely fantastic two weeks' stay at Kreta Natur (from 2nd September through to 16th September 2020), and we both cannot recommend this lovely place enough.
We arrived on the late flight from Gatwick, and got to Kreta Natur shortly before midnight. We were welcomed by George (one of the owners) and Albert (the expert bar-tender) on our arrival, and immediately given a free beer each to settle us in. Because of current COVID-19 restrictions in Greece, all bars and restaurants have to close at midnight, so we were extremely grateful for the refreshments after our journey.
We were shown to our room by George, and we were very impressed. Typical "Mediterranean holiday" style apartment, with a very comfy bed, adjoining kitchenette, and a very well apportioned bathroom. We both thought the bathroom in particular was absolutely fantastic - a powerful and proper shower (as opposed to the "wetroom" approach we've had on other stays in Greece), and the room was perfectly suitable for our needs for the fortnight. Extremely comfortable place to stay, with a wonderful balcony looking out onto the surrounding area, with the sea in the background. We spent an hour or two each evening, after the bar closed, playing cards and having beers up on the balcony, and the surroundings were lovely. The room was cleaned every 2-3/3-4 days, or as and when we wanted it done, and was always left in a fabulous state. In short, the room was fantastic.
The swimming pool (two - one larger for adults, and a smaller one for younger kids) was bliss; perfect temperature, caught the sun all day round, and with plenty of comfortable and high-quality sun-loungers around the pool. Just next to the pool is the bar, run by the ever-friendly Albert, with a wide-range of drinks and some very good local food prepared by the owners, George and Maria. The best part is that they allow you to keep a tab, so no need for money by the pool, and you can pay it off every few days or so. Extremely good value for money, and manned throughout the day and evening. The apartments are set in beautiful gardens, well worth poking around, with small little "hideaways" where you can sit and read in peace, or share a space with friends, and there are plenty of places to eat your own food should you wish to prepare in your apartment. There is a lovely little roof terrace as well with great views across to the sea.
Set slightly away from the coastline, you benefit from all-day round sunshine without the winds that can blow in from the sea. We had no complaints about the weather the entire two weeks we were there. The sea is a short walk away (about 15 minutes), and you have the option of sandy stretches with sun-loungers, adjacent to tavernas and bars for food and drink, or smaller coves with little pebbles. Either are great for swimming, and the sea doesn't shelve too deeply, meaning that you never feel out of your depth. There are also watersports in the area for those who are interested. We spent a mixture of time between the pool and the beaches. There are also some fantastic restaurants nearby - "Big Blue" is a few minutes walk and does a wide-range of very tasty foods, and slightly further you have "Saradari" which is a specialist fish restaurant; both are competitively priced and very reasonable. Slightly further away you have the new town of "Port Hersonissos" which is slightly livelier, with many different restaurants and bars to choose from (we recommend Kahlua and Med as two of our favourites), but the whole new town is popular with younger and older folks alike. Nearby is the old original village of "Old Hersonissos", set in the hills and with 8-10 restaurants ringed around a quaint village square. Either option gives you lots of choices of fantastic Greek food, and very friendly.
We did rent a car for the two weeks (from the airport, although there are also lots of car rental places locally), and we think it was worth it - as it allowed us to explore Knossos, go to Rethymno, and head to some spectacular beaches slightly further afield (Matala and Vai are recommended). However, a car isn't necessary at all, and Albert or George will happily arrange a taxi for you should you wish to head into Hersonissos, and the taxis (from what other guests told us) are very reasonably priced.
However, what made the holiday for us was the team at Kreta Natur. I have never stayed anywhere where I have felt more relaxed, and more welcomed, than with owners George and Maria at Kreta Natur, with Albert looking after us as well throughout the day. George and Maria go out of their way to make sure that everyone knows everyone else (it's a largely British crowd who go, but we met Germans, Austrians, and Ukranians whilst we were there), and people tend to stay for several hours in the evening drinking by the pool, chatting with each other and with George, Maria and Albert. George is an expert Backgammon player, and will happily play with anyone who wishes to, or will teach you how to play if you are unsure. Maria will have you crying with laughter each night, and her Raki - offered complementary every evening - is absolutely fantastic - "Yamas!".
We were originally only due to stay for one week, but because of how much we loved Kreta Natur, Hersonissos, and most of all George and Maria, we pushed our flights back by a week and George was most happy to allow us to stay in the same apartment for seven more nights. The price was extremely reasonable, and George very kindly allowed us to have the use of our room for the entire day when we checked out (we left Kreta Natur late in the evening, having showered and used the rooms up until that point).
In our second week, partly as a goodbye to us, George and Maria organised a full barbecue (food extravaganza!) and dancing evening, complete with traditional Greek music and the smashing of the plates! George and Albert worked all day on cooking the most tender and tasty lamb in a fire pit, and the food was simply endless. All the guests got involved, with Maria having spent the preceding couple of evenings teaching us all the traditional Greek dancing moves - even me with two left feet was able to pull it off! Several evenings we stayed up drinking with other guests in the bar area (although closed, it was allowed for us to have our own drinks there after-hours), chatting and playing cards until the early hours.
We made some excellent friends at Kreta Natur in the fortnight, and have already arranged to meet up with some of them when they return to the UK. Maria herself has family in London, and we are very much looking forward to seeing her when she comes over in a couple of months to visit - our turn to look after her! Many people we spoke with when we were at Kreta Natur said that this was their fifth, sixth, seventh (etc.) visit back to the place, and they simply love coming and staying there. We are the latest to add ourselves to that list, and have already asked George and Maria if we can have the same room again when we return next September.
On an LGBT point, as a gay couple, we felt entirely welcomed by everyone, and would have absolutely zero concerns for any other LGBT couples considering Kreta Natur. There was also a very good mix of ages of people - although a slightly older crowd on the whole, there were several couples in their early-twenties to mid-thirties, and we made friends with everyone there.
We would give Kreta Natur 100/100 for the enjoyment we had over the two weeks, and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit Crete and stay somewhere special. Thank you so much to George, Maria, and Albert for making our stay so wonderful!! <3
Marvellous! Opa!
