The dream started to come true in 2002, when the restoration of the edifice built at the beginning of the 20th century commenced, with much love and care.
As simple as that, the guest house was created at the top of the village Smari, at the location Arhontika next to the old school. It is named after the wonderful view that someone can enjoy from the guest house, as the side of the mountain across is full of oaks, commonly called drides or adriades in the folk speech.

The lodging has been restored with stones from the area, and its roofs are mostly tiled.
The two bedrooms are accessed from different stairs. The smaller one has the old iron bed of grandma, whereas the lantern lets you enjoy the beautiful sky at night.
The bigger bedroom has a wonderful view to the mountain, a wooden double bed, while the telescope can keep you company on the divine summer nights.

People say that love goes through the stomach, that is why our fully equipped kitchen can cover both your appetites.
The kitchen has all the appliances, a dishwasher, a coffee machine and all the types of coffee.
In the lodging you will find olive oil, vinegar, marmalade, sweet preserves, olives, arrack, as well as a bottle of red wine, all produced by us.

On the ground floor the fireplace and living room is a company retreat for hours of relaxation
The big fireplace next to the sofa, as well as the stove will create a relaxed atmosphere. You can enjoy reading a book from our rich library, playing board games (you will find playing cards, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Backgammon and Monopoly), listening to music or watching a film on TV or DVD player.

In the past, the heart of a home was its yard. In our yard you can enjoy a nice meal at its big table under the trellis, relax in full peace, whereas the aromatic herbs of the garden will transfer scents of the Cretan country.

 

The village Smari lies in the inland of the Prefecture of Heraklion in Crete, it belongs to the Municipality of Kastelli and is characterized as a traditional settlement. It is 7 km far from Kastelli and 27 km from the center of Heraklion, at an altitude of 320 m it is inhabited by 150 persons.

Smari emits a unique charm, which is unfolded gradually and wins us with no return. A walk in the village, arrack with the local population, a walk at Profitis Ilias, and a small stop at the places where arrack is prepared… everything fits to each other and gives us pleasure, in its own way.

They say that in order to get acquainted with a place you must first get acquainted with its people. Mike’s tavern in the main square of the village (Rousa) as well as Marina’s tavern at the most graphical alley will travel you to Cretan cuisine. The village is full of small coffee houses-groceries which we strongly recommend.

Near the village there are some byzantine churches, historiated: Saint George with, unfortunately, white-washed murals and Christ Sotiras with discrete murals. Saint Paraskevi, Saint Panteleimonas and Panagia the Keralimniotisa.

Archaeological excavations conducted during the 80ies financed by the villagers and with a small aid granted by the Ministry of Culture, proved that the location was full of life since great antiquity. The architectural remains, excavated under the supervision of D. Hatsi-Vallianou, lead to the conclusion that the place had been used continually from the Midminoic until the Anatolian era (1800 – 630 b.C.). The view from the Acropol is wonderful and you can distinguish even the northern coast of Gouves. On the east side of the Acropol you can see the traditional settlement of Lagos, whereas when descending towards Smari 100 m from the Acropol you can see the beautiful small church of Profitis Ilias.

On July 20, at the feast of Profitis Ilias, a big fete is organized in the village with a traditional Cretan feast. The cultural association of the village organizes different cultural events, such as the arrack feast, Christmas and Eastern carols and feast of “Clean Monday”. Moreover, a very remarkable newspaper is published, named Arismari.

 

The churches Saint George, Profitis Ilias as well as Christ Sotiras are around the village and their position is evident.
In order for someone to approach the churches Saint Paraskevi and Saint Panteleimon they should follow the road leading to Heraklion. After exactly 2 km (having the lodging as a starting point) there is a road on the left. Leave your car there and walk for about 10 minutes.

For the church Panagia the Keralimniotisa follow the direction to Heraklion. At 4,5 km you will meet a crossroad to Episkopi, which you will follow, and at 6 km you will find on your left a dirt road (initially with pebble) at which you will turn. At 350 m you will find the church.

Kallergis Monastery
Kallergis Monastery is dedicated to Saint Ioannis Prodromos. It is located 2 km far from Kastelli, southeast from Smari, and south from the top of Boukolia. It was built around a hundred years ago and as Menelaos Parlamas mentioned in 1949 the place was suitable for the foundation of a monastery. The monastery was restored in 1912, from the archimandrite Nikiforos Velivasakis and the nun Evlambia Dolapsaki, according to an inscription on the bell tower, maintaining architectural elements of older times. It operated again in 1988 with the arrival of the archimandrite Ierotheos Aleksakis, who restored the monastery with the help of the association “Friends of Kallergis Monastery”. The central part has been repaired and the dome-shaped southwest side has been converted to a bank.
There is also a chapel, which is dedicated to Cretan Neomartyrs (who became martyrs in the hands of the Turks), is located inside the buildings and services the night Masses.

Agarathos Monastery
Near Sampa lies the great historical Sacred Agarathos Monastery, which is built at an altitude of 380m. The monastery has a guest house where many persons can spend the night. The name of the monastery comes from the word Agarathos, because, according to tradition, the old icon of Panagia was found under a Phlomis fructicosa (agarathia in Greek), at the place where the church is built. There is no exact information on the date of its foundation. It is referred in manuscripts and books of the 16th century. The church of the monastery was built in its current position at the place of the old one and was initiated in 1894. It is said that the bell tower of the monastery was destroyed during a big storm on March 1893. At the northern gate of the monastery there is an inscription since 1583 and at the southern another one since 1565. Inside the monastery there is a sarcophagus of 1554 and a dome-shaped store room with the inscription: «The present is Work of Maximos / Panosios Abbot of Loukareos ΑΧΚΗ΄april Α (1628) ». Agarathos Monastery is famous for its hospitality. Its “bank” is hospital to the visitors until today. In fact, in its yard you can find the Rest for Pitchers on a bench. In the old times at the same position there was a pitcher full of wine and another one full of water. There was also a basket full of bread, cheese and olives. Every visitor could, thus, rest, eat and drink as much as he wanted (see Spanakis: Crete Book Α΄, Heraklion and its Prefecture, publisher Prefecture of Heraklion).

Ancient Lyttos
The ancient town Liktos or Littos, is located between the settlements of Ksida (Littos) and Askon of the Municipality of Kastelli, where the churches of the Holy Cross and Saint George are situated today. The number of references by many ancient writers to the town (Homer, Isiodos, Ploutarhos, Stravon, Polivios, Diodoros Sikeliotis, Titos Livios, Plinios, Stephanos Buzantios etc) suggest that it was a town with big power and that it was inhabited since ancient times. As the historian Polivios states, Liktos was the most ancient colony of Lacedemonians in Crete, an opponent to Cnossos. According to Stravon, its port was the port of Chersonissos. The town, after a war, was conquered by Cnossos in 346 b.C. Its liberation was achieved after the intrusion of the Spartiats, but its resistance to the alliance of Cnossos-Gortina led to its total destruction by Cnossos in 219 b.C. The evidence of this destruction that Polivios refers to has been excavated by George Rethemniotakis and Aggeliki Lebesi. Liktos was rebuilt and resisted to the Romans by joining the alliance of 30 Cretan towns, under the king of Pergamos Eumenis the 2nd. During the Roman period, the town flourished once again, as the architectural remains, the various inscriptions and the statues brought to light by the excavations of the Board of Prehistorical and Classical Antiquities, mostly financed by the local communities, suggest. For the water of the town during this period an aqueduct was constructed to transfer water from the source Kournia near Krasi. The remains of the Roman aqueduct are today visible at the rural road leading to Kastamonitsa. A very important, finally, finding of George Rethumniotakis is the room with dimensions 13,90 Χ 11,40 m, with marble floor and 4 rows of stone benches along the long sides. The room was built, as dedicative inscriptions suggest, at the beginning of the 2nd century a.C. and identifies with the parliament of the roman town, probably destroyed by the earthquake in 365 a.C.

Nikos Kazantzakis Museum is actually a tribute to this great spiritual man, the writer, the philosopher, the politician, the traveller Nikos Kazantzakis.
The museum, which is comprised of a number of buildings, is located in the central square of the historical village Varvari, today called Mirtia. The exhibition of the museum is situated in the place where the parental home of the family Anemogiannis, a family closely related to captain Mihalis, father of Nikos Kazantzakis, used to be.
The Museum was founded by George Anemogiannis, a designer-costumier, one of the best in the Greek theater. His basic aim was to preserve the memory of the writer and to project his work and spirit. Significant contribution towards this aim was offered by Eleni Samiou-Kazantzaki, the second wife of the writer and Patroklos Stavrou, the foster child of Eleni.

In the Museum you can find manuscripts and notes of the writer, samples of letters to/from great thinkers, politicians and writers of his time, first editions of his works in Greek and other languages, rare photographs, souvenirs from his journeys, personal objects, scale models, costumes and theatrical material from his plays, in Greece and abroad, portraits and sculptures with his figure, tens of foreign language editions of his works – literally from all over the world – all heirlooms, preserving in memory and projecting the work and the personality of Nikos Kazantzakis.


Having Smari as a starting point, you can enjoy the northern beaches of the island daily, with trips leading to the beach lasting from 20 to 30 minutes:

Enjoy the beautiful waters of Anisaras in Hersonisos by following the road Smari – Kastelli – Hersonisos. The total distance is 27 km. At the half of the distance the known Aqua Splash with the waterslides is located.
Relax at the beaches of Kokkini Hani following the route Smari – Galupe – Kainourio Horio – Anopoli – Kokkini Hani. The total distance is 20 km
Have fun at the organized beaches of Karteros following the route Smari – Galupe – Kainourio Horio – Epano Vathia – Karteros. The total distance is 17 km
 

The villa comprises 2 bedrooms in total; 2 double. . This gives room for up to 4 people. Bed linen and towels are provided for your use.

The villa has 1 bathrooms for your party's use.

The villa has television dvd.

There is room for 4 in the living room and 4 in the dining room. The open fire can be used to create a comfortable atmosphere. To prepare food you will find a cooker, an oven, a fridge, a freezer, a toaster. The owner has also provided glassware, cooking utensils.

Smoking is allowed in this villa.

Pets are welcome
Small pets 

Not suitable for wheelchairs 

The villa is in a very quiet area. It has a patio area.

The villa is right beside walking, a restaurant.

Close to the villa you will find climbing, historic sites, a food shop.

Within easy reach of the villa you will find a beach, swimming, sailing, water skiing, boat hire, fishing, a museum.

The villa is....

30 km from Heraklion airport.

Any day of the week.

Any day of the week.

3 PM

10 AM