On a day trip from Heraklion to the traditional mountain village of Achlada, located approx. 25 km west, I discovered how luxury and the protection of the environment can go beautifully hand in hand by a visit to the Mourtzanakis Residence.

Eco tourism has come a long way from being rather basic and more associated with pitching your tent in the wilderness and picking berries in the forest (without littering of course) than with soft beds, rain showers and every imaginable creature comfort you could wish for.

The hotel which consists of a main building and four individual villas nestles cosily wedged among steep mountains dotted with thousands of olive trees and affords stunning views of the sea below.

It was actually the view and more explicitly the sunset which, according to Marcos, the owner’s , story inspired the creation of this resort. ‘I sat there one night,’ he said, ‘and saw the sun go down and I thought: this is the place to create a  refuge for stressed-out  people, to contemplate Crete’s wonderful nature, to get in touch with the local flora and fauna, to experience Greek hospitality and sample its rich and unspoilt cuisine and, last but not least, to help protect the island and its eco system.’

And he set to work. The villas are all built from local stone and designed like traditional houses with a fire place and an upper gallery, called oda. The surrounding  walls and pavements are equally made from hand hewn stone making use of local craftsmen and the work is not yet finished.

The rooms are furnished in a minimalist yet comfortable style, but the main attraction is the library with its huge collection of history, art and entertainment books, the lounge with its fireplace where the multi national guests meet for a ‘raki’ to exchange their live stories and talk about the excursions, trips and adventures of the day.

Greek breakfast at it’s finest, including only local products like cheese and honey, is served at a communal table and prepared by Marcos’ wife Esmeralda (as she has a multi national background too, her name varies). She is a remarkable lady who didn’t have a clue about cooking, but fully supporting her husband’s idea of this eco haven, engaged the help of local women and learned all the details from them in no time at all.

A swimming pool invites to a dip and the vast terrace is the place to chill out in the evening.

Herbs and plants abandon in the surrounding gardens and no meal is served without making ample and skilful use of them.

Marcos or his son who is an absolute expert, will take you on a walk to the village of Achlada with its Venetian past and many, many tiny alleys and half decaying stone houses which however are now on the brink of restoration.

Things to in the area around the Achlada Mourtzanakis Residence

Only a few miles on is the small town of Agia Pelagia with four beaches or you can make your way to Fodele and visit the birth house of the great painter El Greco and stop at a tiny Byzantine chapel which is not much to look at from the outside but takes your breath away as soon as you enter. The entire chapel was covered with paintings and images of the saints, the holy family and other Christian motives and so much has been preserved and the colours seem so incredibly fresh that you  think they might be no older than say 100 years.

Photography is not allowed inside but you can buy postcards.

Round off the day with a stroll through the ‘town center’ of Fodele with its massive, century old olive trees, have a coffee at one of the tiny cafes and simply enjoy.

The Achalda Mourtzanakis Residence is very highly rated by guests on TripAdvisor, so it sounds like one of the best places to stay on Crete.