Metohi Kindelis is is a calm hideaway located in a rural part of Chania and only 3km away from the centre of the town, an easy 10 minute drive or taxi-ride. The closest beaches are at a 5 minute drive while the nearby national road allows for easy escapes to the picturesque villages, the ancient monuments and the dreamy sandy beaches of the South, avoiding the city’s morning traffic. A few local tavernas can be found in the neighbouring village at a 3 min drive. Metohi Kindelis makes a very comfortable base to explore and home to come back to.

Your questions – Our answers

 

While we love to host families, our farmhouse is a historic building constructed in the 16th century. The refurbishment of the interiors is done with respect for its original structure and the aesthetics in mind. There are some stairs in and out that can be dangerous for toddlers, a Well in the yard and of course the pools that are not fenced or covered and intended for your private use. Therefore parents should be aware that given the property’s structure extra care needs to be taken in supervising toddlers or younger children at all times.

We are not a livestock farm but do have a few animals around mostly peacocks, guinea fowls, our dogs that we walk on a leash and few friendly cats that walk around the farm and courtyard. We keep the cats outside the house and so far we did not have any issues with guests that are allergic to them, but please do let us know in advance and share any concerns with us.

No we do not have a restaurant but there are some options for dinning in, if you prefer to relax at home and do not wish to cook. The options vary from ordering a quick meal in (ex pizza, grill house) to a dinner basket with fresh produce and a recipe for you to cook, an aperitif platter or a picnic basket.

Yes we do provide separate bath, pool and beach towels. We do provide laundry service at a charge of 15euros per washing.

Renting a car is recommended for a holiday in Crete regardless of where you chose to stay as it is a very big island and in order to explore its beautiful landscape, the beaches and charming villages you have to be able to drive.

Metohi Kindelis is 4km away from the city centre so at a 10 min drive. Taxi service is very convenient and can be ordered through an app, costing between 7 and 10 euros to the town centre.  Walking to the city centre or the old town takes about 35 minutes but we do not recommend it as it is not a beautiful walk and the road has no pavement for the first 20 min.

The nearest beach is at a 5min drive away but it gets a little overcrowded from June to September.

We are by nature sustainable in many of our practices in the farm and the hotel before the label sustainability even existed as a result of our deep respect for the nature and the local community. We are pioneers in the organic and ecologic agriculture and in recycling. We compost, we build long-term solid relationships with our employees and support the local community and products. We have COCO-MAT mattresses in our beds, we offer local olive oil based amenities, we have a salt hydrolysis system in the pools, we heat water with solar panels and many more little things.

We are constantly in pursuit of ways to extend our practices further and are always open to more ideas, encouraging our guests to join us in the process.

We offer a variety of extra services, such as a wine selection to order in, massage and treatments, babysitting, yoga, qi gong and more personalised services like a detox program, a juice cleanse etc. We also love to help our guests organise surprises! If you have something specific in mind let us know!

Some of our experiences are open to non-guests as well but not at all times. However a farm visit is not something we offer. Anyone interested in having an experience should contact us to book the earliest possible. Showing up announced is not a good idea as many areas are private and there isn’t always someone to show you around.

No there is no reception at Metohi Kindelis therefore we kindly ask you to inform us on your exact arrival time at your earliest convenience. Danai the owner and Veta from our team will be there to welcome you and available throughout your stay to assist you with anything.

Obviously we cannot receive calls at anytime. Please prefer email communication and if you need to reach us on the phone respect the time zone hours (GMT+2)

We provide a variety of organic goods on arrival from local producers, our farms fresh fruits and home-made products for you to prepare your daily breakfast at your own style and taste, keeping a “leat kilometre possible” philosophy in mind. The bread and fruits are restocked regularly throughout your stay.

Living in a sustainable organic farm, most the products we propose for your breakfast are suitable for most diets (except for heavy meat eaters). 

We often have guests with special preferences and can adapt our offer accordingly as long as you ask, except for meat and charcuterie products, which we do not provide for ethical and environmental reasons 

We often host couples in their honeymoon and although we won’t shape rose petal hearts in your bed, we are happy to organise anything that would make your stay special, upon arrangement. We also propose some special activities you can book in order to share a memorable experience and have often helped couple’s friends offer surprise gifts.

Yes! we love this kind of things and will be happy to help you with whatever you want to surprise your co-traveler with! Just make sure to contact us ahead.

We often helped people offer a honeymoon gift to their friends during their stay (from a bottle of sparkling with a pastry to a massage or a dinner), or organise a birthday surprise.

The farm surrounds the gardens and farmhouse and can be accessed by the guests at any time. However it is not a picture perfect garden but a working farm with daily production and the participation is not possible. Also note that children must be under supervision in the working areas.

You can book all the three guesthouses if they are available, which means that you will have the exclusive use of the three spaces and their respective gardens as well as use of the common areas. You must however keep in mind that our family also stays in parts of the building and the common spaces are shared by all of us.

Our studios are designed for couples or single travellers but a family of 3 or 4 can easily be accommodated.

None of the three studios has 2 bedrooms so they are not ideal for 4 adults. However the Kynthia guesthouse does have a separate room with bunkbeds while its master bed is in the main open-plan space. In the Danae studio 4 adults could sleep comfortably using the sofas of the living room. The Kyriakos guesthouse can sleep up to 3 adults as the 4th sofa bed is quite narrow and only suitable for a child.

If all 3 guesthouses are booked a maximum of 12 guests can stay at Metohi.

It depends on the season really, but coming to a farm, you must expect some insects and possibly mosquitos since you are surrounded by plants and nature; Lizards , frogs and ants are frequent too! nothing is poisonous though.

Pets are considered but a peaceful coexistence with our own animals can not be guaranteed!

We provide daily housekeeping every afternoon that includes a light cleaning and if you indicate it, change of the bedsits.

Parties are not allowed at Metohi Kindelis. For special events please contact us to discuss the possibilities.

We do organise very few small events selectively in our premises, provided our specific conditions are met. For details on our terms and services please contact us with a brief description of the event you wish to organise.

Even during summer you may feel a little chill during some evenings in the garden or at some restaurant by the water so make sure to pack a light sweater or a warm pashmina. If you forget that though, know that Chania is a town with many nice little or bigger shops so you will have the perfect excuse for some shopping and easily find whatever you forgot to pack!

The pools are designed for your private use hoping that you will be respecting the basic rules all hotels ask you to and your common sense (ex not enter with a full stomach, having consumed alcohol, avoid diving etc) We are proud to say that we do not use any chemicals at all for the chlorination of the water but have the mechanism that cleans with salt in place. The pools are only heated by the sunlight.

The road is quite close to us indeed but usually you do not hear its noises while in the farm. If you are a very light sleeper however you might want to avoid the Kynthia guesthouse as you may occasionally hear some noise during the silence of the night.

The farming noises are rarely noticeable but it is a working farm so there can be some. Yet we make sure to keep them away if we realise you are relaxing at your garden or notify us in regards.

While we highly encourage a digital detox during your holidays, we do offer free wi-fi in all areas at a good speed, sometimes the thick Venetian walls can make it a little weaker in some parts of the building but you will always find a comfortable spot where you can have the perfect connection!

Yes we do offer our carefully curated guide with ideas and tips and help you with any special wishes you may have for your holiday plans but do not offer a concierge service, so finding special experiences and booking things for you is not something we can do.

However we do collaborate with a local boutique agency where you can book organised excursions such as the Samaria gorge that we definitely do not recommend to hike on your own.

You should contact the popular restaurants in advance especially during the high season, but definitely leave room for that occasional taverna on the side of the road that will look like a great place to stop, as there are quite a few like that and it should be part of your journey.

We do not book restaurants and taxis for you, precisely because schedule and holidays are often opposite, so plans can change and we prefer if you handle bookings and cancelations directly.

Our rates are located in the booking section and are always reflecting the current year. You can check them here 

For future bookings please contact us through email.

Please note that we do not accept bookings for over a year ahead.

Yes we do have air conditioners installed in all 3 guesthouses although we do not use them in our family homes as the Venetian architecture wisely using the air currents and isolating with thick walls ensure a cool interior even in the hottest days with the aid of a fan.

We ask you to use the AC consciously in regards to the environment, keeping the temperature at 22 degrees Celsius and keeping the doors and windows closed while it is on, then switch it off when you leave the house.

 

The farming is executed by the few workers and Manolis Kindelis and it is not possible to participate as it would interfere with their work schedule. Manolis can however show you around upon arrangement or you can take a walk and observe.

You can only harvest after asking us.