Lily's Cottage, secluded, Sea View Villa with private pool and amazing Garden

Absolutely loved Lilys cottage. We have just got back from 2 lovely weeks in Crete. The cottage was fantastic. Very peaceful and we found it hard to drag ourselves away. Lily and George are perfect hosts. Always on hand if we needed them and the welcoming food was just the job. Highly recommended

…. Tina Turner Lily’s Cottage is “ Simply The Best” !! We absolutely loved everything about the cottage, the facilities, the location and the attentive but unobtrusive help and care from the best host in Crete- the lovely Lily! We just didn’t want to leave after our 16 nights and, yes, we will return. Rethymno is only 20 minutes by car and is a classy town with nice shops and some really good fine dining restaurants. Ask Lily she knows all the best places. Having said that the Cottage is well equipped for self catering and we enjoyed many meals in the attractive and tranquil garden with its fabulous sea view.

We have just returned from spending eight days at Lily’s cottage close to Rethymnon. I will begin by saying that I’ve been renting holiday properties for over thirty years and during that time a handful of the owners stand out as having been very kind and considerate people. On top of that very select group of people is Lily, the kindest, most generous and thoughtful host I have ever met. She is exceptional. From starting the booking process there were polite and friendly messages at every stage with helpful directions to meet her on the day of our arrival and the person who turned up was no surprise, she was an absolute delight to meet. More surprises awaited us on arrival at the cottage where we were greeted with a lot more than we expected including a selection of local foods to taste and the most delicious spinach pie she had made. The house was exactly as we expected it to be but the things the pictures can’t tell you are things like how very comfortable the beds were made with top quality linens and that sitting room and garden furniture too was extremely comfortable. The views from the windows of the coast and sea which was turquoise in colour for most of the time we were there were superb and better still from the roof terrace. The garden is a peaceful spot with lots of pleasant places to position a chair to make the most of the sun or the shade (under an olive tree) whichever is your preference. Lily’s generosity didn’t end with a spinach pie but also went on to include the most delicious moussaka so in addition to being an excellent host, she’s an excellent cook going way beyond expectations in her kindness and generosity. I recommend hiring a car because while the house is in a quiet spot, a five-minute drive takes you to main roads and you can be in a lot of interesting places very quickly. Rethymnon itself is a beautiful town with many excellent restaurants and interesting shops and out of season it was pleasant without being crowded. You can be in many places in a seventy-minute drive. There are plenty of grocery stores close by too from independent shops to Greek chains and of course Lidl. It was our first trip to Crete and we thoroughly enjoyed everything about the island and the many people we met, I know it won’t be an only or last trip and I do hope Lily keeps her house available because if it is, I wouldn’t look to stay anywhere else.

Our stay at Lily’s was amazing! The house is so well cared for, with all the comforts of home. Lily is an exceptional host. Not only did we greatly appreciate being welcomed with home baking and other thoughtful touches, but many other little details were included: comfortable beds, amazing sheets, local fruit and cheeses provided. Needless to say, we loved our time at Lily’s and would highly recommend her cottage. We have rented many places over the years, and we have never met a host as gracious and welcoming as Lily. Thank you so much for everything!

We spent ten wonderful days in Lily's cottage in October with our two children. The cottage is very cozy, clean and perfect equiped. As well as the pool and the garden. Its located perfectly only 10 minutes from Rethymno and not far to other sightseeing locations. And Lily is the best host I ever met, also her cheese pie and moussaka are very delicious!!:-) She was always available, when we needed an advice or recommendation and our communication was very easy:-)

The house was nice and clean, the garden was hughe with plenty of space to relax and the highlight of the property was the pool, which always was held at a constant, cooling Temperature and was clean. With the house also came a young cat that was pretty friendly. Lily’s advices are great and always recommendable. Our stay was a great pleasure and Lily one of the nicest persons we ever met.

A little paradise near Rethymnon! If you are looking for a charming place with all comfort in a calm environment close to the beach and city ... do not look any further because this is the place to be! Lily's cottage is a fully renovated and decorated with great taste. It is located in an olive grove and surrounded by a green garden with shadowing trees and flowers. It has a beautiful swimming pool (privacy guaranteed) and the parking is easy in front of the house (private country road). From the terraces and garden you see the sea. The cottage is ideally situated at 5 minutes by car (15 minutes walking) from restaurants, pizzeria, bakery, shops, supermarket, ATM, highway, etc. The nearest beach is at 5 minutes by car and Rethymnon (which is a wonderful little city) is at 15 min. From the cottage you can reach Heraklion, Chania, the south coast's beaches and the white mountains in less than 1 hour. On top of this you will not regret to meet Lily, the wonderful owner, and to enjoy her friendly services! Spotless experience, we will return for sure!

The first impression you get when arriving at Lily’s Cottage is from Lily herself. Being greeted with a warm welcome and broad smile instantly put us in a relaxed holiday mood. Lily met us at the supermarket in the town which is just a two minute drive away from the cottage but far enough to feel secluded and tucked away. The photos on the website do not do justice to how beautiful and well loved this property is. As well as the great swimming pool, there are plenty of places to sit around in the garden and soak in the Cretan sun. Under olive trees, the parasol, the table on the terrace, the choices go on and on. The villa accommodation is great as well with full air conditioning which is much needed when the average day temperature is 30* plus! We ventured out a few times into the town to eat and also to Rethymon for the day which is lovely also. However you can easily spend the day relaxing at the house with a good book and glass of wine. Lily is the perfect host and left us fresh oranges, cherries, raki, wine, a big cake, pastries and a lovely cheese pie on arrival. She then followed this up with a delicious mousakka which she brought to us midway through the week when the linen was changed and house cleaned. If we could give 100 stars we would and have no hesitation recommending Lily and Lily’s Cottage to others to enjoy also.

In more than 40+ years of travel, I have rented almost 100 properties so I know excellence when I find it and I found it at Lilu’s Cottage. You could not find a more beautiful spot nor a more comfortable and immaculate home. The gardens, full of flowers and fruit orchards, are lush and lovingly tended by Lili and her son, George. The views are expansive and breathtaking. There is a short walk to a grocery, bakery, butcher and several little tavernas should you prefer to eat out although I often cooked in the well supplied kitchen. But I have saved the best for last and that is Lili, herself. She is the perfect host. She loves this place deeply and knows its glorious history and is full of great recommendations. You will have to meet her yourself and experience her warm hospitality, vivacious personality and generosity of spirit to see how it is that I came to love her so quickly. I have made a lifelong friend and can’t wait to return. You can rent Lili’s Cottage with complete confidence.

We had a lovely week at Lily‘s cottage. The house is furnished with personal touch and the garden is just lovely with lots of flower pots. Lily is taking care for her guests very well. We hope to come back and we recommend this place!