Reviews
Don’t take our word for it, hear what our guests think. These are a selection of the reviews from recent guests. See more on TripAdvisor. See what guests say in our blog
“Unwinding on top of the world”
We stayed at Panokosmos in July 2013, and had the rooftop apartment to ourselves. The accommodation itself was immaculate and finished to a high standard, and John and Yasmin had taken care to ensure that every need was taken care of (and were more than happy to oblige any requests we had during our stay).
There are fantastic views in all directions which can be taken advantage of from the many terraces and balconies available, and the pool area is a great place to relax with a book and a drink, before jumping in whenever the heat gets too much!
The local tavernas we tried were great, and the recommendations provided by John and Yasmin proved to be excellent. We also loved the little surprise treats and the great quality meal / breakfast we had while we stayed.
This place is not for those who want the standard tourist experience of a bright lights, people, noise and crowded beaches, but rather a place for those who want space to themselves in a stunning location with great views and a sense of isolation (even though amenities are only a 15 minute drive away), combined with excellent facilities and attentive yet unobtrusive hosts.
We had a great time and hope to be back soon!
Ben & Kirstie
“As good as it gets”
We have stayed at Panokosmos in August 2013 and we loved every minute of it!!! This villa is one of it’s kind, amazing views of the mountains and coast, so peaceful and tranquil. A little hide away from the whole world and busy life left back at home – that’s what we call ‘the perfect holiday’!
Villa has been rebuilt a couple of years ago, very spacious, modern and charming inside, has plenty of lovely outside areas to sit and enjoy the sun. We have all been left impressed by the pool – good size, big enough for a decent swim.
Even if you feel ‘away from it all’, you are only 10 minutes down the hill from the friendly local villages, beautiful beaches, tavernas and shops.
But what makes this place the most special are owners John and Yasmin, wonderful people, full of life and good energy. They will take care of you whenever you need, but never will be in your way. We feel so blessed to have met them!!!
Upon our arrival we received welcome package (wine, beer, cheese, yogurts, olive oil, vinegar, biscuits etc) which we thought was very generous and thoughtful. John and Yasmin are passionate cooks , they have spoiled us to numerous tasty breakfasts and dinners, all food was prepared from local produce.
John and Yasmin thought about every little simple thing to make our stay at Panokosmos unforgettable… Look forward to coming back there again.
Tony & Ruta
“Beyond expectations”
I won’t repeat the superlatives of the previous reviews as they are all correct. Instead, I hope to draw attention to other superb aspects of this property, its location and the service provided.
The villa is a little off the beaten track and a car is essential. Though the road seems daunting to begin with it is one that you will actually come to miss when your holiday ends! It is about 10 minutes ‘off the hill’ to the nearest village with tavernas and a shop and about 20 to a good town and beach.
The location is great for exploring the lesser known reaches of Crete and particularly the White Mountains and the Apokoronas. The cities of Chania and Rethymno, both stunning, cultured places are about 40 minutes away and worth every minute of the drive.
The real jewel is Panokosmos itself and the marvellous hosts, John and Yasmin, for whom nothing is too much trouble, whether it be providing directions and recommendations to places of interest or places to eat. However, do not miss out on their cooking which was some of the best we experienced in this part of the island over the two weeks we stayed.
We will be coming back to Panokosmos.
Five stars all round!
Just returned from a wonderful holiday at Panokosmos, enjoying the amazing views, fantastic food, and great hospitality courtesy of John and Yasmin! This really is a special place – a stunning setting. Although you do need a car (hire is pretty cheap), it also means you’re away from the hustle and bustle in a romantic setting. Although the owners/hosts live in the basement (we had wondered how this would work out), they are fantastic hosts, always around to provide breakfast, or dinner (we opted this on 3 nights, food was was great with locally sourced ingredients), or advice and maps for your itinerary, but giving you privacy when you’re relaxing in your room or poolside. They’re also wonderful people who we enjoyed getting to know! In a way it’s somewhere between a B&B and a villa experience, and we loved it all the more for that. 5 stars all round.
“One of a kind”
We stayed at Panokosmos for a week in August 2013 and had a wonderful time. There were 4 of us (2 couples) and we rented the rooftop apartment, which we absolutely loved. Stunning views, irreproachable (en-suite) rooms plus quite a number of terraces where we always liked to unwind and watch the stars at night.Service is also excellent at Panokosmos – the owners, Jasmin and John, prepared a different but always excellent breakfast every morning; we also enjoyed the tasty light lunches or packed sandwiches when on a trip at lunchtime. They were also extremely helpful in giving us suggestions for visiting or eating out.
When not exploring Crete, relaxing by and in the well maintained and good-sized pool was one of our favourite past times.
If you are looking for the perfect away from it all spot, then nothing beats the tranquillity and breath-taking views of Panokosmos! And when you feel you’d like to reconnect with the buzz of the rest of the world, Chania town is only 30-40 minutes away (drive) and there’s only a 25 minute drive to the nearest beach.
Irina & Party
“…a romantic and completely stress-less luxury getaway”
On our first visit to Crete we wanted to stay somewhere special. We were looking for that special find, which you would love to tell only your best friends about. Located in one of the most spectacular and authentic places, yet built to international luxury standards.
We stayed at the first floor, which hosts the most luxury experience – master bedroom with windows on either side and a superb bathroom with rainshower and large bath. Great bed. Because you can open up the room on either side, you can sleep as if you were outside. You wake up well rested and energized. But you are able to decide on your own level of privacy and independence.
We visited the town of Chania a couple of times as well as local villages. Heading back home after any such little trip, felt like heading home to our own luxury hideout.
Being a busy manager myself I know the value of treating yourself to so special time off. Normally these are only a few days (in our case a week), so I want to make sure the experience is perfect. In this case it definitely was, so highly recommended for anyone looking for a romantic and completely stress-less luxury getaway.
Just don’t tell everyone.
Elwin & Conchi
“perfect location, perfect hosts, perfect holiday”
For our first trip to Crete we wanted a comfortable villa with a pool away from all the crowds and the pictures of Panokosmos nestled in the foothills of the mountains looked exactly what we wanted. When we arrived, we were amazed by the location of the villa, the attention to detail and, most of all, the view. Our family of four rented the entire top floor which meant that we had balconies facing in virtually every direction meaning we had uninterrupted views of the high mountains, the nearby gorge and out to the sea – we never got fed up of the view or the stars at night! The only noise to break the tranquility is the gentle tinkling of the goats’ and sheeps’ bells as they comb the mountainsides looking for whatever goodness they can find from the dry land.
The villa is beautiful with everything you’d expect from a luxury, well-appointed place but the whole experience is made so much more special by the wonderful host and hostess, John and Yasmin. From even before we arrived when John helped us arrange car hire from Heraklion they made the holiday so much more special. From the delicious breakfasts they served up to the local knowledge to recommend secret beaches and great gorge walks they made the whole trip so enjoyable and relaxing.
A particular highlight was the romantic 5 course meal (no kids!) cooked by John and Yasmin which started with cocktails in the pool and then proceeded with different courses, all delicious and Michelin Star quality, in different locations around the villa before finishing with Raki watching the moon rise by the pool. John and Yasmin also had a great knack of being there when you needed them but mysteriously disappearing when you don’t!
Overall, we had a perfect 2 weeks. The villa is so comfortable that some days we didn’t get out till 6pm after chilling all day and taking advantage of the pool and poolside bar. The location is perfectly secluded but also within easy reach of Chania and the main road to get to most places in the west of Crete easily. John and Yasmin were perfect hosts and made the whole holiday more special in so many ways. If you want to experience the relaxing, romantic, secluded side of Crete, Panokosmos is for you!
edited – see original on TripAdvisor.