By far, the best villa we have ever stayed in. Villa Penelope was beautifully presented with a great layout and spotlessly clean. We were welcomed by Angela and Dennis, who were happy to share local knowledge of where to shop etc. They also came to clean halfway through our stay and did a great job. The villa was superbly equipped for self-catering: plenty of pots, pans, sharp knives, a salad spinner, dishwasher, washing machine.... Beatrice has thought of everything. The beds were very comfortable and there was plenty of wardrobe space/ storage. The air con kept everywhere cool and there were ceiling fans in every room too. No need for mosquito nets as all the bedrooms had insect screens, so you could get a breeze with no bugs. The outside space was perfect- comfortable sun loungers, 2 seating areas and of course, the pool. We sat in the sun from early in the morning and could watch the gorgeous sunset over the bay at night.
When we stayed, the nearby villas were empty, so it was very peaceful apart from the bells of a few mountain goats on the hillside. I suspect if there were families nearby, the sound would carry a little, but the villa is very private.
The villa was well signposted and we were able to call Dennis from Kaylves for directions, but a word of warning, the final couple of 100 yards up to the villa needs to be approached cautiously- it's a steep mountain road- I wouldn't want to navigate it for the 1st time in the dark!
There is a supermarket 5 mins away, but it was quite expensive. The one in Kalyves is cheaper but it's very reasonable to eat out too. The Cretan food was delicious and Plaka does have a few great restaurants just 10 mins away.
A fantastic place to stay, couldn't fault it- thank you so much!