Stella's Traditional
“Stella's Traditional” is a small complex of 3 studios-apartments, built exactly right on the top of the amphitheatrical, fertile valley of Kato Zakros. It is situated at a conspicuous location, overlooking the sea high above the tops of the olive trees, which grow lower at the valley.
Outside the Apartments there are over 30 big trees, such as pine-trees, carob trees, horse chestnut ficus trees, arocarias, fig-trees e.t.c. During high noon, they provide those who enjoy swinging on their hammocks with their cool shade...
Outside
Apart from the stone jardinieres, which decorate the area surrounding the apartments, there are two large rock gardens, in which ornamental plants and scattered bushes of local herbs, such as thyme, oregano, mint, throumbi, rosemary, sage e.t.c. grow together. During the evening their scents mix with the aroma of the jasmine and the basil.
Outside every apartment, there is a wooden canopy and comfortable seats- “rustic”-style- while all the interior and exterior decoration is a hymn to the Cretan tradition.
The tiled yard is the beginning of many paths which lead either to the barbecue -at the disposal of every visitor- or to the small Greek- Orthodox church of Agios Nikolaos( Saint Nicolas); or to the rock gardens. Moreover, seats, hammocks and areas for daydreaming are available all over the surrounding space.
Inside
The interior as well as the exterior of the apartments are covered with sedimentary rock, extracted from the Sitia region. The area where the quarry is, was once the bottom of the sea but after some geological rearrangements, lasting millions of years, it came up to the surface.
So, on the stone tiles appear interesting fossils of sea-shells, limpets and various shellfish which tell the long and adventurous geological history of the region.
The ceilings as well as the furniture are wooden, while the beds are either made of stone or of a combination of wood and stone. The interior decoration is full of elements from the Cretan culture and follows the austere tradition of the region.
In the kitchen, one can find all the comforts required for the preparation of one’s meals e.g. pans, cutlery, a small cooker, a coffee-machine as well as a fridge, plates and glasses for various uses.
There is also air-conditioning, communal washing-machine and iron, necessary things when one’s vacations last long.
Although the rooms are protected by nets which do not allow the insects to disturb your sleep, there are insect-repellent appliances relieving one from possible annoyances.
There is a shower or a bath in every apartment and hot water is provided round the clock. As for the water, there will be no need to buy any bottled one, as one of the best (perhaps THE best) water of Crete, coming straight from the Zakros source, is running through the tap.
The studio provides coffee, sugar, tea, spices, salt and olive oil of our own production.