Athena House

The Rural Residence “ATHENA” is an authentic, stone Cretan rural house with a rectangular layout of about 54 m 2 , a “kamarospito” (“arch house”) with a private yard and a view of the hills, valleys, vineyards and gardens which surround the village. It is built entirely with local stone which the original owners used centuries ago and it can accommodate up to 4 people.

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More information

A stone arch divides the ground plan into four autonomous areas, without disrupting the unity of the space. The areas are adjusted to the contemporary needs of accommodation preserving their original form and they include a sleeping area, a kitchen and a living room area with the authentic fireplace (which was used for heating and cooking) and a bathroom. A special feature of this house is the painting on the rock which is embedded to the stone wall of the house over the old grape press which has been transformed into a comfortable double bed. A handmade sofa transforms into a double bed in the living room area and two handmade wooden armchairs become a single bed in the sleeping area providing a hospitable shelter for friends and family.

Amenities

There is a private yard with the necessary furniture, a garden, a separate main entrance, a fully equipped kitchen (oven, ceramic cooker, fridge, coffee maker, toaster, etc), dining area, a living room area, a fireplace, a desk, a sleeping area with double bed, a bathroom with a shower and a washing machine, an ironing board, Internet Wi-Fi, etc. We provide for free towels and sheets. About 70 meters from the house there is private parking area.

The guests also have access to the communal open space “SELENA TERRACE” which has a dining space, wood oven and BBQ.

WHY HERE

Unique Cretan Product – Local Cretan Life – Safe Location – Great Price – Feels like home away from home – Equipped with whatever you need to feel at home.

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Guest access

A car is indispensable to access the property as well as visiting the numerous beaches in the island.
All the main roads leading to the village of Sitanos are asphalted. Visitors should avoid the dirt roads if they are not sure that they are in good condition and suitable for their car.

At the village of Sitanos you will find

• Products grown traditionally, without chemicals, like vegetables, olives, fruit, eggs and fresh milk.
• Traditional products like honey, cheese, wine, raki and extra virgin olive oil.
• The authentic Cretan hospitality of the few residents.
• Moments of relaxation and absolute peace and quiet in an authentic, old Cretan neighborhood without lacking the comforts of a modern way of life which we have incorporated discreetly in our houses.

You will not find

• Cars (70 m before the houses there is private area where guests park their cars. The access way to the houses consists of wide steps).
• Rubbish: At Sitanos there is the following process. What is edible goes to the kitchen. What is not edible by people is food for domestic animals. The rest is collected in bins to dispose of.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE SITANOS

The village Sitanos is located 19 kilometers south of Sitia and 53 kilometers east of Ierapetra. It can be reached by the road connecting Sitia (and Ierapetra) with Chandras following the road to Voila – Katelionas – Sitanos – Karydi. There is also a secondary road connecting Sitia – Piskokefalo – Katsidoni – Sitanos – Karydi. It is a typical mountainous and semi-mountainous Cretan village where the Cretan rural architecture remained unchanged through the centuries.

Its name is connected to the name of ancient Itanos. It is believed that the etymology of its name has to do with the Itanians who, according to a legend, when they scattered after the earthquakes and the pirate raids came to the site where the village Sitanos (= of Itanos just as Sitia = of Itia) is today. Emmanouil Angelakis (Sitiaka A’, page 17) writes that the village existed during the Venetian occupation but it was destroyed by Turkish pirates in 1471 and was re-inhabited in the 16^th or 17^th century.

Its history is lost through the centuries of its existence. It starts at Later Minoan Times (Bronze Age 3000 to 1000 BC), since 150 meters west of the village at the site “Katalymata” after surface research, remains of a (well-preserved) Minoan settlement was located (Davaras K. 1978 and Plato 1959). In the 1583 census data of the Venetian occupation, Sitanos is mentioned among the other villages of Sitia having 54 residents.

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