Dalabelos Estate

We had a fantastic stay at Dalabelos Estate in Crete. The setting is beautiful, surrounded by olive groves, offering a peaceful escape from busy tourist areas. Our room was spacious, clean, and had lovely views of the countryside.||The staff were welcoming, and we enjoyed the activities, like the cooking class and exploring the organic farm. Breakfast was fresh and delicious, with local ingredients.||If you're looking for a quiet, authentic experience in Crete, Dalabelos Estate is a perfect choice. We can't wait to return!

I can't rate this place highly enough. They have thought of everything to make your stay as excellent as possible. It is family run and they really care about their visitors. The food was delicious, the service efficient and the atmosphere was relaxed. Beautiful views from the rooms, dining veranda and swimming pool. There was freshly picked fruit for breakfast with homemade jams, cheese, eggs. Nothing was too much trouble. Each apartment has it's own outside area. Give yourself a treat and stay at Dalabelos.

If you want total relaxation, far from the madding crowd (and yet only a short drive to Rethimno), and with people who care - this place could be for you. Two days was not quite enough for me, I would have liked to stay a little longer, but in that time I felt completely relaxed with no agenda. I had a great view from my room, wonderful breakfasts and a fabulous dinner with special entertainment from Vasilis and his friend with their exceptional musical talent,||This place is not for you if you need pampering, want fancy lotions in your bathroom, a spa etc. But if you want to feel a genuine connection with Crete, to eat food grown directly in their garden, and avoid the ‘sunbed crowds’ then come here.

We stayed at Dalabelos Estate in Crete for 4 nights, and while the location and views were absolutely stunning, there remains a bit of a bad aftertaste. The owner, though friendly, comes across as quite the salesman, and the prices for food and drinks are far too high compared to the rest of Crete. There are always some sort of hidden costs – for instance, filtered tap water is served at dinner without being ordered, but you’re still charged for it at check out. A glass of house wine costs €6, which is much more than you'd pay in other local restaurants. It feels like the main interest is to get your money out from your wallet. The rooms were nice, but the Wi-Fi signal was very poor. The bathrooms were quiet small, and there were a few construction / design issues. For the price, we definitely expected a higher level of service.

We have very mixed feelings about this hotel.|The good: beautiful setting away from the crowds with amazing views on olive trees all the way to the coast. The grounds are great and very well kept.The food served is very tasty made with the products of the farm.|The hostess, Maria, is very sweet and very welcoming.|The pool is big and we often had it to ourselves.|The less good: the pool is not heated and in late September the water is a bit too cold to enjoy swimming.|The bedroom although large with a nice balcony is strangely designed because the bed is against the wall so my husband had to crawl out of bed. And the switches for the night lamps were all on my side! No WiFi in the room, you have to go on the balcony.|The bad: we payed extra to have a jet tub in our bungalow. This proved a waste of money since the jet tub was not heated. We had to ask 2 hours ahead when we would be using it and then the water was a little warmer but still not warm enough to sit in. Finally I never used it and my husband only once.|We were also very surprised by the reaction of the host who told us it was never mentioned it was heated! Some things go without saying!😊And the lonely planet guidebook does mention heated jet tub.|We hoped till the last minute that he would offer at least a partial refund, but no!

Dalabelos is excellent! This was our favorite place on Crete. Vassili's gardens feel like Eden, and Maria's food is amazing. The thought and care that they have put into every aspect of their property is clear from the moment you arrive. We wish we could have stayed longer. ||We especially enjoyed the cooking class, which was a great way to learn about not only Cretan food, but also eco-friendly farming and permaculture. ||If you plan to have dinner at the restaurant, make sure to call in advance, because everything is made fresh, mostly from their own farm, and they need to know you're coming so there's enough food.

What a wonderful place to escape into the Cretan countryside. This organic permaculture farm provides the super-fresh produce in the terrace restaurant. We did the farm tour and cooking class - don’t miss either if you have the time. Vasili is a wonderful guide to cultivated plants and the edible wild herbs and weeds. His English is comprehensive, his knowledge and understanding of nature and his patch of dirt outstanding. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, the pool drop-dead gorgeous.

A wonderful Agri-tourist destination. The food was so fresh and delicious picked from their own gardens. We took a cooking class that was very fun and informative. The hosts are friendly and interesting and incredibly gracious. We had a great 4 day stay. Wished we had more time.