IDILI GUESTHOUSE

The architectural features of the traditional guest house show the special character and functionality it had during the different periods of time. It was a District Court during the first decades when Panormo was the seat of the municipality. It was an Inn during Panormo’s extraordinary growth between 1904-1912, when it was named Kasteli. It was a Carpenter's Workshop during the post-war period when the first technicians started gathering in the village. It was a Residence in the modern years, when a lot of people preferred to move from the interior of the province to the coastal settlement of Panormo, which was still preserving the glance of the past. During the last decades of the 20th century it was the parental house of the current owner's family. The building was declared historically preserved by the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works (Greek Official Gazette 129D/10.3.2000), and was characterized as a “typical folk house” located in the traditional centre of the settlement of Panormo, of the Municipality of Geropotamos. The building was reconstructed in 2004 and started operating in April 2005 with the name traditional guest house IDILI. It was separated into three villas and preserved the architectural features of the building and the influences of the Venetian-Cretan architecture (rooms, chambers, wooden ceilings, fireplaces, grape press, wooden extensions). Our agrotourism resort is equipped with all modern comforts for convenient accommodation all seasons. If you visit us in the summer you can enjoy a refreshing breeze and the view to the Cretan sea and our garden, from the verandas located near to indigenous Cretan trees and herbs. If you visit us in the winter you can relax and enjoy the company of your friends and family, while sitting around the old stone fireplace and on the sofas of the living room. The bedrooms are spacious and decorated with traditional Cretan style, iron beds with mosquito net, furniture and embroideries of grandmother which add a sense of authenticity and high quality to your stay. The three apartments are nicely decorated and equipped with traditional furniture and fireplaces, which makes them ideal for families and big groups. The garden and the courtyard of the guest house The garden of the guest house, with orange and lemon trees and the indigenous aromatic plants, is ideal for discussions and relaxation. You can also enjoy a drink or coffee offered by the owners of the traditional guest house. Traditional cuisine You can taste and prepare food either backed in the wood-fired oven (inside a cooking pot) or from the barbecue (roasted on a split). Folklore collection In the rooms of the guest house you will view part of the folklore collection of the owner and you will acquire a distinctive idea of the lifestyle of the older residents of Crete. You will see agricultural tools, house equipments and embroidery pictures with scenes from everyday life, of customs and traditions, and of Cretan culture. These objects are created in the Folklore Museum of Chania. The owners A. Bikaki and E. Koumandraki-Markaki have reproduced the “Cretan House” for the visitors of Crete. If you arrive from Heraklion: Follow the national road connecting Heraklion with Rethymno. 55 km from Heraklion you will meet the junction of Panormo, turn right and you have arrived in Panormo. The guest house is located at the beginning of the village. If you coming from Rethymno: Follow the national road connecting Rethymno with Heraklion. 22 km from Rethymno you will meet the junction of Panormo, turn right, pass under the bridge and you have arrived in Panormo. The guest house is located at the beginning of the village.