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The Stone HouseCrete · Greece
Open all yearWinter from €245 a nightWinter in the Golden South →
The snow-covered ridge of Psiloritis under a clear blue sky, seen from the hills above the house

November to March · Southern Crete

Winter in the Golden South

The quiet months above the Libyan Sea. Open all year.

Check winter datesRead the stories

Right now, at the house

20°

Partly cloudy

Wind 5 km/h · 17:15 local time

  1. Today

    20° / 14°

    Overcast

  2. Sat

    20° / 13°

    Overcast

  3. Sun

    18° / 14°

    Showers

  4. Mon

    20° / 16°

    Overcast

  5. Tue

    17° / 15°

    Showers

  6. Wed

    21° / 13°

    Partly cloudy

Live from the nearest weather model, updated every half hour. Forecast for the next days below. Data: Open-Meteo.

Heated suites
air conditioning that heats, in all three
From €245
a night, 3-night minimum
Starlink
WiFi 6 and a proper desk
Open all year
the same house, a quieter coast

The house in winter

Stone walls do their other job

In summer the masonry keeps the rooms cool. In winter it holds the warmth. Each suite and the living room have air conditioning that heats, the water is solar-heated with a backup, and the architectural lighting comes on at five.

With the doors shut the living room becomes the centre of the house: the long table, the kitchen, the sea in the window. The pool is unheated and stays as it is; the terrace is still the place for coffee on a clear day, which in January is most days.

For a working week the desk, the external monitor and the Starlink connection are the same as in summer. The difference is the view: the sea changes colour every hour, and some afternoons the snow on Psiloritis shows above the hills.

Open-plan kitchen and dining with the Libyan Sea beyond the balcony doors

Winter rates

€245

a night, Sunday to Thursday

€260

a night, Friday and Saturday

Three-night minimum from November to March. One cleaning fee of €140 per stay. The Greek climate fee is €4 a night in winter. Free cancellation until 30 days before arrival. Pay by card at checkout; your dates are confirmed straight away.

Check winter dates

Winter Stories

Field notes from the quiet months

The green Messara plain with olive groves and yellow flowers, mountains along the horizon under cloud

February to March · History

Phaistos, with the plain gone green

The Minoan palace sits on a ridge over the Messara. After the winter rains the plain below it turns green and yellow, and the site is almost empty.

The dolphin fresco in the Queen's Megaron at Knossos, blue dolphins and small fish on a cream wall

All winter · History

Knossos on a quiet day

In summer the queue at Knossos starts before the gate opens. On a weekday in winter you can stand alone in front of the dolphins.

A taverna table with fried small fish, fried shrimp, beetroot, cheese pies and a Greek salad

All winter · Table

Lunch at Pelagos, open all winter

The fish tavern on Agia Galini harbour keeps going when the rest of the village closes: Tuesday to Sunday, indoors, with the morning's catch.

All stories →

What to do in Crete in winter

The island with the season turned down

Drive times are from the house, approximate. Where we know a place keeps winter hours we say so; where we do not, ask us before you set out.

The hills are quiet. The house is open.

Choose your dates; the rest can stay behind.

Check winter dates