Family-friendly vacation rentals in Istro

Truly beautiful villa! The photos simply do not do this place justice - this wonderful ‘wow’ factor home & surroundings are gorgeous. My family felt immediately at home & relaxed. Villa was clean, well stocked with equipment & our hosts Eleni & Marinos were lovely - both on hand when required & respectful of our privacy. We received a welcome package which was very thoughtful. Filter machine meant no need for bottled water. We walked up to Old Hersonissos a couple of times & enjoyed some lovely food & a little shopping in a vibrant atmosphere. Also we went shopping down in Limenas Chersonisou. We enjoyed BBQ at our villa, eating outside during a full super moon! 🌖 The mountain, the sea view & the sunsets are absolutely stunning. The outdoor gazebo area is fantastic for chilling day or night, with cold drinks (or ice creams) immediately on hand from the outdoor fridge. A/C great for all different areas, but the breeze was just as nice sometimes in the main area. Highly recommend 😊

We had a very nice stay, the house was so lovely, with everything provided even a cleaning service. Restaurants and beach clubs can be reach by foot (approximately 10 min walk). There is a very nice traditional village near the house with excellent restaurants (approximately 15 min walk). But most of all thank you very much Stefani for everything you were so nice and helpful, really many thanks everything was perfect thanks to you 🙏🏼 ☺️

Mandy Villa was everything we wanted, nice and clean pool, big kitchen and dining arean and privacy.

Very high class Villa, if you are looking for quality accommodation then look no further. My family consisted of 7 adults and an 18 month old, stayed for 8 days. Everyone loved it. There is a great traditional taverna only 10 minutes walk away, a big supermarket 15 mins by car and great beach again just 15 mins by car. We were there in May, spend most of the time around the pool and firing up the fantastic BBQ!

We had a wonderful stay here. Very peaceful. Often all you will hear are the bells clanging from the local goats. Delicious food at the onsite taverna. Beautiful lodge, with special touches such as a bottle of wine waiting for us to congratulate us on our wedding. Of note, this villa is very high up in the mountains. If you're flying into heraklian airport that evening, it's a long and dark drive up some very narrow and winding roads, so you may want to make the drive in the daytime. It's about an hour drive up/down the mountain to any other town so be prepared to drive. But the scenery is beautiful...majestic mountains.

Stella and her family was friendly and very helpful while we were staying at her families beautiful villa. The villa is stunning and clean. It has all you need while you stay at the villa. Would highly recommend staying at this accommodation. Likely to return in the future! The peacocks add to this beautiful location looking over the mountains of Crete.

Honestly it was beautiful, as soon as we arrived we were directly in front of an extraordinary view, the accommodation was clean and very practical. Everything is there to feel good, thank you Delphine (and Georgia who welcomed us)!

Great holiday in a lovely house and garden. There are hills in the area but I am 70 years old and could walk to town and back for a great meal in one of the many restaurants. Overall a lovely holiday

We absolutely loved this villa, Mania very kindly greeted us at Midnight as we had a late flight, and yes the reviews are right, she arrived with the most amazing moussaka and even made a vegetarian one. Mania was always available for any advice/recommendations and managed the tricky combination of being present but not intrusive. There was also a really thoughtful welcome gift of homemade food waiting for us. The kitchen was really well equipped, and super clean, we ate in a lot and enjoyed dinners on the covered terrace. We loved the pool, the kids especially, we spent a lot of time in the pool as it was very hot. The beds were comfy, the rooms all have their own bathroom, and terraces, there was lots of thoughtful touches throughout. The garden is beautiful and I don't think we managed to sit in all the different seating areas in the week. The winner for me was the decor, it was so beautiful, it was like staying in house in a Home Decor magazine. We will definitely come back.

Pasiphae House was something out of a dream! It was beautifully designed in the traditional Crete Village homes style. The location is isolate in the mountains, but amongst a great community of people. We were greeted by Yianna and Koula that gave us the walk through of the house, and we're always in constant communication. Ioanna supplied us with a long list of things to do and try in the area which we took full advantage of. Overall it was a beautiful stay and would highly recommend.

We had the pleasure of staying in Rena's apartment from 5/26 to 6/2/25 and it was a fantastic experience! The apartment was as described but the view from the terrace also exceeded expectations! Unfortunately, we were unable to meet Rena in person, but she was always available for all our requests. She had warned us in advance that the village market would still be closed, so we could stock up on groceries before arriving, but she still made sure we had everything we needed in the house (thank you again!). In the house, there are all kinds of useful accessories for the kitchen, but also some thoughtful touches that I have never found on other occasions! The road to this small village is quite winding, but we felt so good there that we only moved once. There are 2/3 beaches (where we were often alone) reachable by a nice walk in the middle of nowhere breathing the scent of oregano! We hope to be back!

Stella's place was a lovely stay! With mountain views and the beach 5 minutes away, it was a peaceful and scenic stay. The space was clean and comfortable and Stella was so communicative! It was so convenient that she lived nearby as she was able to address any issues very quickly. A quick walk to Analipsi which is an adorable little town with markets and restaurants (definitely more things open during the on season, but still charming). Would definitely recommend a stay here!

Had a wonderful stay at Athina's place! She was great at responding and offering recommendations whenever I asked. The place was really clean, bed was comfortable and more than enough space for 1 person. There is a paid valet parking garage next door that was $20 to park overnight which was great for my rented car and exploring the island. Only thing to mention was you can hear the neighbours move around upstairs during the day but nothing too unmanageable or at inappropriate times of the evening. So, it didn't bother me too much. Had a great time at this stay. Thank you!

One of the nicest places we've stayed so far! The little house is secluded, complete tranquility & deceleration! We enjoyed the days here, the terrace under the house invites you to lie in the sun, read and enjoy the view. The view is amazing, even from bed. The path is adventurous and not for the faint of heart by car - extremely steep and more for ATVs, but we also managed with a small rental car. The kitchen is well equipped and everything you need is there. It's about a 15-minute walk to Mochlos! Very recommended to anyone looking for peace and quiet!

Great location and a beautiful view! Super nice apartment too!

We had a very pleasant stay at Gorgios place. Perfect location, clean house. Very helpful host who answered immediately and with great recommendations for the surrounding area. Beautiful sunrise from the balcony. We hope to return some day! Thanks so much!

Audrey was really helpful sorting out transfers and a shopping for when we arrived. The villa and pool area is decorated to a very high standard. We would thoroughly recommend visiting it is a great holiday location

The place was simply amazing. Quiet, clean and beautiful. A nice pool and a beautiful big garden made the experience even better. Furthermore, Kostantinos was one of the most hospitable hosts I ‘ve ever had. Always responsive and helpful no matter the time. We would always come back and we recommend the place without any hesitation!

The pictures don’t do this view justice. It’s breathtaking! The home is gorgeous and the outdoor space is wonderful. It was too cold for us to swim but we still enjoyed time at the beach. Most of the immediate area was already shut down for the season during our stay but there is a lovely area about a mile walk away. We spent a lot of time there enjoying the coffee shops and restaurants. The house and rooms were fantastic and there was more than enough space for everyone to relax. The host was amazing and went above and beyond to help us when we left some glasses at a restaurant. Thank you so much for a great stay!!

Overall, we felt very comfortable, were always well looked after and the apartment met our expectations. You have to know that in the evening hours one or the other plane also flies to Heraklion. A small supermarket is directly on site and a 2-minute walk away. Otherwise, a quick shopping or eating out by public transport is not so easy without a rental car. By car, everything is no problem in five minutes in a wide selection. The view and the apartment is very good. Swimming on site on foot in five minutes very possible below the apartment. This one was much more generous than expected. Overall, we will be happy to come back.

We loved our Easter holiday in Crete, and this is a wonderful place to stay. Dimitrios and Georgina are very generous and thoughtful hosts with great attention to detail. The apartment was comfortable and spotless. It was tastefully decorated too. The bookshelves are full, and they have included a cupboard of useful maps/guides. They provided a few delicious locally sourced provisions to get us started. Dimitrios kindly gave us advice on the best places to visit, good places to eat, and easy parking around the island. This was invaluable to us. We really liked the rural feel of the place; it is within easy reach of Knossos and Heraklion, but well out of the way of the main bustle. An ideal spot to relax. I’d say to make the most of the island, a hire car is needed, and the house has parking available. I’d recommend this as a fantastic place to relax and a great base to explore Crete from. Thank you both.

awesome location and awesome family running the place

Our stay in Crete with Evi & Giorgos was flawless. They gave us a very warm welcome, greeted us personally, despite an unplanned delay. They explained everything to us in detail, gave us tips on the surrounding area, told us exciting stories and were always quick to help us out. The villa is beautifully furnished with attention to detail. The kitchen is superbly equipped. The two bedrooms consisted of a double bed and two bunk beds. The beds were perfectly adequate and very cosy, you just shouldn't have any snoring flatmates 😄 The terrace and pool are super nice and great for relaxing. We were lucky that the second studio was not booked when we visited. So we had the whole terrace to ourselves. The beach is just a 20-minute walk away, and and there are cafés (tip: Mr Bean) and small mini-markets along the way. However, it is generally worth hiring a car. Ask Evi & Giorgos, if you need one 😉 In summary, our stay was worth every penny and we would definitely come back!

We had an absolutely amazing stay! The house was even better than the pictures—spacious, spotless, and beautifully decorated. Our host went above and beyond to make our trip special. They were incredibly attentive, offering fantastic local recommendations and even arranging a taxi service for us, which made everything so easy. To top it all off, they surprised us with homemade traditional Easter cookies, which was such a thoughtful and personal touch. We felt so welcomed and cared for the entire time. Highly, highly recommend staying here—you won’t be disappointed!