10 September 2022. An Oasis in the Mountains of Western Crete
We took the E65/90 from Chania through Kolymvari to Kissamos. From there, we turned southeast on Palaia Ethnike Odos 90 to the village of Kaloudiana where we turned south onto Epard. Od. Kaloudianon-Chrisoskalitissas. Continuing on through the Village of Topolia, we skirted the Topolia Gorge on the west bank at a great height. South of Topolia, there is a one-lane tunnel through part of the mountain with traffic lights at either end. It’s somewhat nerve-wracking, especially as you drive under chain-link netting emplaced to protect vehicles from falling rocks. One also has to trust to the common sense of those on the other end of the tunnel not to run the red light. But, honestly, this isn’t the most nerve-wracking part of the drive to Milia. Don’t get me wrong, though, because the view along the way is quite beautiful.
There are pull-offs on either end of the Topolia tunnel that have little local market stalls selling olives, honey, & raki. We didn’t stop at the time, seeing as we were racing the clock, but we made sure to stop the next day. Turning onto Epard. Od. Vlatos-Kameno Selinou we headed west to the Village of Vlatos, then turned right at the sign for Milia and headed up into the mountains.
A word of caution: both the Milia website and all communications from Milia warn visitors to not use GPS or Sat-Nav to navigate to the eco-village. Ignore this caution at your own peril. Instead, do what Milia suggests – go to Vlatos and follow the signs. That’s what we did, and we arrived safe and sound. Others have not been so lucky. If you ignore Milia & complain about it afterwards on Tripadvisor, you will be lectured.
Keep following the Milia signs along the road up into the mountains. The views are spectacular, but don’t get distracted by them as it’s very, very long drop to the valley below.
You’ll eventually come to a pull-off that’s identified as the Milia parking lot. Hikers also use this lot, but we were fortunate in that we arrived late and the only cars there were guests and staff.
A bit of a hike across a short bridge & along a tree-shaded gravel road takes you to Reception (on the right up some stairs). Our house was a short walk from there on a path that also led to the restaurant. The village is shaded by many chestnut trees, and the ones around the office were loaded with ripening nuts. Nearby Elos has an annual chestnut festival in October.
In 2018, National Geographic named Milia Mountain Retreat one of the world’s best eco-lodges. It’s a village comprising a collection of 16th century stone houses that was twice abandoned before being restored in the 1980s. The men who took on this project wanted to create a sustainable tourism resort that emphasized the traditional food, architecture, and culture of western Crete. Other projects like this (e.g., Enagron Eco-tourism Village) have since been developed. But Milia is unique. Their water comes from nearby mountain springs, the hot water comes from solar energy, their electricity (what there is of it – more on that in a minute) is from a small solar array, and the rental units are heated via stone fireplaces.
We rented village bungalow No. 10, which is described as a family apartment with two bedrooms, a fireplace, and a bathroom with sink, toilet, and shower. The water pressure was decent, as was the availability of hot water (but don’t push your luck – this isn’t a Hilton). Entry is via a clunky skeleton key.
There were no working electrical outlets in the bungalow, no air conditioning, and no internet connection, but there was LED lighting (assuming the power system doesn’t go out, which did happen a couple of times at night). This is a rustic eco-village, and the power is via solar cells. You can charge your devices at the restaurant. We all turned off our phones to preserve their batteries. I travel with a CPAP, and so had to use my battery to sleep at night. I charged it in the car when we were traveling during the day because it takes longer to top off. WIFI is available at the restaurant and not much beyond that. You’re in the mountains of western Crete, and reception is extremely spotty or (more likely) non-existent elsewhere. So, if you stay at Milia, be prepared to disconnect. That’s not a bad thing, IMHO.
The roads to/from Milia are pitch black and treacherous at night, so you should be prepared to either eat dinner at Milia or else bring in a meal before dark. The prices are around mid-range, but the food is really good.
The rustic Cretan restaurant menu is quite good, and the gourmet chef is talented. We didn’t have a bad or borderline meal while there. Milia serves breakfast (included) and dinner. There are no provisions for you to cook or refrigerate food in your bungalow.
There are plenty of hiking trails around the site. You can also explore the gardens. Milia occasionally offers classes on cooking and the area’s ecology and culture.
Overall, if you are a traveler who is looking to immerse yourself in a slower, rural culture with local people, local history, and local foods (and are not afraid disconnect), then I highly recommend Milia Mountain Retreat. If you’re looking for your typical tourist accommodations with swimming pool, TV, unlimited internet, and tourist traps within walking distance, then you should probably go elsewhere. But you’re really, really missing out on a unique experience. And I’m not alone in this opinion, as the Tripadvisor reviews show.
— Να εχεις μια ωραια μερα. —
Leave a Reply