Just 150 meters from Makrigialos beach in Crete, the Golden Star offers self-catered accommodation with a furnished balcony overlooking the Libyan sea or the gardens. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout the property. The spacious Golden Star apartments include air conditioning and an LCD TV. Each has a kitchenette with a fridge and a dining area. All units include a private bathroom with shower and amenities. Staff at the 24-hour front desk can offer information on traditional Cretan taverns and restaurants. Boats to the nearby island of Koufonisi depart from the port 450 meters from the property. The lively Ierapetra is 18 miles away.

Crete. As well as the magnificent beaches and warm seas, the size and physical variety of the island of Crete invites exploration, and Golden Star Apartments, located at Makriyalos, Lassithi, 72055, Greece, is the ideal staring point. Uniquely among Greek islands, Crete’s mountainous spine creates a sense of spaciousness, a life distinct from sea and sand. Fly-drive holidays to Crete – or simply the hire of a car for some days during your stay in Golden Star Apartments, – will enable you to seek out the rugged formations of the interior, the fertile countryside and tiny chapels filled with frescoes, the mountain villages where time has stood still. Always, the authentic spirit of the islanders, their fierce independence and pride – as well as the best cooking and most delicious meals that constitute the famed “Cretan Diet” – will more likely be found where few others are looking. With so much to see, with dolphins to watch, shaded squares to paint, olive trees and wild orchids, Minoan remains and sweeping beaches, no wonder Crete holidays and Golden Star Apartments are revisited so often.