Situated in the fishing village of Loutro overlooking the Libyan Sea, Sifis is 10 metres from the beach. It features a restaurant and a cafe on a seafront deck. Rooms have free WiFi and furnished balconies with panoramic views of the bay. The air-conditioned rooms at the Sifis are equipped with a fridge and TV. Each has a private bathroom with shower and toiletries. Guests can taste Cretan dishes, pastries and cocktails at cafe-Bistro. Scenic Loutro has white-washed houses and traditional taverns within a 3-minute walk from the hotel. Vehicles are not allowed in the village that is only accessible by ferry from Paleochora, Sougia and Sfakia. Anopolis is 650 metres away.

Crete. As well as the magnificent beaches and warm seas, the size and physical variety of the island of Crete invites exploration, and Sifis, located at Loutro Sfakion, Rethymno, 73011, 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 Sifis, – 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 Sifis are revisited so often.