Excellent place and location for a peaceful holiday.
150m walk from the Death valley trek entrance and 3 min from the Beach.
Stella really nice and helpful to give you all infos you need for best places to visit around.
May be more housework in the room would be perfect (once in 5 days slightly weak).

We stayed for 2 nights in apartment 'Zakros' at the end of March/beginning of April. The apartments are set among shady trees with a small kitchen corner inside the apartment and a gas cooker and table outside on the terrace. There is no table inside, so winter eating might be a bit chilly, but we were fine.
The inside of the apartment was furnished with rustic antiques and was all very comfortable. Bathroom a bit tight, but not a problem.
Stella brought us a basket of food for breakfast including eggs, wonderful local honey, home pressed olive oil, fruit...
We had planned to spend our day exploring the Minoan site and then walking the Gorge of the Dead, and Stella was very helpful, lending us a map and advice on routes - she is a keen walker herself. The gorge was quite memorable, not least for the earthquake we experienced !
To reach the apartments you drive through a small ford which still had plenty of water flowing at this time. Consequently, to reach the beach taverna we chose to take the car rather than get wet feet in the dark, though I imagine this dries up later. At this early time in the season there was only one taverna open, which was perfectly staisfactory, but on the other evening we drove up to Ano Zakros and had an excellent meal at the Napoleon.
Stella is building a new complex of villas across the valley - Terra Minoika - and we were given a viewing of one as yet unfinished. They are very well appointed, stone built and have wonderful views over the bay. However, it will take some years before there are shady trees as at the traditional apartments, so my choice would be for these.

What makes a great lodging experience? For me, about a dozen factors are important:

1) natural setting of the destination
2) historical significance of the destination
3) charm, character, uniqueness, and attractiveness of the destination
4) charm, character, uniqueness, and attractiveness of the lodging property
5) central location of the lodging property
6) property ownership: family-owned versus corporate-owned
7) property ambience: warm and intimate versus soulless and impersonal
8) opportunity to meet and know the property owner
9) owner’s commitment to meeting guest needs
10) opportunities to meet and exchange information with other guests
11) attractiveness, cleanliness, and comfort of the room
12) value: can average people like me afford to stay here?

Two or three favorables may result in a memorable lodging experience. But, what if all twelve factors are favorable? What then? Well, friends, what you have then is a cosmic convergence and a place you hate to reveal in TripAdvisor for fear it will become so popular that you won’t be able to stay there again. But you go ahead and write a rave review anyway because you are so appreciative of the property owners that you wish to repay their graciousness.

In my travels, I have encountered only two twelves: Stella’s Traditional Apartments at Kato Zakros on the Greek island of Crete and Casa Zuniga, a bed-and-breakfast at Guanajuato in central Mexico.

I have stayed at Stella’s twice, with my wife in the summer of 2008 and again in the fall of 2010 with a group of friends. Stella’s Traditional consists of only three apartments, but lovely Stella also manages rentals of several nearby studios for family members. They are nestled in a botanical paradise, which is a pleasant quarter-mile stroll to Zakros bay with its swimming beaches and tavernas. Not a single retail store mars the tranquility of the scene.

Stella and her husband Elias have recently built several striking maisonettes (small houses) constructed of native rock in a very different setting not far away; they are perched on a hillside overlooking the bay and facing the yawning mouth of Dead’s Gorge.

For nature lovers, a circle hike ascends above Kato Zakros affording vistas of two distant whitewashed hill villages before descending into Dead’s Gorge and the return trek to Kato Zakros. For history lovers: the ruins of Zakros Palace lie along the walk between Stella’s and the sea. This was one of the main palace complexes of Minoan Crete, the first civilization of Europe. From here the sophisticated Minoan culture traded with Egypt and the Middle East. As for me, I wouldn’t trade my time at Kato Zakros for riches from anywhere else.

I visited Stella's Traditional Apartments in June of 2010 with a friend and enjoyed it so much I decided to return for Christmas with my husband. This time we did not stay at the apartments but at the new cottages built by Stella and her husband called "Terra Minoika". The cottages give a panoramic view of the Valley of the Dead, the Minoan Palace and the pretty bay of Kato Zakros. I was a little concerned that, visiting over Christmas, we might be cold but I need not have worried. Stella had provided heating and we found that the cottage was very cosy and well insulated. She had even put a little Christmas tree in our room and had baked traditional Christmas biscuits for us. We were made incredibly welcome. Stella and her husband have built the cottages to a very high specification with high quality materials and furnishings. The bed was very comfortable (Dunlopillo mattress and pillows), the kitchen equipped to a level that made it easy to rustle up a decent evening meal. Stella provided all the ingredients for our breakfasts (including her wonderful homemade marmalade).

We love to walk and the big bonus for us were all the great treks and walks that are on the doorstep. Stella and Elias have waymarked some wonderful routes. On Christmas day we walked along the coast to a cave and Minoan quarry. Boxing day was spent climbing MT. Skopelos and the following day we made a circular walk that took in the Gorge. We did not get to explore much further afield - there was so much to do virtually on the doorstep. We enjoyed exploring the spring at Zakros and this is a place we would like to explore further.

Regarding eating out, there was one taverna of sorts open on the beach and there were a couple of other places at Ano Zakros. We loved Napoleon's Taverna and found the family very friendly and welcoming. The taverna on the beach was more like a shed but the food was good in a basic way.

I cannot think of many places that I would rate with excellent across the board. Stella and her family offer something very special and above average in an amazing location. You add the warmth of the welcome we received and it can't be beat - we recommend this place unreservedly.