Your First Evening in Asteri or Stavromenos
The first evening rarely goes wrong for interesting reasons. It goes wrong because nobody bought milk.
You arrive later than expected, everyone is tired, the children are hungry, and the question of dinner arrives at exactly the moment nobody has energy to solve it. A little planning before you travel removes almost all of that.
Here is what the first evening actually looks like, and how it differs depending on which villa you have booked.
By Argyris Skordilis, owner and host · Updated
Before You Leave the Airport
Two things make the rest of the evening easier.
The first is to send Argyris a message when you set off, which helps him estimate when you will reach the villa and coordinate your welcome. The second is to decide, before you land, whether you are shopping on the way, because the answer is much easier to act on at the airport than an hour later.
Check-in is from 15:30 and check-out is by 11:00. If you are landing in the morning and hoping to arrive earlier, arrange it in advance rather than on the day; an early luggage drop can sometimes be possible, but it depends on the previous guests’ departure and the cleaning schedule, and it is not the same as early access to the villa.
Shopping on the Way
Whichever villa you have booked, a supermarket stop on the way is easier than a second journey once you have arrived and unpacked.
If you are driving, build it into the route. If you are arriving by private transfer, you can ask in advance whether the transfer company is able to include an essential stop on the way. This is subject to confirmation, so please ask when you make the booking rather than on the day.
What you need for the first night is short: breakfast things, something simple for dinner, milk, water, coffee, and whatever the children will actually eat. The full shop can wait for a morning when everyone is rested.
Please check current opening days and hours close to your arrival rather than relying on anything written in advance. Shops in the region keep their own hours, and these change with the season.
Additional groceries are arranged on request. If you have booked directly, the Cretan Breakfast Basket provides local essentials for the beginning of your stay; it is not a full grocery supply or dinner. If you would like extra groceries waiting at the villa, confirm your final shopping list with us at least two days before arrival, including quantities, acceptable substitutions and cost.
If You Are Staying in Asteri Village
Villa Asteri, Villa Kitron and Villa Myrrini are in Asteri, a quiet village approximately 12 km east of Rethymno and around 3 km from Stavromenos beach.
The thing to understand about a first evening here is that Asteri is a village rather than a resort, and everyday services (supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies) are in the wider Stavromenos area rather than on the doorstep. A car is recommended for most Asteri stays. Guests arriving without one should plan their first-evening shopping and transport in advance.
Many of our guests choose the nearby taverna for their first dinner, so they can settle in without preparing or grilling a meal. Ask Argyris about a suitable option for your arrival time and confirm kitchen hours. If you prefer to eat at the villa, arrange a simple meal through your own shopping or confirmed grocery pre-stocking.
If you would rather go out, ask Argyris what is realistic for your dates and check current opening hours yourself before setting off. Nothing about local dining should be assumed in advance, particularly outside the main season.
If your group is staying across more than one of the three villas through MAZI, remember that each house is independent, with its own kitchen. MAZI has no shared communal area, so each household should plan its first evening within its own villa unless another practical arrangement has been confirmed with Argyris in advance.
If You Are Staying at Villa Argiris in Stavromenos
Villa Argiris sits privately in an olive grove with panoramic sea views. It is close to the coast but not beachfront, and Stavromenos beach is approximately 800 metres away, although the most practical access depends on the route and local conditions.
The practical difference for a first evening is that the wider Stavromenos area includes supermarkets, a pharmacy, a bakery, a petrol station and dining options, which gives a little more flexibility than Asteri if you arrive without having shopped. That does not mean everything is open, close by on foot, or comfortable to reach with luggage, children or shopping bags. Walking suitability depends on the route, the heat and who is with you. Please check what is currently open before relying on it.
For a first night, the pattern that works is the same: a short stop for essentials, then the villa. Panoramic views and a quiet terrace are a considerably better use of a first evening than an unfamiliar drive after a flight.
If You Are Arriving by Hire Car
You have the most flexibility and the most to think about.
Build the supermarket stop into the drive rather than treating it as a separate trip. Aim to reach the villa in daylight if you can, particularly on a first visit, as the final approach is easier to follow when it is light. And once you arrive, park, unpack and stop driving for the day.
If You Are Arriving by Private Transfer
Ask about an essential supermarket stop when you make the transfer request, not when you are in the vehicle. Ask Argyris and he can suggest a transfer company. Final availability, vehicle, price and terms are confirmed with the provider for each request, and payment is made directly to them, so the stop needs to be part of what was agreed.
If you will not have a car, agree your dinner plan before arrival: a nearby taverna where the route and opening hours suit your household, or a simple meal at the villa with supplies arranged beforehand.
If You Are Travelling with Children
Feed them early and worry about the adults afterwards.
The first evening is the one where flight timings, a missed nap and a new house all arrive at once, and a simple meal at the villa beats a restaurant nobody has energy for. Bring or buy the specific things your children will reliably eat rather than assuming a local equivalent, and plan the first bedtime as early as you can manage.
If a cot or a highchair is needed, that should have been arranged before arrival rather than raised on the evening you land.
If You Are Arriving Late
Late arrivals can be coordinated more smoothly when Argyris knows about them in advance.
Tell Argyris your expected arrival time, and send an update when it changes. Do not rely on shops or restaurants being open after a late arrival. Arrange essential food earlier in the journey and check current opening hours before travelling.
The realistic aim for a late arrival is modest: everyone inside, luggage in, something to eat, and bed. The holiday starts properly tomorrow.
The Quiet First Evening, Which Is Usually the Right One
Most guests who have done this before choose the same thing: nothing.
Arrive, shower off the journey, put together a simple meal from what you bought on the way, sit outside, and let the day end. Both bases reward it: Asteri with village quiet, Stavromenos with sea views and an olive grove.
The restaurants, the beaches and the plans will all still be there in the morning, and you will enjoy them considerably more after a night’s sleep.
Facts checked against our four villa pages · Last reviewed by Argyris Skordilis, owner of Amazing Villas in Crete.
Frequently asked questions
Are there shops near the villas in Asteri?
Asteri is a village rather than a resort, so everyday services such as supermarkets, bakeries and pharmacies are in the wider Stavromenos area rather than on the doorstep. Check current opening days and hours close to your arrival.
What is near Villa Argiris in Stavromenos?
The wider Stavromenos area includes supermarkets, a pharmacy, a bakery, a petrol station and dining options. Villa Argiris is close to the coast but not beachfront, and Stavromenos beach is approximately 800 metres away.
Can groceries be waiting at the villa when we arrive?
Additional groceries are arranged on request. Confirm your final shopping list at least two days before arrival, including quantities, acceptable substitutions and cost.
Is the Cretan Breakfast Basket enough for the first dinner?
No. If you have booked directly, the Cretan Breakfast Basket provides local essentials for the beginning of your stay, but it is not a full grocery supply or dinner.
Can a private transfer stop at a supermarket on the way?
You can ask in advance whether the transfer company is able to include an essential stop on the way. It is subject to confirmation, so ask when you make the booking rather than on the day.
What if we arrive at the villa late at night?
Tell Argyris your expected arrival time and send an update if it changes. Do not rely on shops or restaurants being open after a late arrival; arrange essential food earlier in the journey.
Before You Travel
Decide who is doing the shopping stop and how. Ask about a transfer supermarket stop in advance if you need one. Check current opening hours close to your dates. Send Argyris your arrival time, and message him again when you leave the airport.
More Plan Your Stay guides
- Arrival, Check-in and Luggage at Amazing Villas in Crete
- First 24 Hours Food Checklist for a Crete Villa Stay
- All Plan Your Stay guides
- Villa AsteriThe Carpenter’s House · 8 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Kitron6 guests · every bedroom en-suite · Asteri Village
- Villa Myrrini6 guests · children’s pool · Asteri Village
- Villa Argiris8 guests · one level, sea views · Stavromenos
- Compare the villasAll the facts side by side
