My affair with Crete: the story of a connected heart

A tiny island, yet a whole world to explore ✨

The question I get asked most often is, "Why Crete?"

It’s a question that makes me smile, because the more I travel, the more I understand that the true magic of a place isn’t about what we see with our eyes, but about what we feel inside. It's the intuition that guides us to discover not just new landscapes, but new parts of ourselves.

Sometimes, the most compelling journey of all is the one we take within.

The people and their stories

What truly captured my heart is the people of Crete. There is a deep sense of hospitality here, an open-hearted welcome that you feel from the moment you arrive. I'm inspired by the strength of the Cretan women and the warmth of the community. In Cretan villages, stories are shared over a glass of raki and a simple meal, and friendships are made that last a lifetime.

I’ve spent almost 20 years here, and I'm still discovering new places and new stories. It feel like an adventure of a lifetime! ✨

My affair with Crete is a love story I want to share with you.

This island gives me everything I need to be happy, healthy, and inspired. It's my home, and it’s a place I feel I can truly be myself.

“You cannot escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.” P. Coehlo

Before Crete, I was a girl from a small village in Poland, a lover of nature, forest and the open sky. I moved to England, but it was my unsettled heart that was always calling me, searching for a place to belong.
And then I found Crete, an island so vast and full of secrets it feels more like a country. It was love at first sight, a passion that has only deepened with time. It’s an affair of the heart that inspires me every single day.

My cottage is not just a place to stay; it’s a place for inner travel, where you can listen to your own intuition and discover yourself in the magical energy rising from the earth.

Come and see the reflection of what you are seeking in Crete - beaming through its people, its food, and its wind-worn trails. Let it meet you, not as a tourist, but as someone who has come to remember something real.

Tonia ❤️

The magic of two worlds

Crete is where two worlds meet in perfect harmony. There’s the wild, untamed blue of the Cretan and Libyan sea, where the sense of freedom is profound and all-encompassing. In the sea, I feel more than myself, I feel connected to the island’s ancient stories and the brave spirits who came before me.

Then there’s the serene, grounded heart of the island. After a day of wandering through its untamed corners, nothing compares to returning to a place where you can relax and feel at ease, like my village cottage in Alagni.

Here, the air is pure, the food nourishing, and life moves at a gentle, welcoming rhythm. The mountains, olive groves, and wild herbs wrap you in a warm embrace, reminding you that this is a place where both body and soul can rest.