Hello, my name is Urs and I’m your host. Until 2025 I was living in Switzerland, in the lovely 3-lakes-area at Biel/Bienne. Nowadays, my home is here in this house. Since May 2024 I’m married with Daniel and together we have 5 adult kids. As a retired person, I appreciate the freedom to spend most of my time in my guesthouse on Crete – especially in winter, autumn and spring. For all questions and reservations, it is best to contact me by phone or email.
My contact details:
Urs Muehlethaler, Carobgarden Eco-House, P.B. 783, 72055 Makry-Gialos, Lassithi, Greece,
mobile phone +30 690 673 1974 (temporary availble when I’m on-site) or +41 78 8 9 10 888. Don’t hesitate to call me on the phone, I speak fairly well English, French, Italian and German (however, my Greek knowledge is still limited, sorry).
Mail urs@carobgarden.com
The QR code refers to the exact location in Google Maps.
Coordinates 35°02’29″N / 25°58’31″E or N 35.04164, E 25.97546.
When I am not here (usually on holiday in Switzerland) – Eirini takes care of the house and the guests. In Irini I have found an extremely friendly and helpful caretaker. She speaks fluently English and Greek. Together with her family she is very well connected here in Makry-Gialos. You can call her at +30 693 255 66 13.
Travel information
By far the most comfortable and efficient way to get there is by plane. From March to November, Crete is served by direct flights from many European airports. Numerous airlines ensure competitive prices. The flight takes from Western Europe about 3-4 hours. In the winter half-year, there are daily offers with Aegean/Olympic, but with a change in Athens or Thessaloniki.
On Crete there are bus connections from Heraklion to Ierapetra (about 2.5 h) or Sitia. From both cities, Makrygialos can be reached in half an hour by another bus. The timetable changes seasonally, but check www.rome2rio.com for current connections. A good option is to take the bus to Ierapetra and then a taxi to Makrygialos.
If I am there, I may be able to pick you up at the airport myself on request or send a local friend of mine over. The road is well-maintained throughout and you can expect to drive about 1 h 50′ for the 123 km.
If you want to explore Crete a little more, you can hardly avoid renting a car. A very good and really uncomplicated service is offered by the company Tourings in Heraklion (www.tourings.gr ). The website is not great, but you can get a good offer by email to George. In Makry-Gialos, Motor Plan (https://www.motor-plan.com) and PRIMA also rent a wide range of vehicles. Local taxis are also available here.
If you want to take your time, you can also travel by car. At least for the route from Athens/Piraeus to Heraklion or Sitia, you will then need the ferry. And if you have even more time, you can find combined train and ferry connections. I had to try this about 40 years ago and needed a total of 3 days, travelling via Italy back to Switzerland.
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