The former shepherd's house, about 400 m from the sea and the village of Tertsa, has a breathtaking view over the green valley with banana trees, fruit and vegetables to the village and the open sea.
Due to the hilly embedding east and west, the climate here is particularly mild and sunny.
Tertsa is not a tourist hotspot with its 3 restaurants and a shop, but there are beautiful beaches within walking distance, where undisturbed, quiet swimming is still possible.
The space
Guests love the carefully and tasteful renovation with stylish furnishings in the two connected rooms of the former shepherd's house. The walls have been rebuilt, the room height increased and the old fireplace repaired.
The particularly large covered (semi-shadow) marble floor terrace is outstanding directly in front of the living area. It allows living outside all day!
To the west, on the side of the bedroom, the terrace is adjoined first by the separate toilet and then by the wing door to the shower and the small but well-equipped kitchen, which is reserved for our guests.
East up the stairs, you go to the large roof terrace. Deck chairs and a parasol can be taken up.
Everything in the house is private property that we provide for careful use.
We run the house according to ecological standards and sustainable criteria. After booking, if possible, we will arrange a voluntary CO2 reduction covering the entire stay with the guests by phone.
In Tertsa, sewage treatment plants are missing, the sewage water seep into the soil. We therefore ask our holiday guests to make sure that the personal shower gels, shampoos and other cosmetic products brought with you must be 100% natural (certified natural cosmetics). We provide our guests with the corresponding natural products for dishwashing and house cleaning.
If you can only imagine temperatures above 40 degrees in July-August with air conditioning, it is better not to rent during this time!
There is no power-intensive air conditioning, but a good quiet ceiling fan in the living room, a mobile fan for the sleeping area and a smaller cooling device for direct personal cooling (effective range approx. 1 -2 meters), which is filled with water and optionally with special ice packs (from the freezer compartment of the refrigerator).
Due to its open construction without doors, the house is not suitable if at least one person would like to have their privacy for sleeping with several guests. Likewise, the house is unfortunately not suitable for people with walking disabilities and infants due to short but steep access routes and/ or stairs. For parties and for the party, the house and the place overall is not the right thing.
Guest access
You can get to Shepherd House along the path above the church towards the east and then up the long stairs to the large marble terrace on the left.
The large terrace in front of the Shepherd House, the roof terrace above, the west adjacent sanitary facility as well as the garden below the covered terrace are reserved exclusively for the guests of the Shepherd House.
Rarely do someone find themselves "lost" and the Tertsa_Retreat Center. Also, local people used to have access via a smaller path (where the large terrace is today) high into the mountainous hinterland, partly to vegetable beds. Today they can use the horizontal path above the church and then up the long stairs right next to the Shepherd House terrace into the hinterland.
On this eastern side, Bettina, originally from Germany, lives in Tertsa for a long time.
West next to the garden below the large terrace is our holiday home Sykorodia, which is also rented to guests. It is larger and costs accordingly more.
Other things to note
Having a rental car is convenient, all the more if you want to make excursions to various sights. These are numerous, but often also spacious! In addition, there is no public transport to Tertsa. And the streets are often very hilly - up and down.
Car rental is possible directly at Heraklion airport. We are also happy to recommend our good colleague Sylvie Steiner (originally from Basel), for many years in the neighboring village of Mirtos with a small travel agency. It also manages cars for rent.
Of course, it can also be done without a car. In this case, we organize a taxi service to the house on request from the airport and back to the airport at the end of the stay (cost point per trip at the time 85 euros – to be paid directly in cash to the traveling person). The trip takes around 1.5 hours and runs across the island's highlands.
The small village of Tertsa – located directly on the sea – and its hinterland enjoy warmer and sunnier weather than most surrounding regions thanks to its protected location with almost tropical microclimate. Tertsa with its hilly hinterland is away from the big tourist streams. There are 50 local residents living here. In the 3 different restaurants there is good local food, in the Mini Market the most important food and other utensils for holidays and household are available. In the few studios and apartments there are around 70 guest beds. From the two hills to the left and right of the green valley of Tertsa, the eastern mound is covered with selenite crystals glittering in the sun, known for their relaxing and relaxing effect.
In the valley, small-scale agriculture (bananas) and domestic horticulture are operated. Tertsa is particularly suitable as a recreation room with a lot of great nature.
The swimming possibilities in the sea on the beach of Tertsa are versatile and safe with the necessary caution. Diving goggles are recommended. Rarely, sporadic firefishes around rocks can be seen recently. Contacts with the spines can be very painful.
Especially west of Tertsa - around the corner of a rocky outcrop – nude bathing is also nothing unusual, but no obligation.
Please also note that you should bring a good mosquito repellent and a soothing ointment for mosquito bites. There are (depending on the season and especially when the sun goes down) annoying little sand flies ("sknipes") that sting. Their stings itch extra and longer time when you start scratching. It is better to apply a soothing ointment and have a quarter of an hour of patience until the itching subsides. Ideally, you make sure that the fly netting doors everywhere are always closed immediately. It is also helpful to turn on the existing insect killer for a while in the dark. If otherwise no lights are on, the beasts will be attracted to it and die.
Registration details
00000172036
