Milia Mountain Retreat

Our Story

Milia Mountain Retreat

In the early 1980s when Iakovos Tsourounakis, born and raised in southwest Crete, first talked about his dream of restoring the Medieval settlement of his land of birth; other locals looked at him and said “that poor man, he’s gone crazy!” He wanted to see his ancestral lands take on new life after four decades of abandonment and neglect which had brought about a state of emergency in the area, eco-wise speaking. He wanted to cultivate the land, grow organic products, reforest the area, and have a small breeding farm… In other words, he wanted to save what was left of the ruins of the past and bring it to the present, fresh and new, ever-lasting, timeless… He was lucky. He soon became friends with Giorgos Makrakis, whose family also had property in the area. They found out that they shared the same “lunacy” (“kouzoulada” or Cretan “insanity”, as it is called locally) and started to work! Somewhere in the middle of this journey, a vision was born – the transformation of the old settlement into an eco-friendly lodge for the visitors to enjoy, implementing the terms of sustainability through ecology. These men's vision, who wanted to see Milia thriving again, soon became a project included in the European funding program Interreg for cultural restoration, and the two started, hands-on, to rebuild the settlement. The restoration process took about 3 years and, throughout this time, they chose the hard way; not only did they show incredible respect to the ruins of Milia, by refurbishing everything in great detail, so as to preserve their authenticity, but also kept the local architectural and decorative style as well. All interiors were kept as in the past, with minor changes in order to add bathrooms. Exteriors were altered with the addition of patios and alleys. The geomorphology was also kept intact, keeping the amphitheatric architecture of the settlement, and thus, adding to the harmony of the buildings in their natural habitat. All stones and wood were re-used and additional material just came from Milia and/or nearby villages. Additional construction was of a small scale, in absolute balance to the surroundings, and the building technique was the old-fashion one. Both technicians and builders who worked were locals, exclusively from the nearby villages, and the resources used left a zero ecological footprint. When the guesthouses and a small restaurant were finally ready in the spring of 1993, being supplied exclusively by farms and yards of the area or of the property itself, Milia was introducing what was later to become a model of community-based eco-lodge. Slowly and gradually, the whole project proved to be not just successful, but an example to follow. Five years later, Tassos, from Athens, joined the crew by following an inner call to share his own passion for nature with the two men. He has been adding managing along with Giorgos, the Milia Mountain Resort ever since, and adding to guests’ experience through his experience in hiking and outdoor activities. A small amphitheater has also been added throughout these years, respecting the local odor and opening up new possibilities for guests’ entertainment. In 2000, when the new restaurant was built on the same principles of the settlement, the next generation of the families was introduced to Milia bit by bit. Now, the exquisite services of “Milia restaurant”, under the guidance of chef Vasilis Makrakis, has managed to open up to guests and visitors alike, who have come to evaluate the space as having one of the best atmospheres in Crete and certainly an original high-standards menu. And that’s how this hi-story does not end!

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