For years it was the village café of Fourni, where people came in for a coffee, the news and a game of tavli. The café closed. The room stayed. Now it takes in up to four.
Olive terraces, stone walls, and evenings that stay cool even in August.
The house
Two floors of stone, one spiral stair.
Downstairs, the old café room: open kitchen, living room, WC. Upstairs, the bedroom, the bathroom and a real desk. The stair between them is beautiful, and narrow.
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 3 beds
- 1.5 baths
Kafeneio menu
On the house.
In a kafeneio, some things come on the house. In this one, it is everything on this list.
- 01Work from upstairsWi-fi 180 Mbps
- 02Cool in AugustAir-con, both floors
- 03Warm in winterHeating
- 04Pack lightWasher and drying rack
- 05Skip the bottled waterFiltered water
- 06Let yourself inSelf check-in, 15:00
- 07Park and walkFree street parking
- 08The mountainMountain view
- 09Slow morningsCheck-out 11:00
- 10Room for four3 beds · 1.5 baths
A day in Fourni
From the first coffee to the last raki.
- 07:30
Coffee, slowly
The briki on the stove, the mountain still in shadow, the village waking up one shutter at a time.
- 11:00
Down to the sea
A short drive down the hill to Elounda and Plaka. Swim, then a boat across to Spinalonga.
- 15:00
Stone keeps the cool
Back up in the village, thick walls hold the heat outside. Read, sleep, or do nothing at all.
- 20:30
The tavernas
Dinner a few steps from the door. At the end, a little raki nobody ordered.
The village
Fourni, and what lies around it.
A quiet mountain village with its own tavernas. Stay a few days and you start to belong to it. The sea at Elounda is close by.
Your host
“I first stayed here as a guest.”
That was in 2025: the two of us fell for the house and for Fourni, and bought it in 2026. I’m an art director, so I fuss over the small things: where the light falls in the morning, which cup the coffee goes in.
I live in Nantes and spend a month or two a year here. The rest of the time I reply quickly, with trusted friends in the village to lend a hand. The stone and the village do the rest. I’ll be glad to have you.
I also write Âme Bohème, a French-language travel guide: more than 650 articles across 25 countries, read by 15,000 people every month.
“It’s in the centre of a traditional village but very quiet.”
“The property has been completely renovated and decorated with a modern twist but still kept its Cretan village charm.”
“There were two of us, and the size was perfect.”
“The village is very pleasant and perfectly placed for exploring the region.”
“Fourni is a magical mountain village of Crete, full of tradition and beauty.”
Book direct
Come in, sit down.
Send Pierre your dates. Same house, same welcome, and one less middleman between you and the door. He replies personally, usually within a day.
Prefer a platform? Ntoukiani is also on Airbnb.
Good to know
Before you come.
01Where exactly is the house?
Ntoukiani is a holiday rental in Fourni, a mountain village of Lasithi in eastern Crete, in the hills above Elounda and the Mirabello bay. Heraklion airport is about 50 km away.
02Do I need a car?
It is recommended. The village sits in the hills, and the beaches of Elounda and Plaka, Spinalonga and the town of Agios Nikolaos are a short drive away. Parking is free, on the little square 50 m from the house.
03How many people can stay?
Up to four: one bedroom, three beds and one and a half bathrooms, over two stone floors.
04Is it suitable for children or reduced mobility?
A narrow spiral stair links the two floors and a short, steep stair leads up to the οντάς, so the house is not suitable for children aged 2 to 12, nor for anyone who finds stairs difficult. Teenagers over 12 are welcome.
05Can I work from the house?
Yes. Wi-fi runs at about 180 Mbps, with an Ethernet port for video calls, and there is a real desk upstairs, by the window.
06Is it comfortable in summer and in winter?
Thick stone walls keep the heat out in summer, with air-conditioning on both floors. In winter, the wood stove warms the house and feeds the radiators. Mountain evenings stay cool, even in August.
07What are the arrival and departure times?
Arrival from 15:00 with self check-in, departure by 11:00.
08How does booking direct work?
Send your dates with the form. Pierre replies personally by e-mail with a written offer. Nothing is charged until you accept it. The house is also on Airbnb and Booking.com.