FOTIS LARIOS · YOUR HOST
See Crete through
a local’s eyes.
The best way to know a place is to know someone who calls it home.
I’m Fotis. I love travelling, discovering the everyday life of a new place, and meeting the people who make it what it is. Here in Rethymno, I get to be that person for you.
La Vie En Mer is part of my family’s story, and a place I have grown up caring for. I would love to help make it part of yours.
Fotis
Your local connection in Crete
01 · OUR BEGINNINGS
1990
My father built
the beginning.
My father built these apartments in 1990. Long before they became the spaces you see today, they were part of our family’s life here in Rethymno.
In 2016, it became my turn.
I took over when I was just fifteen. I started small, putting in my own work and reinvesting whatever money I could spare.
Room by room, and year by year, I renovated and improved them. What you see today has grown from that steady effort, with a great deal of personal care in every step.
02 · A TRAVELLER’S PERSPECTIVE
Every journey
brings something home.
Travelling is one of the things I love most. I enjoy the famous sights, but I am just as interested in a neighbourhood café, a conversation, or a recommendation I would never have found on my own.
That is the feeling I want to share with my guests: the confidence to explore, and the warmth of having someone local to turn to.
A thoughtful suggestion can become the best part of a holiday. I love helping those moments happen.
LEARNING BY DOING
Hospitality was
my first classroom.
My earliest lessons came from our family’s Steris Beach Hotel, on Rethymno’s seafront. It was there that I began to understand how much care goes into making a guest feel welcome.
I went on to graduate in Business Administration from the Athens University of Economics and Business. Along the way, I earned four English-language qualifications, helping me connect with visitors from around the world.
I also work in my father’s timber and kitchen-materials business. Working with materials, spaces and practical details is another part of my everyday life, and one that sits naturally alongside caring for the apartments.
A DECADE OF WELCOMING PEOPLE
Ten years in.
Still personal.
Since taking my first steps in 2016, I have spent ten years working in hospitality. Today, I manage a portfolio of 30 properties and also contribute to the management of Steris Beach Hotel and Icarus Hotel in Rethymno.
That experience helps me understand the practical side of a good stay. What I value most, though, is the personal connection: listening to what you enjoy and helping you feel comfortable from the start.
Within that wider journey, La Vie En Mer remains five individual apartments and suites, with a family story and a welcome that is very much my own.
03 · THE HEART OF OUR WELCOME
φιλοξενία
A stranger arrives.
A guest feels at home.
We call it philoxenia. The Greek word brings together philo, meaning love, and xenos, meaning stranger or guest. At its heart is the generous welcome we offer someone from elsewhere.
For me, Crete gives that word life: a place at the table, a conversation that lasts a little longer, and the instinct to make sure you have everything you need.
This is the Cretan hospitality I want you to experience here. Warm, thoughtful and personal.
04 · MY CRETE, YOUR OWN WAY
Let’s make it
your kind of holiday.
Tell me what you love. I will help you plan days that feel right for you, from places to eat and beaches to explore to the little corners that make Crete special.
- TasteLocal favourites and places worth making time for.
- ExploreBeaches, villages, history and a route that suits your pace.
- ConnectEveryday Crete, seen through the eyes of someone who lives here.
My hope is that you leave with more than photographs: a sense of the place, a few new favourite spots, and memories you will want to return to.
Explore my local guideRETHYMNO, ACROSS GENERATIONS
The seafront changes.
The sea stays with us.
The waterfront is part of the setting for our family’s story. These glimpses of Rethymno, past and present, bring that connection to life.
A LETTER TO THE ISLAND
Crete, a feeling
that stays.
Crete is more than a destination. It is a feeling that quietly stays with you long after you leave.
It lives in the golden light of the sunset, in the scent of the sea carried through narrow village streets, in the sound of cicadas on warm afternoons, and in the simple pleasure of sharing food beneath the stars.
Here, every experience becomes part of a story. A peaceful cruise along the coastline, a swim in crystal-clear waters, a walk through an ancient town, or a dinner filled with local flavours can turn into a memory you will carry for years.
The island invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and notice the beauty in every small moment.
Whether you come in search of adventure, romance, culture, or rest, Crete welcomes you with open arms and a warmth that feels almost familiar.
And when the time comes to leave, you may discover that a part of you remains here, somewhere between the mountains and the sea, waiting for the day you return.
YOUR STORY HERE STARTS WITH A CONVERSATION
Come for Crete.
Feel at home.
Tell me about the holiday you have in mind. I would love to help you make the most of your time here.
Fotis