Crete

22/02/2022

Not just an island, a way to live !

About Crete

Where is Crete in Greece ?

Crete is the largest and southernmost island in Greece, located between the Aegean and the Libyan Sea. It has a population of around 630,000.

Just above Crete are the Cyclades islands and to the northeast, the Dodecanese islands.

What are the main cities and regions of Crete ?

Crete is divided into four administrative units called prefectures. Chania is in the west, followed by Rethymno, Heraklion and Lassithi. Chania, Heraklion and Rethymno are also the names of the capital cities in these prefectures. The capital of Lassithi (the easternmost prefecture) is Agios Nikolaos.

Does Crete have an airport ?

Crete has three airports. Chania and Heraklion have airports that serve international and domestic flights and there is a third, smaller airport in Sitia (Lassithi) just for domestic flights. The flight time to Athens is around 55mins and to Thessaloniki is approx. 1hr 30mins.

How do you get to Crete by ferry ?

There are numerous ports along the northern coast of Crete with ferry connections to Piraeus and other Greek islands. There are daily ferries from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Chania, Heraklion and Sitia. There are also ferry connections to many Cyclades and Dodecanese islands. There are more ferry connections in the summer months, including ferries from Rafina to Heraklion, in eastern Attica (around 45mins from the centre of Athens).

What is Crete best known for ?

There are so many things to do and see in Crete that one trip is never enough. There are landmark beaches (such as Balos, Elafonisi, Preveli and Vai) and some of the most important cultural sites in Europe (particularly the Minoan settlements the old towns of Chania, Heraklion and Rethymno). Crete is also known for its food (it is considered the home of the Mediterranean diet) and slow way of life, especially in the villages.

When is the best time to visit Crete ?

As Greece’s most southern island, summer starts earlier in Crete than in other places in Greece. You can comfortably swim from mid-May till the end of October, but every season is special in Crete, with spring and autumn especially popular for outdoor activities. The temperatures can vary by 5-10 degrees from coastal to mountainous regions throughout the year. Crete does get busy in the peak summer months (July and August), so visiting in May-June and September are best.

How do you get around Crete ?

Crete has an excellent road and bus network, particularly between the cities and main tourism settlements along the north coast. There are roads to all the main holiday spots around the south coast but be aware that Crete is mountainous so some of the roads in the interior can be windy and narrow.

Good to know

Go for a meal in a tavern and wait for the treats at the end of the meal (don’t even dare to ask “how much they cost”..)

Make sure you drink at least one glass of that frozen raki !!

It is the only place in Greece you can loudly say the word “ma..ka”and let everyone think that you are cursing them, while it is a kind of Cretan cheese (a softer type of feta cheese) !

Mind the trip !

Needs to be mentioned, that driving behavior on the island should be immediately reformed, so mind the drive !

Said it all !

Go to any prefecture of Greece, tell them that you are coming from Chania and watch everyone going crazy, while they start booking the dates they will visit you !

What to do

• Chose your accommodation among a seaside or mountain villa with pool, a Venetian boutique hotel, an aristocratic 17th century house with private roof top & unobstructed views of the beautiful port of Chania or a dream farm house in a fragrant orange grove ! Furthermore, for families with children (or adults, who still feel like ones), we would definitely recommend a dreamy luxury tree house, “climbed” on the branches of a huge oak !

• Enjoy a private boat tour (including fishing, scuba diving & snorkeling) & have a dancing party on a hidden cove, while finding the most secret beach existing in order to enjoy the fish-catch of the day !

• Extra cruise tip : Stop for drinks & fun, in the unique cocktail bar that is literally located in the transparent waters of the Libyan Sea !

• One-day triple bath in river, sea & lake !

• Eat-Stay-Love in a 17th century farmhouse, enjoying the pure Cretan slow-living life style !

• A day out after the unique, wonderful tea of the Cretan mountains, called malotira ! An one-of-a-kind experience on Omalos Plateau, which leads the guests with all their senses into the island’s traditions, history & natural heritage, through the therapeutic properties of the Cretan herbs. The tour’s capstone comes with a rich brunch or afternoon tea (depending on the daytime), right on the fertile farm, with treats & drinks made by the favorite guests’ herbs, gathered by themselves !

• Slow living & therapeutic treatments, meditation, reiki & yoga sessions on the imposing White Mountains.

• Slow cooking, accompaniment of lyre & “mantinades” (traditional Cretan lyric quotes) in outdoor fires without the use of electricity, except with the smell of herbs & the fresh mountain air ! An absolutely unique experience, everyone should live !

• Trout fishing in refreshing springs, enjoying roasting them under those wonderful waterfalls !

• Hiking in Samaria Gorge, the largest in the Mediterranean & one of the most beautiful in Europe, with intermediate stops and a refreshing return by a sea boat, waiting for you at the route’s end !

• Brewery tour, in the leading brewery of Chania, followed by lunch in a wonderful garden !

• Inspiring living in historical museums, birth houses of two of the greatest personalities of modern Greek History. Eleftherios Venizelos, the inspiring politician leader & architect of his vision for the “Greater Greece” & the famous composer Mikis Theodorakis, one of the most important artistic figures of the 20th century, worldwide wise.

• Village hopping in the beautiful settlements of Apokoronas, also know as the “Tuscany” of Crete !

There are plenty of outdoor activities you can try in the wider area, such as river rafting, sea diving, lake biking, wine / dairy / honey tastings, reiki sessions on the White Mountains, slow cooking experiences, olive harvestings, cooking classes, herbs gathering, in other words.. life celebrating !

The 34 villages of Apokoronas are by far the ultimate destination anyone deserves to experience once in lifetime !

• Dive into History & Culture visiting the cradle of Minoan Civilization, Knossos ! Next stop are the famous Phaistos archaelogical site & the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

• For our little friends, we unfold the Mito of Ariadne, in a wonderful interactive Labyrinth open space park, we join funny laser tag games, we head to the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, we literally dive in the Cretaquarium, we feed the dinosaurs at the Dinosauria Park & for the end we watch a 9D movie to interactively experience a tour at the Minoan Civilization during the Aegean Bronze Age !

• Story telling for lovers of history, a tour of the most important places where the heroic “Battle of Crete” took place. Visit a private collection of war material from World War II, enjoy the narration and description of the real events by elderly – now – survivors of that time & get the chance to pay tribute to those monuments dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the Allied forces.

• Full day fun at some of the most famous beaches in this planet ! Spree free in the most #Instagramable moments of your trip, most probably of your life as well !

• 4×4 Jeep Safari in the Mountain villages, ending up at the turquoise beaches of the Libyan Sea for endless dives and relaxation !

• Excursion to the site of “Memory & History”, the martyrdom of Spinalonga island. Truth is that author Victoria Hislop has done more than anyone to put Crete’s #Spinalonga island back on the map with her bestselling novel ‘The Island’ !
The islet, which looks like a teardrop, is located in the gulf of Crete, in Elounda and hosts a 16th century Venetian fortress. But its use as a colony of lepers for more than 50 years, has not elevated its touristic promotion, not till the very recent years.

Nonetheless, its tragic past , visitors often feel a very “special” energy embracing them, hence the area is considered an ideal meditation place !

The mainland shores, right across the islet, are part of Plaka’s settlement, a lovely fishing village full of art cafe’ shops, traditional tavernas & a couple of classy boutiques for shopping !

Do not hesitate spending a day out at this wonderful & mysterious “part of the world” !

• Dare a walk in the alleys of the wonderful Rethymnon, the martyrdom Monastery of Arkadi & a Venetian village. that revives the life of the Cretans during the 16th-century and is voted among the 100 best historical accomodation monuments in the world !

For even greater fun, spend a day at the most beautiful Greek “fjord”, well-preserved since the times of the Arab Pirates !

• Savour a Farm-To-Table lunch at a wonderful agro-estate on the slopes of Rethymnon ! All of cretan nature’s treasures right on your table ! And for our little ones, let’s challenge them to become “Farmers for a day” !

• Wine tasting tour in the cellars of a 17th-century Monastery, where Organic crops of Trebiano, Merlot & Cabernet varietiesa are grown & bottled, by the monks themselves.

• Food tour in a traditional olive mill, an orange grove, a cheese factory, workshop of local sweets. With the selection of products of your own choice, you can experience the enjoyment of preparing a meal along with a local landlady, who welcomes you with appetizers & raki. The famous Cretan hospitality at its best !

• Eco-tourism & relaxation away from the technological culture of the urban centers, in a wonderful Mountain Retreat, witin a traditional settlement of the 15th-century. The operation of the village is based on fully ecological living conditions, adapted to those of the first inhabitants of the settlement.