www.Travel-To-Crete.com - CRETE ISLAND GUIDE
Welcome to Crete
Travel to Crete Travel-to-Crete logo
Travel-to-Crete logo Travel-to-Crete logo Travel-to-Crete logo
Travel-to-Crete logo
HOME | E-CARDS | CRETE PHOTOS  
Welcome to ...
blank imageCRETE ISLAND

Crete top 10 proposals
--------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCH
German translation by Google French Italian Spanish Portuguese Japanese
CRETE
HOTELS
RESTAURANTS
CAFE
CAR RENTALS
TRAVEL AGENCY
ARTSHOPS
DIVING
REAL ESTATE
WINE SHOP
NIGHTLIFE
LOCAL PRODUCTS
CAMPING
PHOTOGRAPHY
VILLAS
GYM FITNESS
DAILY CRUISES
BOOKSTORES
GREEK LANGUAGE


MAP
INFORMATION
VILLAGES
BEACHES
WORTH SEEING
PHOTO GALLERY
VIDEO GALLERY
360 PANORAMAS
TOP 10
E-CARDS
TOPICS
MAILING LIST
NEWS
SEARCH
ABOUT US
LINKS
TERMS

Live Crete webcams
CRETE CRETE CRETE EXPECTATIONS

14 January 2006 CRETE EXPECTATIONS This lovely Greek jewel will not fail to delight and surprise By Gordon Mcllwraith IMAGINE waking up in the morning to the sound of the Aegean sea, gently lapping on the golden sands immediately below your room. Throw open the shutters, step onto the verandah and as the sleep slowly clears, your eyes adjust to the alluring sight of the water reflecting the clear blue sky. Nearby, the early risers are having a pre-breakfast swim in the sea or one of the four large pools, and there are no beach towels jealously guarding empty sunloungers. Sounds like paradise? Well it is and we've just experienced it on the magical island of Crete on a week's holiday that will never b e forgotten for contrasting reasons. Both my wife, Kate, and myself felt we needed the type of break where you only require the one brain cell to decide where your next drink or bite to eat was coming from. Switch off, totally relax and be a couple of slowly toasting sloths. Well, that's what I was thinking as I buried my face in the DaVinci Code - OK, another brain cell needed for that one - as we took the four and a quarter hour flight from Glasgow to Heraklion airport. But we hadn't been on the island long before being seduced by it's history, the warmth of the people and a desire to explore. We had chosen the Aldemar Cretan Village on the north of the island, just a 35-minute coach trip from the airport. It's a self-contained complex of apartments nestling on the edge of the sea, offering panoramic views. Our spotlessly clean double room apartment had a king size and three single beds, ideal for families. For those actively inclined, there's a daily helping of sports, such as beach . volleyball, football and aquatic aerobics, organised by a bunch of enthusiastic multi-lingual youngsters. The same group put on a show every night in the main terraced bar and although they try their best, I would rather listen to a Chic Young commentary than hear Agadoo and YMCA again. We were slightly apprehensive about being on a half-board deal - normally we like to eat in local restaurants - but any worries we had were quickly dispelled. The range of buffet food was quite staggering and the quality was excellent. One night I counted eight different hot meals as well as numerous mouthwatering salads and there is also a kids' menu. The same variety is available at breakfast where one of the choices was rice pudding with fruit salad, a local favourite. There are three other restaurants, including one on the beach where lunch cost £7 each for a main course, a couple of glasses of wine and a coffee. After three days of lounging by the poolandsoakingupthesunwe \ decided to hire a car and do a bit of exploring. The island is steeped in history I and our first port of call was the ruins of the Minoan palace at Knosos which was built about 3500 years ago. Raised walkways have been erected around most of the site to protect it from the wear and tear of countless visitors. It's a mind-boggling fact that all these years ago the Queen's rooms came complete with a flushing toilet. Our next trip took us to the beautiful village of Elounta near where the BBC series Who Pays the Ferryman? was filmed. Life here centres on the cafes and tavernas dotted around the harbour with breathtaking views over the b ay to the mountains. The food and drink is reasonably priced, but it is the surroundings which are priceless. We had to drag ourselves away from our waterside table to take the 20-minute boat trip from the village to the island of Spinalonga. It houses a fabulous Venetian fortress, but is probably remembered for being a leper colony for 40 years until 1957. Sadly, when it was closed and the patients were taken to a hospital in Athens, some of them tried to make their way back to the island as it was the only life they had ever known. From there we drove 3000ft up into the mountains to view the stunning Lassithi plateau, a lush and fertile farming area dotted with wooden windmills and villages which are a throwback to another time. Details lA week, half-board, in a room with a sea view costs from £546. For details call Manos on 08707 582519.



Please share your opinion of it with other travelers. Write a review!


BACK TO CRETE