So I’m visiting Crete next week. Booked completely on a whim, I’m spending seven days in Heraklion in a couple of simple hotels.
I’ve been so busy working and trying to buy a house that I have done virtually zero research!
Was just wondering if anybody here had visited? And if so, any recommendations on where to visit? I’m planning on hiring either a moped or a car, so I’m more than happy to travel about – but I’m assuming it’s a small island anyway…
Thanks in advance.
The island of Crete – anybody got any recommendations?
Who can say, Fentonmeister? But you’ve reminded me of the catchphrase from that BBC4 docco on the Brumsters: the vision of a perpetually spliffed-out Ali Campbell, bumbling around after 30-odd years of carefree expenditure saying, to anyone who’d listen, ‘Whurr’s tha munnnoi? Whurr’s tha munnnoi?’
Wrong thread, I think, Colin. Have you been at the jazz woodbines again?
Crete isn’t really a “small island”…
It’s the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean, it has a population of around 650,000, and Heraklion is the fourth largest city in Greece!
I told you I hadn’t done my research! I didn’t realise it was that big though!
It’s not only big, but many of the roads are very basic so it’s not quick to get places.
I spent 4 months there working one summer and have had a number of holidays. Heraklion is a big port city with all that entails, but it’s a brilliant island. Highlights:
– the north coast through Rethymnon to Hania and out to the wilds of Falasarna. Fab beaches
– the Samaria gorge – an all day walk – fab
– Paleohora – beach heaven
– Matala – where Joni hung out – hippyish back in the day, people living in caves etc. Again, fab beaches/swimming
– the mountains – savage beauty, gorgeous little villages
– south coast – my hang – a slightly bonkers little village called Arvi which is really hard to get to as it’s at the bottom of a ravine and as a result is pretty quiet and unspoilt.
I would also heartily recommend you read Anthony Beavor’s “Crete 1941 – the battle and the resistance” which is a gripping read as the Brits comprehensively snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, then hike the Samaria gorge at night and escape on boats leaving the Cretan irregulars to face the music. I knew all the places having spent so much time there but it’ll make a lot of sense and bring it to life if you read it.
Took a screen shot if this, thanks Twang. About to download the book too, to accompany me on the trip.
I liked the leper island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Elounda, and Vai Beach.
Fabulous novel based about Spinalonga. Had a lump in my throat for the whole read.
Max Bygraves made an album about it.
To be fair, whenever I think of lepers I think of Max Bygraves.
Brings a lump to my throat, too.
On the south of the island is the Samaria Gorge.
The best way to do it is to book a taverna at the top of the gorge, stay overnight and set off shortly after sunrise and walk through to the coast (there are trips that arrange all this for you). The last three kilometres are a bugger, though as you’re out of the gorge and walk across a flat limestone plain, but the walk through the gorge is worth it.
http://www.west-crete.com/samaria-gorge.htm
Thanks Carl – I like a good walk so will check out Samaria Gorge.
I concur with Vincent – Spinalonga is fascinating and Elounda beautiful (definitely a high-end holiday destination). Depends if you are looking for lively, relaxing and/or culture. Chania harbour was/is really nice for a stroll/food/drink/people-watching; Knossos is the main historical/mythological site, but Rethymnon is also interesting historically and architecturally, for vibrant nightlife, Agios Nikolaos is (or used to be) a classy place. Whatever you do, AVOID MALIA.
Thanks Black Type – I’ve had a few avoid Malia recommendations, which is now intriguing me!
Easily the best food we had in Crete was in the fish restaurants that right on the beach at Nea Chora on the western side of Chania. Mmmmm. Nice.
Noted.
Only been once, about 15 years ago. We were at the western end of the island – far less spoilt. We found Paleohora a charming bohemian place. Only one road in and out, which is closed in the evenings and taken over by the restaurants and bars.
For cheap bed and breakfast look out for the ‘Zimmer Frei’ signs outside private houses.
Noted, thanks Fintinlimbim. Like the sound of Paleohora.
sun cream and water…..it’s HOT !
Heraklion itself has a very good archeological museum – and I’m not usually into that stuff – a couple of interesting churches and a nice harbour. Knossos Palace is just up the road, but always overrun with tourists and they’ve made some of it quite tacky.
There’s a much better set of old ruins at Malia, which is about an hour’s bus ride to the east. It also has a decent beach close by, and can make an easily manageable day out from Heraklion.
Avoid Hernasissoss – it’s Benidorm for eastern Europe.
Noted – particularly Hernasissoss!
Stayed in (or rather just outside) Elounda in the early 90s – I believe it’s a lot more built up now and, as stated above, quite a high end destination though then it was the archetypal “quiet fishing village”. Friends of mine have a house in Crete and I asked her last year for any recommendations as we were thinking of going back. Here’s her reply to me :
“Our house is near a small village, Kokkino Horio, slightly inland and uphill from the sea and about 20 miles from Chania. We always arrange to pick up a car at the airport, and drop it back as we leave. We use the car to go everywhere, we’re not close enough for us to choose to walk to shops, beach or taverna, but Janet walks sometimes. There are two resorts near us, both with lovely beaches. Almyrida is a small tourist resort, 4 or 5 large hotels and a few small ones, lots of beach side tavernas and bars where you can watch the sun set. Kalyves is a small town, locals live and work here all year round rather than just summertime. Again, some good tavernas, and a good base for a holiday west of Chania. So that’s our immediate area.
Chania itself is a busy city with some lovely picturesque areas including the harbour. There are hotels in the city but may not suit if you want a beach/pool holiday. The coast stretching to the east of Chania, the other side from us, has a number of resorts, we’ve visited for a few hours to visit their shops, have a meal, etc. They seem to get quieter as you get further from Chania, e.g. Platanias is busy, buzzy, lots of nightlife, Maleme much less so. There is a regular bus service along this road for trips into Chania.
Rethymnon is another of the 3 main cities on the island, lots of hotels, lovely areas to stroll, we usually visit a couple of times each holiday.
Don’t think I’d stay in Heraklion, the largest of the island’s 3 cities, but some interesting bits to visit.
Another resort between us and Rethymnon is Georgopolis, busy and buzzy but not so much wild nightlife.
We’ve also been on the south coast, some very out of the way places, Chora Sfakia is smallish, Matala (a hippy commune in the cliffs in the 60s, Joni Mitchell lived there for a while) and Plakias are larger and self-sufficient, we stayed in Matala overnight once, also Plakias and enjoyed both.”
Hope that is of some help – as advised above FORGET MALIA. It’s a typical “Brits on the piss” resort where they’ve had some trouble in the last few years.
Up for Georgopolis – had a lovely week’s hols there.
Thanks Johnny – plenty to go at there.
Thanks again everybody for the tips and recommendations; had a fantastic trip.
As was pointed out early on in the thread, I completely underestimated the size of Crete – haha!
Managed to visit Elounda for a couple of days, which I really liked.
Stayed also just outside Malia a couple of nights. Had a walk through the ‘Brit drinking strip’ one evening, which was interesting. Did manage to find a nice beach just outside Malia, and also visited a great restaurant near the port, Cretan Family Fish and Grill.
Then drove to Heraklion for the rest of the week – really liked it there. Busy place, but very charming. Discovered another fabulous restaurant, Kastella. Amazing food and service, and the fact the waiters have to cross a busy road to deliver the food really adds to the theatre. Also found a couple of very nice beaches outside Heraklion; Agia Pelagia and Ammoudara (I think!).
Drove to Hersonissos too, but as pre-warned here, not the nicest place.
All-in-all, a very good trip. I’ll go to the south next year.
Wasn’t a fan of driving I must admit – the roads are simply crazy!