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Greece Travellers on Crete – 2013, 2017

Doug Phillips

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“We don’t see many Canadians on Crete.” Shop owner in Chania, October, 2017.

There are lots of visitors to Crete during the warm months of the year. Traditionally British & Germans predominate in the west, Italians in the east, with unfamiliar languages indicating many other nationalities on the island wherever we travelled.

My wife (Liz, aka, BW – Beautiful Wife) & I have spent 4 weeks on Crete, the largest of the Greek islands – two weeks on our own in Sept.- Oct. 2013 and two weeks from Oct. 2-16, 2017 with friends. For over half that time we were based in Chania, with about a week in the less-populated eastern part near the village of Paleokastro, and a few days in Paleochora on the southern coast. We have rented 3 different vehicles (one with enough luggage space); hiked the Samaria Gorge; gone swimming most days; dined very well and inexpensively; shopped at a large local market; driven the length & width of the island; visited several Minoan civilization sites, a few monasteries and wineries, and two war graves cemeteries. Some days we didn’t do much of anything, which was fine because the weather and surroundings were so pleasant. Besides Chania, the only large towns we spent any time in were Rethmynon in the west and Sitea in the eastern part of the island. We have never been to Heraklion or Knossos.

Crete is best known for the Minoan civilization, the earliest European civilization, which flourished in the Late Bronze Age, between 2600-1100BC. – or thereabouts, but I became interested in the modern World War II agony of the island when Crete was invaded & suffered an oppressive occupation by the Germans from 1941 to 1945.

Crete has been one of our favourite travel destinations. The attractions of the island are many and diverse.

I’ll organize this report under a number of headings, but will not attempt a day-by-day account

Crete?

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Crete is big, the largest Greek island – an initial attraction. The are many Greek islands, but most are pretty small - what am I going to do tomorrow? It’s about a 6-hour drive from west to east & one-hour from north to south. The top part is pretty flat. The only major highway runs along the north of the island. Crete is also a mountainous island, with the mountains running from north to south. Most of the population (600,000+) live in large & small communities along the north. What we call the Mediterranean or Aegean Sea on the north, is called the Cretan Sea on the island. The water on the south is called the Libyan Sea. There are no roads connecting several small communities along the south. There is a ferry service linking these communities, or you can backtrack into the hills & take another road to a different village.

There are wonderful visual images throughout Crete. And there are olive trees almost everywhere you look. Even a typical beachside taverna in a village along the south coast provides a memorable image.

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On our first visit in 2013, we noticed many signs of economic stagnation. However, four years later, the economy seems to be doing much better. New business in small towns like Zakros, new & expanding wineries and revitalized road construction in the east are a few signs of an improving economy on the island. The main business continues to be tourism.

Crete is organized into 4 regional units, but for simplicity I will refer only to the western and eastern areas. We have spent most of our time in the western section, but the east is what makes Crete memorable. While there are many places of interest to a visitor, tour buses don’t make it to the east. In fact, we met local people in both Chania and Paleochora who had never been to the eastern part of Crete.

We have some familiarity with the following communities:

Chania is the second largest community on the island, We are very familiar with the town – over half our time has been spent in Chania. It is a popular community and a good base for western Crete. It has 3 distinct parts;

· the old town, centred around the very attractive Venetian harbour (below) & running a few blocks inland - lots of restaurants, shopping, rental apartments - a tourist magnet, & where we have stayed in two different rental apartments.​

· the newer commercial part of the city - bustling, heavy traffic, narrow streets, businesses.​

· the beach community to the west - a narrow strip that merges into other towns & villages for several kilometers.​

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Paleokastro
is a small village in the east, near Sitea. We stayed just outside on both visits to Crete. We were in the village at least once each day – for breakfast or coffee or buying some supplies or even some shopping (jewelry & sandals direct from the artisan). Paleokastro is a good base for exploring eastern Crete, and for walking across the main street in the middle of the day wearing your swimsuit and not much else. Preferable, for me at least, to staying in Sitea.


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Paleochora is a small town located on a peninsula on southwestern Crete. It is very popular because of the setting & the beaches. There are several restaurants & places to stay; also, a ferry service to other small communities on the south coast. It has an artistic vibe. A very pleasant place any time of the day or evening, even into mid-October.

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Rethmynon is the third largest community on Crete, about an hour east of Chania. It is similar to Chania in that there is an attractive harbour area, a newer part inland & a beach strip, but to the east. We don’t know Rethmynon very well – only spent parts of 2 days in the town – from what we have seen, we prefer Chania. But, of course, others may have a different opinion.

Zakros is a small village (800 people) in eastern Crete. Most people pass through it on their way to visit the Minoan Palace at Kato (“Lower”) Zakros, eight kilometers to the east. We were only in Zakros for a few hours one day, but enjoyed the experience. We had roadside seats to life in a rural, agricultural community, known for its high-quality olive oil and honey production - and local raki. In addition to the usual shops & restaurants, we noticed two newer commercial ventures - one shop offering traditional Cretan products and a second one catering to hikers. Both are encouraging signs

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Kato Zakros is a very small community at the end of a long winding road in a gorgeous setting in a protected bay at the eastern tip of Crete. There’s not much there - a few seaside tavernas, an excellent swimming opportunity, but it’s definitely worth a visit. The ruins of a Minoan Palace are the main attraction.

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Oh, a bit about spelling. Most places haves more than one spelling when translated from the original language. For example, Chania, Hania and Xania are all the same place, as are Paleokastro, Palaikastro and Palekastro. I will try to be consistent with one spelling.

Cretans?

There may be some unpleasant people on Crete, but we haven’t met any. In fact, we haven’t met anybody on the island who has been less than helpful. Most Cretans when they learn we were Canadian, seem to have relatives in either (but only) Montreal or Toronto. We met several people, Cretan-born, who moved to North America for a time, then relocated back to the island. It’s an attractive place to live.

Also, many Cretans we met own some land, often with a family connection. They may own or work in a tourist-oriented business, but beginning in November the labour-intensive olive harvest presents a generational challenge. Often the grapes &, almost always, the raki that appear at the end of a meal in family-run restaurants are home-grown or home-made.

And everybody seems to speak at least some English, which is helpful since we speak zero Greek.

Food?

One of the main reasons we were attracted to Crete for a second visit was the food we enjoyed our first time. Even a lunch at a roadside taverna near the far western end of the island was memorable. Most of the places we dined at this year were return visits from 2014. Here are some of them:

· Metochi Vai - restaurant in the eastern part near Vai Beach, a short drive from our apartments just outside Paleokastro. Traditional Cretan cuisine in a very pleasant setting. This was our favourite restaurant in our two visits. We went there every evening on both visits to the area.

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· The Third Eye – a vegetarian restaurant in Paleochora on the southern coast.

· O Zaharias – a roadside restaurant in Platanos, a small village at the western end on the island near Falassarna Beach – great for lunch.

· Methexis Taverna – a family-run restaurant in Paleochora, a short walk from the Aris Hotel

· Chania – There are scores of restaurants in old town Chania. Many of the ones on the outer harbour might be OK for a drink, or maybe lunch, but the attraction is more the location & view than the food. As a rule, pass by any place that has touts out front – many do, but a few don’t – stop there. The fish restaurants in the inner harbour are generally well-regarded, as the fish is always fresh. There are many, many options in the few blocks behind the harbour – good food & reasonable (inexpensive, by North American standards) prices. Here are some of our favourites. The first two are very good:

o Chrisostomos, Defkalionos & Ikarou, around the corner from the end of the old harbour in Chania. Vegetarian-friendly​

o Oinopoieio, Chatzimichali Daliani 46, in old town Chania, close to our Gavaladon rental in 2013​

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o Adespoto Music Taverna, corner of Sifaka & Melchisedek, in old town Chania, almost next door to out 2013 rental.​

o Ela Taverna, Kondilaki 47 – a few steps from our apartment in 2017. Some mixed reviews, but we enjoyed our visits.​

Interests/Activities

· Hiking - Well, on our first visit we hiked the Samaria Gorge – and who doesn’t? Rick Steves (Rick Steves!!) has a pretty good take on the experience. It’s a day trip – with benefits/aftereffects – a bit difficult to walk, especially downstairs for the next couple of days unless you are used to it. For the rest of us it’s a challenge, but doable. The Samaria Gorge hike is a real tourist experience. It’s not out-and-back, but requires a bus from Chania (or another starting point) to the start, then the 6-hour walk to the south coast, along with several hundred other trekkers each day, a ferry to Chora Sfakion & a bus back to Chania. However, there are several other hiking options - gorges galore, with hikers parking or getting off buses and setting off on an independent venture.

· Beaches – Crete has a lot of beaches, in the west, east, south – actually almost everywhere on the island - Vai (below), Falassarna, Paleochora, Chania, Kourmenos. We swan everywhere on Crete.

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· Minoan sites - We never made it to Knossos, but there must be dozens of Minoan sites on Crete – indicated by brown signage at roadside markers - palaces, fishing villages, ports, commercial centers and whatever. We have visited several in the east:

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· Gournia

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· Itanos

· Mochlos

· Wineries. There are an increasing number of wineries on Crete. It is possible to plan several vineyard visits on the island. A wine map is readily available. I am not claiming that they rival the wines of better known areas, but a tour is an option for the oenophile. We have visited two new estates and one that has been around for several years.

· Anoskeli. We must have been among the early visitors to their retail outlet in the village of Anoskeli in western Crete back in 2013.​

· Toplou Monastery. In 2013, the buildings of the winery, across the road from the well-known monastery in eastern Crete were in the final stages of construction. In 2017, we were able to have a tasting.​

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· Karavitakis. This well-known winery in western Crete has been around for several years. We visited in October 11, 2017, after a longer-than expected diversion from the main road. We arrived just as a group tasting was ending. The next scheduled tasting was too long for us to wait, so we just bought a couple of bottles & went on our way.​

· Crete in World War II. The Battle of Crete in May 1941 was a defining event in the modern history of Crete. The German airborne invasion was on the point of collapse when tactical errors by the Allied commander permitted the Germans to secure the landing strip at Maleme, west of Chania. What followed was a brutal occupation until 1945. Resistance activity was punished severely. Some mountain communities even today are identified as “martyred villages.” There are two war cemeteries on Crete – the moving Souda Bay Allied Cemetery at and the austere German cemetery on a hill overlooking the airfield at Maleme. Both are worth visiting

· Shopping. I'm not much of a shopper, but others seemed to find enough local & interesting things to buy – jewelry, leather goods, clothes. Of course, there are the usual tourist souvenirs. There is an excellent outdoor market in Chania twice a week Thursday on the west side and Saturday on the east side of the community. Fresh fruits & vegetables are the main attraction for the visitor.

· Scenery. Parts of Crete are stunningly beautiful. My preference is for the visuals in the underpopulated east and the mountainous regions throughout the island.

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Where we stayed


In our time on Crete, we have stayed in 5 different places, from one night to 10 days. All were satisfactory, & met our needs. Following is a brief description of each

· Gavaladon, Chania - 2013, 10 days. A small apartment in old town Chania across from the Venetian wall. Great location, economical, and, did I mention, small? We slept there, enjoyed a glass or two of wine on the small balcony, accessed by stepping out the window of the bedroom. Otherwise, we spent minimal time in the apartment – but that was OK. We walked to a nearby square for our morning espresso/cappuccino & pastry each day; bought knives at a workshop almost next door; parked our car at an off-street lot (which meant that we had a secured parking spot after a day trip); sunned &/or had a drink by the harbour; swam at a nearby spot frequented by locals (walk down some stone steps to the water- leave your belongings on the steps, & there’s a fresh water shower on the steps when you are done); had a wide selection of shops & restaurants within a very short walk. Recommended, but did I mention it’s a bit small? And the owner, Gail Wareham, is great.​

· Casa Maritima, Chania - 2017, 7 days. Recent (2016) renovation. High-end apartment above a store near the harbour in Chania – 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, very well-equipped. Expensive.​

· Sunrise Apartments, Paleokastro - 2017, 4 days. One of about 6 single-story cojoined apartments approximately 1.1 km from the village.​

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· Porto-Heli Apartments, Paleokastro - 2013 , 4 days. Next to Sunrise Apartments just outside Paleokastro.​

· Aris Hotel, Paleochora - 2017, 2 days – Popular, family-run hotel in Paleochora​

· Esperia Beach Hotel, Rethmynon - 2017, 1 day – Along the beach strip east of Rethmynon, about an hour east of the Chania airport. We stayed there the first night on arrival.​

What I read

· Three travel books

o The Rough Guide to Crete​

o Top 10 Crete – DK Eyewitness Travel​

o Spiral Guide Crete​

· Two books on Crete in WWII

o Crete, The Battle and the Resistance by Anthony Beevor​

o The Cretan Runner by George Psychoundakis​

Recommendations

Crete is a great place to visit for a Slow Traveler. It’s diverse, interesting and can be economical. A vehicle is essential to explore most of the island, but perhaps not the western part. A base in Chania provides frequent, inexpensive bus service to many parts of the region. Parking in Chania can be an issue, even in October.

However, I have had enough of hanging around bus terminals & train stations earlier in my life, waiting for a departure/arrival. I don’t want to revert to my younger days in that respect – otherwise, maybe. But bus service is definitely an option. And a taxi from the Chania airport to Chania is quite reasonable.

I considered Crete for a winter long-stay, even though I know many places shut down in November. Some of my friends/family have wintered in the Algarve or the Costa del Sol. We have been to both, but they have little appeal for an escape-Canadian-winter respite. However, it’s a no-go. It’s very cool on Crete in the winter months. They sometimes get SNOW!!!

We have been to Crete twice. It is doubtful that we will return. But it has been one of our more enjoyable travel destinations.
 
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Thank you for your report, Doug - it is a very good read and comprehensive in detail.

For the past two years, we have spent a week in June in Rethymnon and really enjoyed it. We're looking for somewhere new for next year - possibly Agia Marina west of Chania, as it seems to have that mix of nice beach as well as proximity to Chania. The challenge for us living near Bari, Italy, is finding flights to Chania. You would think that living as close as we do to Greece it would be easier to get there! There is a nonstop to Heraklion, but then a two-hour bus ride to Chania, which is not ideal. I'm still looking for a better solution.

Thanks again!
 

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