Crete The Largest of the Greek Islands

Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands and really has something for everyone. As always it is imperative that you choose your holiday resort well and consider the best time to visit. The East of Crete tends to have the hottest, driest and sunniest weather. It is not unusual for this side of the Island to see no rain at all from April until late September.However early in September there can be strong winds.

The West of the Island however can become overcast and have some rain at any time, although on the whole it is still very warm. The West of the Island also has a different feel from the East.

There are many small places to visit around the Island, really far too many to mention them all. I have detailed some of the main resorts and these should fit most peoples requirements. These are all on the Northern coastline of Crete.

There are resorts on the southern side but these are not visited quite so often by British tourists. We took a local bus to Irepetra and loved this resort although it was windy when we visited. By poor suntanned back blistered due to being sandblasted on the beach. Still I would like to stay here if and when we visit Crete again.

Ag Nik has a good bus station with a reasonable timetable. Buses travel all around the Island and are good value. Not far from the bus station just alongside the tiny beach was our favourite taverna. Locally caught swordfish was Hubby's favourite whilst I preferred the Kleftiko. This was lamb in filo pastry. I have eaten this dish on different Greek Islands but it was totally different.

For those interested in Ancient history there are the remnants of The Palace of Knossos nearby.

All in all Crete is a great place to holiday. The locals are warm and friendly and all speak fluent English. The currency is now the Euro.

Watch out though. If you visit in high season or certain resorts you may find the night life frightening. Choose the perfect time and place for you.

HINTS AND TIPS

• Do not go mad and overdo the sun as soon as you arrive. As a local told us-Remember it is Crete and the Sun will be there tomorrow. Go easy.
• Use a good sunscreen as it is very easy to get burnt.
• Be polite and respectful to the locals. Cretans are lovely people and they deserve your respect.
• Try the local fire water Raki especially if you can get of some that the locals drink.
• Do not be afraid to ask for one mean and two sets of cutlery in the Tavernas. The staff will not mid if you share a dish.
• Tip about 10-15% in restaurants and for coach drivers.
• Avoid local tap water and drink bottled water instead.
• Book your tourist tours locally and not with your holiday rep. This will save you lots of money. Just make sure that it is a reputable company.
• If you are holidaying in the East of the Island Iraklion will be the best airport.
• Choose Chania airport for western resorts.
• Take care bathing in the sea around Crete as there are creatures such as squid swimming close to the beaches.
• Visit Spinalonga near Ag Nik if you want and emotional trip. It was home to Crete's lepers for many years. An island of exile so close to the poor folks own homes and families.

• Malia
• Hersonnisos
• Agios Nikolas
• Elounda
• Sitia
• Istro
• Iraklion

Malia tends to be for those wanting a destination like Blackpool with guaranteed sun. There are clubs, bars and it is lively. The good beach is always overcrowded. You can check out the old town if you are interested. We visited one day via the local bus and were so glad that we were not staying there. However lots of tourists love it.

Hersonissos is made up of a few small beaches and can be lively.

Agios Nikolas or Ag Nik was were we stayed. We were allocated our resort and hotel at the airport in Iraklion so were very lucky. We did get a great deal on price also. Our gripe was that our hotel was at the top of a very high row of steps. Bear this in mind if you visit. It was such a pain dragging our luggage through the streets and up those steps. We visited in September and although Ag Nik was busy it was not too bustling. Ag Nik had four town beaches which are all easy to reach. There are tavernas on the beach which are good places to lunch. There also good beaches very near to Ag Nik. We walked to Havana beach in the East which was not very far but a great beach.

We loved Elounda and visited more than once on the local bus. The beach is apparently man made but is good. The water is quite shallow and it felt safe to bathe. The view across to Spinalonga, the old Leper Island, made Elounda dramatic as well as a great place to visit. For those old enough "He who pays the Ferryman", with Wanda Ventham was filmed here.

Sitia was one of the towns on our Best of the East organised tour. It is one of the main towns in the East of Crete and has a narrow beach away from the harbour.

Istro is a small place with good tourist accommodation. Istron Bay has a lovely sandy beach and clear waters.We would take a local bus out of Ag Nik and visit the great beach here. The local taverna at the top of the beach steps provided lovely lunches and refreshment.

Iraklion is the Island's capital and we landed at its busy airport. Visit Iraklion if you want to shop and visit museums and galleries.

• Rethymnon
• Chania
• Souda Bay
• Lake Kournas
• Samaria Gorge

We visited the West of Crete on a guided tour called the Best of the West. This tour took in the home of World famous artist El Greco, the Greek.

Rethymnon had some great shops and places to eat and is a large resort. It has a quarter that has venetian influences and this shows in the architecture.

Chania, pronounced HANIA, is a great place to buy local leather goods. There is a large market here which is interesting to visit. Chania is a lively place and was bustling with people when we were there. There is an airport close to Chania.

We also visited Souda Bay and for some of our fellow travllers this was there main reason for the visit. It holds a war memorial dedicated to those who lost their life as part of the World War Two battles on Crete. Even though we had no personal links here we found it a sad, peaceful, pretty, quiet and moving place to walk around. It certainly makes you think.

As part of this tour we also visited Crete's only natural lake. Lake Kournas had ducks, pedalos, a cafe, some mystery and those dreadful Greek toilets which are two foot plates at either side of a hole in the ground. Still they caused quite a bit of hilarity amongst us tourists.

The lake is surrounded by mountains and it was here we saw our only sight of any rain during the whole of our two week holiday. It was only a brief display of rain splashes and it was still very warm.

The Samaria Gorge can be visited by booking a specific excursion here. We decided to give this one a miss. It is a long and tiring day, or so we were told. It involves a coach and bus trip as well as a long, hot walk through the Gorge. However if you want to see fabulous views and experience the flora and the fauna this could be for you. Come prepared though.

Animal Welfare in and around the Greek Islands leaves a lot to be desired. I thought long and hard about what image to display here. In the end I opted for the Save The Animals Of Crete, image above. There were some dreadful images of half starved dogs who ended up being euthanized.

As an animal lover this is one of the hard things I find when travelling abroad, especially in Greece. Dogs and cats tend to live a street life. Some eat reasonably well but they often have no true home. Tourists will feed dogs and cats tit-bits and often buy pet food at local stores.

If you do this remember that the animal may not be able to stomach rich tinned pet food. Use your common sense and always take care of your safety. If you are bitten you could be facing Rabies or worse.

Up to now we have always fared well with the local dogs and usually have one or two following us around. It is not easy as you are damned if you do and damned if you do not, as far as feeding these animals goes. Just follow your heart.

This problem is not just a Greek problem but is all too frequent in European holiday destinations.

If you can offer any financial assistance to animal charities fighting this lack of welfare please give generously.