My Home Away From Home.
Written: Sep 07 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: EVERYTHING.
Cons: EVERYTHING. No wait. I mean NOTHING.
The Bottom Line: Amazing in all aspects.
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| MagnumForce's Full Review: Crete |
Some of the more intelligent readers and writers of Epinions may have noticed that MF has been missing for quite some time from these hallowed web pages.
And of course, there is a reason.
I was in Greece.
More specifically, I spent 6 weeks of this summer vacationing on the island of Crete, among the largest islands of the Mediterranean, and basically the birthplace of anything and everything you see in the Western World nowadays (although that's a story for another day).
Unlike many who visit Crete however, my story is a tad different. See, I AM Greek. Well rather, I am Canadian, but with Greek heritage, seeing as how both my parents were born on Crete. My father hails from a small village in the mountains named Gonies (about 30 minutes outside of the largest city on the island, Iraklio), and my mother hails from a small village on the coast, named Platanies (about 10 minutes from another major city on the island, Rethymno). So unlike many a tourist, I had the added 'problem' of juggling the tourism part of things and the family part of things.
Turns out I shouldn't have been worried.
First things first- You have 3 options in terms of actually getting to the island. The first is flying to Athens, then taking a 45 minutes flight to the island at Kazantzakis Airport in Iraklio. The second is to fly to Athens, then take a 12 hour ferry by sea to the island. And the final option (only for European travellers) is to fly direct to Iraklio. Seeing as how we were doing the trans-Atlantic thing, we chose option #1. Athens has a beautiful airport that has been upgraded in anticipation of the 2004 Olympics. Iraklio does not. And that's all I'll say about that.
We started out our (me and my brother George) first two weeks in the city of Iraklio, visiting various family members, and frequenting the city and beaches. If that was what the ENTIRE bulk of our trip would have been, I would have been a happy man. However, that wasn't the case.
Crete is a BIG island. When I say big, I mean you can't see everything in a day or two. You need to stay at a minimum, for one week, with two weeks being more preferable. The last time I had been in Crete was 11 years ago, so one of the things that we vowed to do before we left Canada was to see EVERYTHING. And that we did.
The first thing you might want to do upon arriving in Crete is to procure the services of a rental car or bike. There are 4 major cities in Crete (Chania, Rethymno, Iraklio and Agio Nikolao), which have constant bus service, but if you want to see the WHOLE island, you'll encounter a lot of waiting if you choose to bus it, since outside of the major cities, buses may only show up once or twice a day. Another hint- try and learn standard transmissions before you go if you don't know how to drive them already. We paid approximately 30 Euro a day ($30 American) for a little tin can car made by Daihatsu in automatic form. For a standard Hyundai Accent (practically a limo in Greece), the price was 25 Euro a day. A good deal all around, with insurance included in the price. And don't be scared off by warning of nutso drivers. Yes, they are nutso, but within 2 days, you'll be driving as nutso as they are.
So where to begin?
OK, so we rented our Daihatsu Cuore, and began our journey. Our first stop was the beach town of Chersonissos, approximately 45 minutes east of Iraklio. Chersonissos is the ultimate tourist resort spot in all of Crete. Tourists probably outnumber Greek people 3 to 1 in the summer, so finding people to hang with shouldn't be much of a problem. Beach parties abound, albeit at very inflated prices.
The next day, we were off again, this time to visit the famous Lassithi Plateau, which is bordered by massive mountains which enable you to see the thousands of windmills planted on the plateau.
Ahem.
Or so the pictures showed. We drove a LONG way there, and it was a beautiful drive to be sure, but once we got there, it appeared that technology had destroyed what was once a great spot. There were no more masts on the windmills! So instead of seeing the sea of white we expected, we saw little windmill houses and little else. A very big letdown. You've been warned.
Unperturbed, we continued past the plateau and reached another famous site in Greece- Psychro Cave. This cave goes back a LONG way. We're talking like 3000 plus years. Myths say the Greek god Zeus was born here. Just amazing and worth the drive.
So we headed back towards the coast, and moved east again, eventually hitting the city of Agio Nikolao, the fourth largest in Crete, and boasting the largest lake on the island. Simply put, the city is the most beautiful of the big boys on Crete. Small and picturesque, with none of the bustle or crowds of Iraklio and Chania, and an absolutely gorgeous harbour. Must be seen to be believed. We stayed for 5 hours, and moved on, for our final destination of the day was...
Vai.
Sweet Lord. Those are the only 2 words I can say. Vai has the most gorgeous beach in Crete, bar none. The beach is almost like an oasis on the rocky coast. It is a banana plantation, so surrounding the entire beach are palm trees- it's basically like being in Hawaii. Not only that, but it was ALL sand. No rocks. And the water was beautifully clean. A must stop for anybody visiting. And did I mention the women? Okay, I just did.
Moving on the next day, we reached the ruins of Zakros, on the most easterly portion of Crete. We actually ran into this by accident, but it was beautiful to see, as there is an ancient Minoan palace at the site.
However, we needed more, so we continued until we reached the famous Cretan monastery of Preveli located at the top of a massive mountain. The monastery was the site of many battles with Turks during the Turkish occupation of Crete, in addition to being a resistance spot against the Germans during World War II. Beautiful icons and Church items inside. But that's not all- Preveli is also famous for it's secluded beach located directly below the monastery. Thing is, you gotta CLIMB down to it from a cliff approximately 400 meters up.
Gulp.
Not literally climb mind you, but the cobbled together stone and dirt steps won't make you all that confident either.
Once you get down however, PARADISE. Warm water. And a little inlet that goes through the beach. If you so choose, you can follow the inlet into the cliffside, where there are TONS of little private spots with water to swim, or chill. Just gorgeous.
Just don't say I didn't warn you about the climb- because the way up was MURDER on my legs.
So with that swim and visit out of the way we continued west, now on the south coast of Crete until we reached the world famous village of Matala, with it's famous caves in the cliff (which are acient Roman burial grounds).
A word of warning- go to Matala for the atmosphere, the village, the naked women, the caves, and the scenery. Do not go to swim. Or at least, don't go to swim if you don't like waves and a rocky bottomed beach.
Having spent the night in Matala, we got up bright and early the next morning to visit the second largest ancient Minoan Palace in Crete- Phaistos. We weren't all that impressed to be honest. Compared to Knossos (talked about further down), it is wrecked beyond belief. I'd pass on this if you're not an archaeology buff.
Driving along the south coast, don't forget to stop off in Agia Gallini to swim in the warm Libyan Sea's waters. Worth the hour.
At this point, we headed inland again in order to visit the famous water springs of Spilli. The water comes down from the tallest mountain in Crete, Psiloriti (translates to 'Tall One'), and flows sparkling clean through 12 stone carved lions heads. You won't taste clean and cold water like this anywhere.
Our side trip finished, we headed onwards till the city of Sfakia, one of the largest on the south coast. Isolated beyond belief, the people here have a certain proudness in them that you'll notice right away. Kind of a 'how messed up must we be to have built a city on such a shi*ty and rocky outcropping?' look. Make sure to get some of their world famous cheese pies as well. They use some sort of an ancient recipe to make them, and they're different from everywhere else in Crete.
At this juncture, I turned to my trusty sidekick and map reader George and asked him how to get to Paleochora, located in the southwest corner of Crete, and our planned final destination for the day. Pulling out the map, we realized there WAS NO ROAD to get there, and only mountains. So we zigzagged, and made it there in 2 1/2 hours, instead of the 1/2 it would have taken otherwise. The point of that story? To illustrate how good a map reader George is (this will have bearing later on).
After the night in Paleochora, we were almost done, and decided to hit one of the crown jewel beaches of Crete- Elafonissi. Literally translated, meaning 'Deer Island'. Pink sand. Beautiful warm water coming from Africa. One of the best parts of it? It's an island, but the water is so shallow that you can WALK OUT to the island. Very cool. Apparently on drier days, you can drive out to it as well. Extremely cool.
Which brings me back to George's mapreading. His lack thereof led us through a harrowing 5 foot wide mountain dirt road packed with massive boulders that had me thinking we were gonna die in the Daihatsu after an axle or something broke. Like seriously, I don't think the road had been used these last 2 centuries. Once we reached the bottom (2 hours later, at approximately 5 mph the whole time), this old guy waves us down and asks us if we're crazy taking a car like ours up there.
Funny stuff.
So onwards, and in this case upwards we continued, moving north to the coastal town of Kissamos, which was advertised as a party town, and actually was just a midsize town with nothing in it- NEXT.
Chania. Formerly the capital of Crete (now it's Iraklio), it is the second largest city on the island, and served as a 'return to civilization' wakeup call to us. Gone were the quaint village and old people sitting around the coffee shop. In their place was the hustle of a city teeming with 150000 people. Not a lot I know, but jammed onto such a small area, it seems like tons. To be honest, I didn't feel Chania as much as the other bigger cities. I can't really put a finger on why. Of note- they have an awesome farmers market where you can buy any dead animal your heart desires for cooking purposes. I chose the lamb.
Next up was Rethymno, and of course Platanies. Rethymno is the bomb diggy. I love this town. Large enough to actually HAVE stuff, but small enough that you're never overcrowded. And the beaches are the best on the island (apart from Vai and Elafonissi). Visit Rethymno. Stay in Rethymno. It's basically in the center of the island, so you're never too far from everything.
Heading back to Iraklio on our final day to return the car, we made a pit stop at the aforementioned Knossos, the a largest of the Minoan city palaces, and also the capital of the Minoan civilization. Also the sourse of myths pertaining to the labyrinth and the minotaur contained within.
This is a MUST SEE trip. I loved Knossos. My brother, the ever astute hater of all history, didn't however. Much of the building still stands, and a large number of the frescoes are still around. And if you can speak fluent enough Greek to pass yourself off as a native (ie. like me!) you can even head down to the 'basement' to check out the labyrinth (which isn't REALLY a labyrinth). Cool stuff! Another plus is that if you're 16 or younger, or a student in Europe, admittance is free.
So ended our car excursion, one week after it started.
But were we done?
No way!
Another spot that you HAVE to go to is the Samaria Gorge. The largest gorge in Europe, measuring a total distance of 16 KM, this is the most ultimate walk you'll ever take. The easiest and best way to do it is to pony up 20 Euros and do it with a tour. It won't really be a tour though- you're let into the gorge and told to be at the other end, at the latest, 7 hours later. It took us 6 hours, and it was simply put, one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Just make sure to wear VERY good and comfortable shoes, light and comfortable clothing, bring sunscreen, and wear a hat. This walk is not recommended for old folks or people with health problems. It is also apparently not recommened for 24 year old Canadian-Greeks who are slightly overweight, since I couldn't feel my quad muscles for 2 days afterwards.
Another spot of historical interest in Crete is the Arkadi Monastery. Built approximately 1800 years ago, this monastery was the site of a famous Greek-Turkish battle during the Turkish occupation. Faced with a months long siege, the Turks finally broke into the monastery. Instead of giving it up to the invaders, the monks blew up the armoury and all the gunpowder, killing themselves and the invaders in the process, all in the name of protecting their faith and their land. I gotta admit- my feelings of pride were stirred up by this trip. Notwithstanding patriotic feelings, the monastery itself provides some of the best pictures you'll find anywhere. It is just a beautiful building. What's left of it that is. Also of note is that it is STILL being used today, and apparently my 3rd or 4th uncle is the head monk guy now.
So is that it?
Well for now it is. You've read far too much and I've written far too much anyways. If more comes, I'll update.
Of special note for travellers before I finish- accomodations are fairly cheap. Per night on our road trip, we spend about 35 Euro for a 2 bed room with air conditioning in a hotel. Very reasonable. Of course, resorts will cost more. Also of note- inflation has hit Greece big time, but you'll find that food and drink are fairly inexpensive. Stay away from consumer goods like clothing, etc., and you should not only have a fun trip, but a cheap one as well.
Have fun!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
MagnumForce
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Member: M F
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 191
Trusted by: 63 members
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