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Crete is an island small enough to be
intimate and yet large enough to deliver a never-ending
series of experiences. Whatever you want - you’ll
find it here. If you want fun you’ve got it. If you want
sport you’ve got it. If you want bars, restaurants,
clubs and sleeping ‘til noon - you’ve got it. |
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If you want sun, sea and sand
-we’ve got more than anyone.
Archaeological
sites and places of interest – maybe we’ve even
got too many! Of course, once in a while you may
just want to be lazy - in peace - and you’ll get
it. You can stay and swim and splash and soak up
the sun at your holiday parc – perhaps the
children won’t want to do anything else. Or go
out and about.
By day, visit the fabulous fun
water park at Limnoupolis, paraglide in Agia
Marina,
take the mini-train for a trip into the
hills, or book a
day cruise to the desert
island
paradise of Gramvousa. |
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The Cretan paradise of
Gramvousa |
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Visit North West Crete's
fabulous fun water park at Limnoupolis |
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Feeling energetic? Book a scuba
or snorkel diving course in Kastelli. Walk alone
or hike with a group up into the Lefka Ori
mountains. Horse riding at Tavronitis.
Hire a
bike or scooter and ride into the hills and the
magnificent gorge of Topolia.
Watch the sun go down on the
finest beach in Crete at
nearby Fallasarna. And then… |
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Scuba, snorkel... |
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...or windsurf |
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By night, you can of course
dress how you wish - but the local people like
to dress up a bit in something cool and simple,
particularly in the cafes and clubs. Join in the fun of a
Cretan evening right on your doorstep in either
Nopigia or Mythimna - live traditional music and
dancing, vast tables of food and wine, topped
off by the local firewater, Tsikouthia or Raki.
Another evening, visit the bars, restaurants and
discos on the sea front in Kastelli. Join the
local “volta” or promenade where the young
people show themselves at their best at the
beginning of, or in the hope of, a courtship. |
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The bustling streets of Chania |
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A little further afield you may
want to throw a 24 hour party by going into
Platanias or
Chania where the clubs don’t even
open until midnight and to leave before dawn is
considered just plain sad!
Arrive into Chania and
the bars at 8 pm, choose a restaurant at 10 pm, a club
at 12 and then an exhausted breakfast on the seafront at 8
am! |
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Nightlife in
waterfront Chania - restaurants, clubs
and discos |
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But if you really do only want
peace - then this beautiful corner of Crete is a
natural paradise. All the year round,
temperatures are near-perfect. In the mountains,
the traveller can walk... and walk... in
glorious silence. For those who want their
experiences more personal than clubbing, find a
secret place next to the sea, undress and swim
…. and then dry lazily in the sun. But be
careful - it's narcotic... you could be hooked
for life! |
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A natural paradise |
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Soak up the sun |
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Mythologically, the island is the
birthplace of Zeus who had three sons with Europe, the
Queen of Phoenicia. One of the sons, Minos, gave his
name to Crete's most prosperous historical period, the
Minoan Culture, some 5,000 years ago. This island is
close to the origins of all civilised humanity as we
know it.
The history of Crete makes
fascinating reading -
this island is indeed the cradle of us all. |
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Crete is the fifth largest
island in the Mediterranean, and the most
southerly point in Europe.
Today, the area around
Chania is
primarily an agricultural and commercial
society, exporting nuts, grapes, olives, and
wine - a real, living, working culture as
opposed to some mirage created by the
international leisure industry. |
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Minoan Fresco |
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The
climate is mild in winter and warm and sunny
through spring, summer and autumn, with a
cooling breeze
on even the hottest of days.
Chania weather
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Crete is surprisingly green - during the winter, rain and snow
collect on the hills to provide water for the whole year. |
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Some
Wonderful Places to visit... |
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Chania
(variously spelt Hania or
Xania)
Ancient Venetian harbour-city of fascinating
streets, shops and markets - famous for its lighthouse
and harbour-side restaurants.
Chania is also a cultural
centre, with everything from museums...to festivals...to
discos. |
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Kissamos/Kastelli
Named after
the ancient pre-Roman city and castle, now a modest,
quiet Cretan town by day, with a harbour and many
excellent fresh-fish restaurants.
This is a real
place.…… which means like all things Greek, summer
nights are bustling, noisy and very, very happy. |
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Gramvousa
With spectacular mountain and beach
scenery and an old fort, Gramvousa was a base for
marauding pirates for many centuries.
Book a day cruise to the desert island
paradise of
Gramvousa. |
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Falassarna
(sometimes spelt Phalasarna or Fallasarna)
On the far West
coast, Falassarna is a place of legend and mystery, with
one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Crete. |
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Elafonisi
Mile after mile of
pink sandy beaches, with cedar trees and its very own
desert island a few hundred metres offshore. |
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Paleochora
(sometimes spelt Paleohora)
A small town with a
huge appetite for fun - 24 hours a day! The main street
closes to traffic at night, and seems to become one huge
restaurant. Paleochora also has a beautiful beach, at
the foot of magnificent mountains. Clothing is optional
at one of the beaches. |
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Samaria Gorge
At 18 Km, the
gorge is the longest, deepest ravine in Europe - in
places narrowing to only 2.5 metres wide. |
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Topolia Gorge
A long deep ravine
with a river and a hiking pathway at its base and an
extremely welcome taverna at the end! |
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email Crete Alfresco |
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Robby - The Hellenic Search Engine
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