Archive for the ‘Destinations’ Category
Friday, July 11th, 2008
One of the most magnificent places you could visit in Crete is the small town of Matala, located on the southwest side of Crete and just one and a half hour away from the city of Iraklion (Heraklion). Matala is a place famous for many decades, for what offers its visitors: peaceful vacations but intense nightlife as well. For this, it is considered as one of Crete’s most desired destinations.
Matala is near the beach of Kommos, which is special for the fact that in this particular beach, sea-turtles leave their eggs to hatch, and the beach is considered to be a nesting site for the turtles. One characteristic of Matala that is well-known are the cliffs nearby, of which you can easily find photos in the internet. Another thing that makes Matala famous is the Minoan archaeological site nearby, with the ruins of an ancient civilization… The area also has an excellent sandy beach, perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
Food in the taverns is really good, homemade and with use of Cretan traditional products (Cretan olive oil and feta cheese for instance). You may also taste the fresh fish, which make excellent meals for you to enjoy. Matala is generally a very good choice, and if you plan visiting Crete, be sure to visit this fantastic place as well. You will definitely not be disappointed!
Tags: Accommodation, beach, Crete, Greece, Iraklion, Kriti, Matala, minoan, sea, summer, sunset
Posted in Destinations | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
Crete is an island that combines many different characteristics, such as mountainous areas of high altitude, like mountain Psiloritis, with the forests and the endless sandy or rocky beaches. Once you are in Crete, there are so many options and choices for things you could do or places you should visit.
Places someone should visit in Crete other than the mountains, forests and beaches are the museums, the archaeological sites, classic sites of modern times, Roman and Byzantine sites and, last but not least, the sites within the towns of Crete. From the Byzantine times, you can see the Byzantine Church, the Fortress and the Byzantine Monastery. From another period of the Cretan history, the period of the Roman Empire, you can visit the Roman Settlement, the Roman City and the Roman Construction, as it has been named by the people of Crete. Other sites are neo-classic sites such as the neo-classic building and the Greek Orthodox Monastery (Orthodox is one of the types of the Christian religion and is the official religion of Greece).
You may also visit the Crete’s museums, including the military museum and Crete’s Museum of Civilization. There are so many things you can see in Crete, so make sure you have plenty of time to spend on the beautiful Greek island. Also arrange your transportation on the island to be easy, which can be done by hiring a car from Car Hire Crete, one of Crete’s best car rental agencies. Select a vehicle from a recently updated fleet of cars and bikes and leave no place unvisited!
Tags: Byzantine, Crete, Greece, holidays, island, museum, Roman, summer, vacations
Posted in Destinations | 3 Comments »
Monday, June 30th, 2008
Crete is one of the best places to spend your summer vacations.
Especially during the summer, the period for which Greece is famous, Crete is the place to be.
Visit Crete during the next two months, July and August, and you will see why it is considered a top destination. The island provides everything someone would want to do during their vacations: sports, water sports facilities, gorgeous mountainous areas with endless trails, green forests, beaches with the famous Greek crystal clear seawater and, of course, the Cretan food and cuisine specialties. Taste the Cretan food, made with traditional Greek ingredients like virgin olive oil and feta cheese, and you will definitely be delighted.
If, on the other hand, you prefer to relax on your vacations, Crete is also great in the end of the summer season, during September and in the first days of October. Better prices, as the high season has ended and a nice, peaceful island waiting for you.
Enjoy your stay in Crete, no matter the season you choose to visit the beautiful Greek island and you will remember these vacations for the rest of your life.
Tags: car hire crete, cretan products, Crete, cuisine specialties, Greece, island, rooms to let, vacations
Posted in Crete, Destinations | 2 Comments »
Monday, June 16th, 2008
Crete is not only known for its sandy beaches with the crystal clear seawater. Greece is famous for its combinations when it comes to landscapes and Crete is not any different.
The island has several mountainous areas which provide perfect trails for your walks and excursions. The green forests will give you all the energy you need and will revive your body and spirit. The view from several spots of these high altitude areas is just amazing and takes your breath away.
The highest mountain of Crete is Psiloritis. Villages around the mountain are Pano riza, Miloviza, Orino Malevizi and Milopotamos so check them out, you just might see something interesting. To learn more about the mountain, visit a page dedicated to it by clicking here.
Crete’s mountainous areas are as exciting as its seaside areas. Go anywhere on the island with a vehicle from Car Hire Crete, the agency with the moder fleet and the satisfied clients. Rent a 4×4 off road car and all mountainous areas will be your playground!
Tags: car, Crete, Greece, hire, mountain, mountainous, psiloritis, rent, villages
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Thursday, May 29th, 2008
Ierapetra is one of the four prefectures of Crete and is situated on one of the southest spots of the island. The town of Ierapetra is perfect as it has everything someone will need. There are archaeological sites, numerous beaches nearby and great sports fascilities.
If you just want to stay and see the town, you have some really nice options. The port offers a magnificent view of the Libyan Sea and the view of the sunset from that particular spot is amazing too, as the sea is colored by the setting sun. There also are some fine cafes in the town that can serve you a cup of coff, providing the view of the Medieval Wall or the Medieval Port and the ruins of Ierapetra. These two sites are perfect to walk through and see the medieva-times architects. If you are a fan of sports and action on the other hand, you can visit the sport facilities the municipality, which include a great football (or soccer) stadium, and other sports’ facilities.
What is also great about Ierapetra is the many choices you have once you want to visit the provinces of the town. Either mountainous or seaside spots, the areas around the town are ideal for your daily excursions. “Potami” is near the town and is a nice seaside village. If you are more interested in mountainous areas, we recommend Kamara village, which has a small lake nearby.
Whatever you want to do in your vacations, Ierapetra is a spot that provides everything and can satisfy all visitors. Make your life easier with a vehicle from Car Hire Crete car rental agency, the best of Crete. Great fleet of modern car, all types of vehicles and luxurious cars included… Have fun!
Ierapetra distance from:
- Heraklion: 100 km
- Vai: 132 km
- Rethimnon: 175 km
- Chania: 238 km
Tags: cretan, Crete, Greece, Ierapetra, island, mediterranean, ruins, summer, vacations
Posted in Crete, Destinations | No Comments »
Sunday, May 25th, 2008
Thanks to Patrick McGrorty, you can see some very good panorama photos of Frangokastello, Chora Sfakion, Agia Roumeli, Elafonissi island and Spinalonga island.
They are some of the most popular destinations in Crete.
Just follow the link
Posted in Crete, Destinations | No Comments »
Saturday, May 17th, 2008
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Paragliding in Crete? Yes, why not?
Paragliding or parapente, is a very exiting sport with many funs all over the world.
For those who will visit Greece and especially Crete this summer, you can find many schools where you can have a great experience as well as practicing.
Paragliding beginners or advanced users will be able to fly over the Cretan slopes.
A very helpful guide for paragliding users in Crete is Alpine.gr.
In this page there is information on starting level, wind,type of flying and landing.
Information available for Falasarna, Elafonissos, Paleochora, Hersonissos, Kasteli etc etc.
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Tags: activities, Elafonissos, Hersonissos, outdoor, Paragliding
Posted in Activities & Recreation, Destinations, Selected Videos | No Comments »
Monday, April 14th, 2008
One place you definitely have to visit is Spili village. Spili is located in the center of Crete, in a green area full of trees, a symbol of the nature of Greece and the beauty of the island.
Spili is famous for its products. There are plenty of shops in the center of the village, selling traditional Cretan products like Greek hone, the famous Mediterranean virgin olive oil and several kind of cheese, like Mitzithra, malaka cheese and, of course, Feta cheese. If you visit the village, don’t forget to visit the shops as well; you will be glad if you take some traditional products back home.
Spili is beautiful not only for its vegetation but also for the mountainous areas surrounding it. These areas are ideal for a walk and provide ideal panoramic view of the village, which is one of the best destinations on the Greek island. Visit the blessed village and you will remember it for the rest of you life.
Tags: Crete, Greece, island, mediterranean, Spili, summer, traditional, vacations
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Monday, April 7th, 2008
On the hill of Prophet Ilias, at the Akrotiri peninsula, you can find the Tombs of Eleftherios and Sofoklis Venizelos. This peninsula is located at the north-east of Chania city and it is protecting the Souda bay from the north winds. These tombs have approximately 5Km distance from Chania.
Eleftherios Venizelos was one of the greatest politicians of the Greek history at 20th century. His son, Sofoklis Venizelos, was a politician too and has been Prime Minister of Greece for 9 years. Eleftherios Venizelos is admired by Cretans for his radical changes in the administration of Greece and for his prestige against Greek people. He died in Paris in 1936, away from his country. He has indicated this place for his tomb as his last residence, near the place he loved so much.
This tombs are impressively simple, plain and severe in their construction. The area around the tombs is shaped with a beautiful garden, seats for visitors, a park and stone-built paths. Thousands of people visit this place every year to see the tombs and admire the great view to Chania city and Cretan sea.
There is also the stone-built statue of Liberty here, which represents the battles of Cretans for their freedom.
Tags: Akrotiri, Chania, Crete, tomb, Venizelos
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Thursday, March 27th, 2008
Samaria gorge is 18 Km long and is one of the biggest gorges in Europe. It is located in the west side of Crete, among the White Mountain and it is surrounded by various rivers (some of them have salty water!) and small lakes. A walk through it always been an astonishing and breathtaking experience. The beauty of nature when someone crosses this canyon is doubtless excellent.
This canyon has width from a few meters to 45 and 600 meters depth. It has become a famous tourist attraction all over the years and it has always a lot of people who are trying to cross it by foot. Moreover it is a refuge for wild animals like the rare goat called Kri-Kri, which species can be found only in Crete mountains.
Samaria gorge is not the only canyon in Crete. There is also the Aradena and Imvros gorges, which are more isolated than Samaria.
Tags: canyon, Crete, gorge, samaria
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