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Crete Sailing in the Med

Monday, May 16th, 2011

One of the largest islands in the Med, Crete boasts a coastline of exquisite bays and coves that many people cannot get to other than by sail boat or yacht.

One fantastic way of exploring this amazing coastline is to charter a yacht and begin an adventure of a lifetime.
Sailing through the clear blue waters that surround this gorgeous island you will think that you have arrived in paradise. Crete is truly the ‘Shangri-la’ of the Mediterranean Sea. With no hotels to book or cars to hire, you will be free to explore and discover the exquisite places and things that Crete has to offer the eager visitor.

Crete sailing

The ports around the island make wonderful stopovers where you can relax on deck or go ashore and explore the towns or villages in the evening. This is when Cretans begin to enjoy and share their night time activities with all who come to their island. You can relax on a balmy evening sampling the wines and dining in traditional restaurants or Tavernas. You will truly taste the uniqueness of Crete.

You can anchor off a wonderful beach and delight in the Mediterranean sunsets knowing that tomorrow will bring yet another glorious sunny day. Should you wish to really pamper yourself you can charter a fully crewed yacht and sit back and relax in the expert hands of people who know just where to take you.

For the experienced sailor the waters around Crete are some of the best areas to sail in the Med.

sailing yacht in Crete

You can take your time as you explore the coast without having to rush anywhere – that is after all the beauty of sailing. With so much to see and explore in Crete a 2 week sailing holiday will let you enjoy life as the ancient Cretans used to do and with the selection of luxury yachts or budget sail boats that are available to charter, you are bound to find the perfect plan which will make your time sailing around Crete as perfect as it could possibly be.

What better way to explore such a beautiful island and sample a lifestyle that will have you coming back the following year to start your adventure all over again. To relax on your sail boat in the Med off Crete is a sailors dream.

By going on the Internet you will discover the many tour operators that specialise in this type of holiday in Crete. These operators will help you find everything you need for the perfect relaxing and leisurely holiday on one of the most beautiful islands in the Med.

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Crete Mountains

Saturday, May 14th, 2011

The winter months on the island of Crete are quiet. The weather is changeable and it is often quite cold but there are always a few sunny days that brighten up the landscape.

It is on these bright days that visitors to the island have the best views of the snow covered mountain tops that loom in the distance.
The snows stay on the proud peaks during mid December right through until the months of April or May. The mountain ranges of the regions between Sitia and Kissamos are a wonderful sight that many visitors do not expect to see in Crete, they think of the island being drenched in sunlight. They are surprised when they see the snow capped mountains they find at this time of year, but they cannot but help admire the beauty of the white peaks as they shimmer in the sunlight.

Lefka Ori, Crete mountains

Mount Ida or Psiloritis is the highest peak that is situated in the middle of the island. It dominates the horizon with its glistening white snow capped summit. To the east you find the proud ranges of Lassithi and Dikti and the magnificent Lefka Ori White Mountains with their fifty or so gorges that carve their way through the rugged terrains. This is where you will discover the fantastic Samaria Gorge.

The White Mountains in the prefecture of Chania dominate the landscape giving a wonderful impression of the size of Crete and they form a magnificent backdrop to Chania. The views of these mountains are impressive no matter where you happen to be. Not far away you will find the village of Omalos on the peaceful Omalos Plateau.

You can hike through many of the mountain ranges down tracks that are easy to walk through.

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The panoramic views from the trails that lead you through this rugged land are magnificent. You can go on the E4 European walking path through the region of Sfakia which is well known for the wild mountain men who inhabit the area. This area of the island and its harsh terrain is known as the high desert because so little vegetation grows here. With splendid views of the Mediterranean Sea, these trails through the mountain ranges of Crete will simply take your breath away.

When spring arrives the entire area bursts into flower with the many endemic species found on the island. Taking a guided tour through the region at this time of year you will find out all there is to know about the various flowers that are only found on Crete. It is in the spring that everything comes to life with birds like the Bearded and Griffon Vultures circling the skies.

You will see Peregrine Falcons and Bonelli’s Eagles these rare birds have made these mountain ranges their home.

Bonelli's eagles

The mountain ranges of Crete are truly a bird watcher’s paradise and visitors who come to see the splendor of the landscape and the wildlife that is so unique to the island will not leave disappointed with all that they discover on one of the most beautiful islands in the Med.

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Crete Mountain biking or cycling in Paradise

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

One of the nicest ways of discovering the island of Crete is to hire some bicycles and set off on a dream adventure. You can take your time admiring everything you see, you can discover off the beaten track places and gorgeous areas of natural beauty, you can stop wherever you please and marvel at the beauty of Crete.

There are some fantastic tour operators who organize trips to Crete with lovely traditional places to stay and enjoy your time on the island.

mountain biking in Crete

If you have never been to Crete before you will be amazed at the hospitality and warmth with which you will be greeted. Cretans just love sharing their beautiful island with all the visitors who flock here throughout the year. These visitors come not only to enjoy the hot summer days and glorious sunshine they come to marvel at the beauty of the island itself.

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Biking through the foothills of the White Mountains you will understand just why people have fallen in love with Crete since the beginning of time.

Mother Nature has carved out some of the most incredible landscapes and gorges that will simply take your breath away. Everywhere you look on Crete there is something of beauty to see. Whether along the coastline or inland there are places you will want to stop for a rest and enjoy your surroundings to the full. Crete is truly a photographer’s idea of heaven.

Biking around the island has become a very popular way of really getting to see everything. The olive groves, the citrus orchards, the Minoan and other ruins which are dotted around Crete make it such a superb destination for a biking holiday.

There are some lovely places to stay where you will be able to sample the delicious Cretan food, remember the Cretan diet is known the world over as being one of the healthiest diets on Earth. When you taste some of the dishes you will understand why. Cretan wine is mostly home brewed and is sometimes an acquired taste as it is more similar to port or sherry than the wine that come from elsewhere in the world.

Everyone who visits the Island of Crete leaves with a wonderful impression of having spent a relaxing and peaceful time on one of the most beautiful islands in the Med. The problem is that one trip to Crete is never enough because there is so much to see and do, planning your next visit to the island is guaranteed the moment you get on the ferry or the plane to go back home. The great thing is that you can always be sure that the welcome you will get on your return to Crete will always be as warm as the first time you ever arrived.

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Fishing holidays in Crete

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

The coastline of Crete is over 1000 kilometres long and in ancient times fishing off these coastal waters was a traditional occupation of many civilisations that inhabited the island. Through environmental changes that have occurred in the Med over more recent times, the fishing flotilla of small and larger boats in Crete is no longer what it used to be.

boops salpa fish

There are still fisher men in Crete but not in such great numbers these days. This, however, does not mean that the amateur fisherman who wants to enjoy a beautiful peaceful days fishing off one of the most idyllic islands that can be found in the Mediterranean Sea, will not be able to satisfy their love of sea fishing. The catch may not be as big as in the olden days but the taste of the fresh fish he catches will be as delicious as it ever was in days gone by.

Cretans have their own techniques when it comes to the sort of fishing lines and system of hooks they use to catch these tasty fish and are experts when it comes to choosing the right bait.

fishing baits med

Worms, shrimp (peeled) and a paste of bread and cheese are some types that Cretan fishermen favour the most. The tasty mixture of bread and cheese paste is used to tempt the fish into the area where he is fishing.

You may often spy these experts relaxing on a dock or a rock patiently waiting for the fish to bite. There are mullet, bream (boops), saddled bream, bass and many other species of fish to be caught from these locations and they all make a very tasty meal indeed.

Many fisherman dive deep in to the sea, up

to 20 meters down, in order to go spear fishing.

spear fishing in Crete

They go this deep so they not scare the fish, because if the fish spot a fisherman with a spear gun they swim off very fast to get away from him.

The waters are crystal clear and are a sheer delight to dive in, going deep to explore and discover all the marine life that can be found in the seas around Crete.

epinephelus

The coastline of Crete is simply glorious, with bays and coves along the stretches of sand and rocky inlets, all of which are ideal to fish off. Discovering new places and relaxing whilst fishing in these beautiful settings is paradise for the traveller is passionate about sea angling. At the end of a day’s fishing there is nothing more pleasant than returning home with your catch and cooking a meal that will be one of the best dishes that you would ever eat. And if you return with an empty bag then there is always tomorrow to go out to explore and discover another gorgeous place to try your luck out again.

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Crete horse riding

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

A fantastic way of exploring the island of Crete is to do so on horseback. There are some great organized riding tours which will take you down trails and back roads where cars just cannot go.

You will be able to explore the Cretan countryside on horseback and enjoy the amazing vistas as you trek through mountains or along the beaches of Crete.

Cretan horses are beautiful – they are called ‘Messara’ or ‘Georgalidiko. They are native to Crete and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is believed the Cretan horse predates the Minoan age and is considered to be the oldest breeds of horse in the whole of Europe.

horse riding Crete

The name ‘Messara’ comes from an area of the island in the Heraklion Prefecture, it is a beautiful natural valley called the Messara Plains. Protected by the Asterousia Mountains, this sheltered valley was the home of the Cretan horse in ancient times.

horse saddleYou will love getting to know your horse as you ride through the most beautiful countryside and you will understand why Cretans favour these beautiful creatures so much.

In the 90’s there were only 80 of these horses left on the island. Today with a fantastic well organized breeding program the numbers are rising all the time. It is hoped that the horse population will reach a thousand in the not too distant future.

These light but strong native horses are well suited to the rugged terrains on Crete. They have superb stamina and survived in ancient times because they coped so well with the hard work on rough ground they had to do. Today these horses are used for trekking, casual riding along the splendid beaches and for equestrian events that take place all over the island.

Believed to have been brought over to Crete by the ancient Egyptians, although some people think they are descendants of the magnificent Russian horse, the Tarpon, the Cretan horses of today are proud, elegant and as naturally friendly as the Cretans themselves. They have an extraordinary gait and can pace like a camel which explains why they can cover great distances without getting tired. Cretans call this unique style of gait ‘arayani’.

One well organized horse riding holiday is run by the marvellous tour operator EcoGreece. They organize adventure holidays around the island to beautiful areas where only the horse can take you. To find the many riding holidays available on the island of Crete, you can go on the Internet and discover some wonderful deals that will take you to places you never thought existed.

You will ride on the beautiful beaches around the coastline and trek into the marvellous mountains discovering yet another aspect of the wonderful island of Crete. Many of the riding holiday package deals to Crete include your hosts picking you up at the airport for the start of your adventure. You will have 7 days of wonderful riding and at the end of your stay – you will be accompanied back to the airport to catch your plane home.

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Blue waters and aquatic life make it a diver’s and snorkeler’s paradise

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

We all know how clear and blue the sea is around Crete. Everyone who has ever traveled here knows what a pleasure it is to simply float in the peaceful waters that surround the island reveling in the endless sunshine that has made Crete such a popular holiday destination.

snorkeling Crete

But we sometimes forget about the aquatic life that exists below these clear blue waters. Snorkeling in a quiet cove is one way to explore this beautiful tranquil and colourful world that lies beneath the waves and discovering the vast array of marine life that exists will open your eyes to the wonderful display of colours and shapes of the fish that live in the Mediterranean Sea around the island of Crete. From shrimps to turtles, urchins to squid the variety of fish that can be seen around Crete is impressive.

There are many invertebrates, octopus and squid around the island along with lobsters, starfish, sea urchins and so much more marine life that scuba diving in Crete has become very popular. Crete is one of the favourite holiday destinations for people who enjoy doing this and many scuba diving clubs can be found all around the coast.
But as with most of the oceans in the rest of the world, the waters of the Med have been over fished for many years and the marine life has suffered a huge decline in numbers. But not all is lost and scuba diving and snorkeling in the peaceful waters of Crete is still a wonderful experience for any visitor to enjoy.

There is nothing so refreshing as spending a relaxed day (or two) on a beautiful beach snorkeling or diving in some of the clearest blue waters just admiring and marveling at the wonders of the marine life to be seen. The deeper you go the stranger the fish you see and meeting up with some of them can be quite an adventure.

Visiting one of the Scuba diving centers on Crete is an ideal way of getting to know all about the marine life found around the island and with the expert knowledge of the people who run these clubs it is possible to dive in the areas where it is known that marine life can be found. There are many different areas around the coast where clubs are based and organising a day’s diving is a simple and easy task. Nothing on Crete is difficult, this is what makes coming here so very enjoyable and it is one of the reasons that visitors will always come back again and again.

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