how to travel in crete
It is very important before the trip to identify for yourself the purpose of your trip. Conventionally, Crete can be divided into "beach" and "excursion". Those who want to lay flat on the sand, sip on a cocktail, and smear on sunscreen/sun cream will have a great time. It remains to choose the right hotel and, more importantly, the right beach.
The beaches of Crete are an ambiguous phenomenon. Due to the volcanic nature of the island, the coastline (270 km) is basically not a very convenient entrance to the sea. Stone slabs are very common, hence the problem even in many hotels. The government does not allow in any way to demolish, destroy or break stone underwater barriers. There are very few real sandy beaches. Basically, it is pebbles and sand. And if the Germans, the British and the French don’t care about the sea (they all lie like seals on deck chairs by the pool), and even more so the beach, then give the Russian only sand: white, fine and not hot.
The first landmark is a series of hotels stretching along the sea coast. If there are many hotels, then the beaches in this place are good. However, not always. You will have to make sure of the quality of the beach only through your own monitoring. You can also find a good beach by numerous taverns - this is how cafes and restaurants are called in Greece. If there are a lot of taverns on the shore, there is a chance to play soldiers on the sandy beach. These beaches are usually municipal.
Sun loungers, towels and umbrellas - on almost all of these beaches - are paid. Many taverns, as part of fierce competition, put up their infoboards on the beach, which say something like this: “Order lunch from us, get umbrellas and sunbeds for free. ” You can use these things. Saving 5-7 euros for each day will not hurt. Guaranteed sandy beaches 11 km long and 300 meters wide can be found in the village of Kavros (Rethymno region). These, according to the guide, are the best beaches on the Aegean coast.
Those who prefer the sightseeing-natural recreation option to beaches, seas and sunbathing should first of all start with car rental. Rent a car and Crete, like a beauty from the red-light district, will open its beautiful insides to you.
Probably the best knowledge of the island can not be found. Needless to say, you can easily get to any corner of Crete, the most popular or wild, armed with GPS navigation or a regular map. True, you need to be prepared for narrow roads, which are quite difficult to pass with buses, but maximum concentration and minimum excitement... well, you yourself know everything. Just in case, the rules and notes on the roads of Crete.
There are countless small agencies or giants like Hertz or Avis at your service.
If you do not have rights, desires or opportunities, you can rent ATVs or scooters, the number of which is hardly less than cars. I repeat that it is much more convenient to get to know the Cretan land on a rented transport. If this option is too tough for you, you can ride a walking sheep - they know the area as well as a licensed guide.
Cretans, and indeed all Greeks, pay special attention to food. The very convenient location of the island, plus the favorable climate, contribute to a rich harvest, which the Cretans harvest twice in good years. Cretans would rather throw themselves into a well than treat themselves to stale food. Naturally, great attention is paid to olive trees, revered by the Greeks as well as birches for Russian poets. The same goes for citrus fruits. Seafood in abundance: mussels, squid, cuttlefish. Portions in taverns are huge, prices are low. It is better to take a portion for two. Greek hospitality is also manifested in taverns: after ordering a dish (which unhurried Greeks can carry you for about 40 minutes), you will be offered to drink local vodka - raki (emphasis on the last syllable). And after the meal they can offer dessert. Both of these are free. Worth a try: Greek salad, Moussaka, Pita, Tzatziki, lamb.
But with fish, the situation is different - it is incredibly expensive. A kilogram of fish can cost 50 euros. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the fish here is prepared according to special recipes and only freshly caught, but frozen fish prevails in many taverns.
Knossos Palace, 4km from Heraklion.
All guides, live or paper, will surely tell you that the main attraction of Crete and the second in all of Greece (after the Acropolis) is the place where the terrible Minotaur fell from the valiant hand of Theseus, tied with threads of Ariadne. The place is called the Palace of Knossos or the labyrinth. You won’t find a labyrinth there, but you can get confused in all the numerous myths that are constantly pouring out of the guide’s mouth (unless, of course, you order one). In general, Crete is shrouded in myths no less than olive trees - I think this is a great chance for those who want to become a specialist in ancient Greek mythology almost for free . .
Without a guide, watching stone collapses and protruding stones, and even more so, beautiful frescoes - there is little sense and benefit. All this must be accompanied by history, stories, myths and gestures of the guide. Together - you get an ancient Greek science fiction documentary film. To get to Knossos on your own / without a car, it is enough to come to Heraklion. Then there are two options: book a tour at any travel agency or ask the locals where the buses to Knossos depart from. As a rule, stops are marked with yellow mailboxes. A bus ticket will cost no more than 3 euros. The entrance to the museum is 6 euros, the guide is already an individual matter, it all depends on the number of people. You need to know the place. The price can range from 25 to 50 euros per tour (an hour and a half on average).
Conclusion: if there is no particular interest in the knowledge of ancient Greek mythology, it is easier to spend money, time and effort on something else. In many ways, the place is thoroughly hyped.
There are a lot of gorges on the island for every taste, long and not very long, wide and narrow, high and low, but they are all impressive. It is best to conquer them on a rented car.
Monastery of Preveli, 36 km from Rethymno.
Now a quiet and peaceful place where 4 monks live, if I am not mistaken, during the war it was a refuge for Cretan soldiers from the Nazis. The monks hid the soldiers, treated their wounds, helped them navigate the terrain and simply set them on the victorious path. On the way to the Preveli monastery, you will definitely stumble upon the Kurtaliot Gorge, in which the only river that does not dry out throughout the year flows. In the monastery itself there is a mini-zoo, and below is the famous palm beach of Limni. The road from Rethymno to the monastery, I believe, will be remembered by you no less than the monastery itself.
Santorini island
Those who have been to the Italian town of Positano and have known its beauty will not fail to take the opportunity to go on an excursion to this charming Greek island, where life originated about 3.000 years ago. Who has not been, you need to go all the more. The island is also of volcanic origin, moreover, the volcano hidden under the water abyss is active. The strength of the eruption of the volcano exceeds most of the volcanoes in the world, some thousands of times. It is assumed that as a result of the earthquake of 1450 BC, a tsunami up to 100 m high flooded the Palace of Knossos. The last time, an earthquake was observed in 1956, destroying only some of the island's houses.
spinalonga island
Another strategic island with a 16th century Venetian fortress. It is located in one of the most beautiful bays of Crete - Mirabello, in Elounda.
One of the main features of the Cretans is hospitality. However, sometimes in the eyes of many people it is refracted due to another distinctive feature of the population - slowness, or even carelessness. This slowness manifests itself in everything from waiting for an order in a tavern to more serious business services. The Cretans themselves explain it something like this: "There is nowhere to hurry - appreciate every moment. " You just need to take note of this feature and not pay attention to it. Otherwise, the Greeks are pleasant, smiling, friendly and good-natured. The average life expectancy is 80 years. Everyone smokes, always and everywhere, Greece is the leader in tobacco use per capita in the world. Cretans work early in the morning, before sunrise. Then they go to bed. Somewhere from two to six - Siesta time, people stay at home, escaping the heat, so meeting people, especially the elderly, is difficult.
Don't be surprised by the endless cats and dogs under your table in the tavern, yawning in the middle of the street, or just lying under the shops. The Cretans do not keep anyone at home, it happens for an hour that they feed the cats from the other side of the city. From you, these little ones need very little - one tenth of your meal, a couple of affectionate ones, in a word - pay attention to them.
