A Quick Getaway to Crete

Any suggestions for Crete??  We just booked a last minute vacation at the local playground in Crete for 7 nights  (fly out Friday) at the spur of the moment this past weekend.  I can't wait for some major sun, fun, lots exploration and OF COURSE to reclaim my summer tan!  I wanted to moped it around the island but read on a couple of different websites about Crete that it's better to rent a car if you're only there for a short stay.  The size of the island they say is comparable to Long Island (if any of you ar familiar with L.I., NY) and basically you wouldn't use a moped on L.I. to get to one end of the island to another.  I really don't want to be locked up in a car out of the sun unless of course we find a jeep to rent.  Has anyone around here been to Crete?  Just wondering what the locals are like, beaches, the nightlife, the ruins (which sites are worth a visit and which are not)

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Enjoy .... and let us know how you get on ... you might start a trend if you post great things .....

.....let us know how you get on ... you might start a trend if you post great things .....

All I can say is that CRETE HAS IT ALL!!!  What an amazing time we had!! I would highly recommend Crete for those who like a little bit of everything!!  From mountainous regions (I didn't realize how many mountains Crete has and some are even snow-capped) to pristine beaches (only downfall a bit rocky but nothing that a little scuba booties won't solve), to some of the most ancient ruins in the world (8000 B.C. - the minoans) to a hoppin' nightlife and full of clubs for dancing!!  We didn't leave one bar until 5 am in the morning     People are so friendly and the food was fantastic.  Prices were very affordable.

A week is definitely NOT ENOUGH!!  We rented a jeep and decided to take an adventure into some very authentic Cretan villages up in the mountains.  That's where we got lost up at 6000 feet above sea level!!  Hubby thought it would be FUN!!! And dared me to continue on!!  Of course I'm not one not to take a dare. We took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on a dirt road where goats were jumping in front of our jeep.  It was quite comical at first and Glen ended catching the whole thing on video.    BUT.... Then it got quite harry as the drops were about 400 to 600 feet below (I was driving  ) with no railings.  We're talking unknown terroritories here.  It got later and later along with the rain it was time to find some civilization.  The roads reminded me of Almalfi Coast in Italy - not for those with vertiago!!  I did all the driving and found it a bit nerve-wracking in the beginning.  Oh and the Cretans!!  They are maniacs on the roads!!  I've driven in Rome where I thought they were nuts there, but the Cretans take the prize for my driving experiences so far!! The roads in Crete are full of curves (and very narrow) where you sometimes can't see the oncoming traffic and all of the sudden you have this mother bus approaching you from the other side!!

The weather was fantastic,  the beaches were paradise and the sunsets were like something you see in a movie!  Ruins were so impressive.  There is so much to see and do.  Our resort was magnificient.  We had a room overlooking the sea with a balcony where it was big enough to have a dinner for two at night if room service was in order!!  When I had booked it on lastminute.com I told the rep that it was our delayed honeymoon (a little white lie) and if she could get us a seaview room it would be great.  Turns out she did and we also got a bottle of champagne out of the deal as well.

We loved it so much that we're seriously considering going there for our one year anniversary this September but for two weeks this time!!  A week was just a little taste of it..

So just a quick summary for those who may be interested in jetting off somewhere but don't know where to go.

(all that I still had time for a tan!!  )

Where on Crete did you stay?

We went there about 8 years ago, and stayed in the small resort town of Stalis.  It was September when we went and very quiet, but still quite warm.  We loved it!  Brilliant food, great bars that stay open till 4 or 5 in the morning, including a German bar with proper German beer and schnapps, and an Irish bar which was ridiculously expensive (£5 for a pint of Guinness... you're taking the piss now.)    There was another bar which opened out onto the beach, and they had all sorts of board games you could play at your table... really fun place. 
And of course the prices were soooooo cheap  This was before the Euro came in, so i dont know what it's like now, but it was dead cheap then.

God the food!  The big bowls of olives & feta cheese, and the massive plates of the ripest, reddest tomatoes I've ever seen, drizzled in olive oil & sprinkled w salt & pepper..... oh it was gorgeous! 

Yvonne! I wish I would have seen this sooner! Kevin LOVES Crete! Glad that you had a great time!
Mel

Where on Crete did you stay?

God the food!  The big bowls of olives & feta cheese, and the massive plates of the ripest, reddest tomatoes I've ever seen, drizzled in olive oil & sprinkled w salt & pepper..... oh it was gorgeous! 

We stayed at The Royal Mare Village Resort that's situated on the north coast of Crete, 25 km. east of Heraklion.  Just looking at that picture makes my mouth water!!     http://www.aldemarhotels.com/page/default.asp?la=1&id=26  At first we were suppose to stay at Kalimera Resort but we changed to The Royal Mare.  I thought the resort was absolutely beautiful.  The only thing we regret is getting the half board (breakfast and dinner).  We were never around or ended up eating late or going into town for dinner.  Breakfast was from 7 am to 9:30 am WAY TOO early for me when I'm on vacation and dinner at the main restaurant was from 6 pm to 9 pm) so when we go in the end of August we're not even going to bother with the meal package.  The hotel I thought was pretty much centralized making travelling from one site and/or town easy.  Elounda where Spinalonga is was gorgeous but it's all the way on the East Coast of Crete and driving from one place to another would take up too much time.  Same if we were to near the south coast of Matala.  There's a beach named Plakias near the town of Mirthios and I read that's one of the best beaches to go to if you want to go aur'natural (it was actually in The Mail this past Sunday)!  They had a top ten list for the top places to soak up the sun in your birthday suit!  Didn't matter though because basically everyone was topless on the beach in the resort, so I didn't feel out of place.  I was a little worried about it because of the fact we were at a resort and thought that the proper etiquette was probably not to....But there were all shapes and sizes there!!    My best friend is Greek and comes from Greece.  Basically she told me you're not really suppose to go topless or aur'natural and that you will never find Greeks who do it on a regular basis.  It's normally all the tourists who do.  Just as long as it doesn't cause a problem and it doesn't harm anyone.  They don't care.

And YES I agree on the tomatoes.  They were the BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED!!  I think I ate Greek Salad every night I was there!!

Well Missy you just have to book a surprise trip for Kevin!!

*sigh* The photo is beautiful! 

We are going to Crete next June after George finishes up his military service. 

Having been in Greece both in late fall and early spring - I've never been able to go swimming. I probably could of braved it when I was there in October (there were a few brave souls) but just stuck my toes in. How was it this early in the summer?


Kristen

Hi Kristen,

I think the pool water at our resort was colder than the beach water!!   The temp water at the beach I thought was perfect !!  I adore the beach and find it calms and soothes the beast within me!  It tames me as my husband says and turns me into a kitten! 

....But there were all shapes and sizes there!!   

I'm quite a chubby girl, and was worried about going on the beach, but when i got there, I wasnt embarrassed at all.  There were all shapes & sizes there, and i was definitely NOT the biggest person on the beach!  It was a really good boost for my self-confidence, and i had a wonderful time and got a great tan!  (i wasnt topless, btw, but plenty were!)

NYSOM, you also mentioned the sea water being warmer than your pool water.   This is what amazed me... I had never swum in the Mediterranean before, so was totally unprepared for the sea to be like bath water!  It was SO warm and gorgeous!!  And this wasnt even in high summer, it was mid-September!   It really was a brilliant holiday...

I think the pool water was a lot like being in the North Pole and was a little too extreme.  I wouldn't say the Med was like bath water but definitely not cold.    Very refreshing.  We went to the south of France (Cannes) for our honeymoon last September.  Now that was bath water!!  Funny thing was a lot of the French and Germans that were there including my husband said it was sooo cold!!  No way!!  Try swimming at one the NY beaches in the Atlantic Ocean in June or July!!  Now THAT'S COLD!!

I can't wait until we go back in late August as I'm curious to see the change in water temp. and what it will be like.  But from what you're telling me it's awesome!!  Looking forward to it!!  Yes, I must say this trip was MAGNIFICIENT!!