Top Travel Tips: If You’re Headed To… Crete

Crete is one the most diverse and varied Greek islands and is famed as the home of the ancient Minoan civilisation. The island’s great, long-standing tradition of legend and mythology adds to the gloriously magical and mystical appeal of this most beautiful and special place. It has a fascinating history which has spawned a legacy which lives on today and the monuments left behind, such as the Palace of Knossos, are amongst the most important and magnificent in the world.?

Must See: The northeast coast of Crete is home to Stalis, a beach resort that offers the best of both worlds – plentiful bars and restaurants set in a relaxed and friendly environment. The island’s capital, Heraklion is a bustling, cosmopolitan city, with a famous port.

Shopping: Crete is not particularly known for shopping and tends to offer the usual holiday shops selling beachwear and souvenirs. For more extensive shopping, head to the island’s capital Heraklion.

Culture & Activity: Stayon the west of the island near Georgioupolis. Here the beach is long and sweeping and safe for children. This said, if you don’t like the waves there’s a lovely inland lake with little boats to keep the kids happy for hours. The best beach on the island is nearby, in the far north-west, on a sweeping spit.

A small estuary opens into the town – hire a two-person canoe and explore the reed beds: their resident pelicans are quite used to the paddlers.

From Georgioupolis there is easy access to the Imbros Gorge, with a two-hour walk down under wild cliffs and vast boulders. For older children I highly recommend the cross-island mountain bike trip, run by the small bike shop in the town. They carry you and your bikes to the top of the island’s mountainous spine, then with a guide you ride downhill all the way to the south coast. Once there, you have a lovely taverna lunch and a dip in the sea. The van then takes you back up to the mountains where you cycle all the way home to the north coast, again downhill!

If you want ancient culture, the nearby town of Rethymnon is a superb example, much better than the over-touristy Heraklion. An old walled city in mellow yellow stone, ranged around a fishing harbour, it has plenty of wonderful museums and cafés to explore.

Festivals: Plan your holiday in Crete around a local festival or two – there’s plenty of information on the web. August 15, for example, is the Panagia festival. Even if you’re staying on the popular northern coastal strip, you can find authentic celebrations just inland, in lovely towns like Neapoli and Archanes. On the eve of the main festival, in the pretty village of Mohos near Hersonissos, there is a fascinating church service and procession.

Elounda: Discover some excellent restaurants in Elounda. The town is great for free Wi-Fi – most of the hotels and bars seem to have it. This is one of the friendliest places you will ever been and suitable for couples and older singles.

Western Base: If you want to explore western Crete, then Rethymnon is an excellent base. It’s a working town that has plenty of acceptable hotels within walking distance of the pretty harbour and the narrow streets of the Old Town. Join the evening “Volta”, or walk, with the locals along the long promenade behind the excellent sandy beach.

If you have a head for heights, hire a car and drive over hairpin mountain roads to the resorts along the south coast. Start easily with the southerly drive to Plakias. Stretch yourself by turning off the Chania road to Argyroupoli, skirt the Lefka Ori mountains and descend via alpine-like curves to Chora Sfakion.

Another day head up to Omalos via Perivolia for your coffee stop. Drive south-west along dramatic winding roads then down to Paleochora for lunch and a swim before returning on the main road north.

Head South: Crete’s south-east corner has remote mountain settlements surrounded by olive trees and sweet-scented wild herbs, with views that will make your heart sing. In busy seaside villages, the day’s catch is sold to the family-owned tavernas dotted along the shores and beaches. The best thing is you’re not having to share this beauty with others.

Possibly the best place is the village of Makrigialos, where the Villea Village Hotel offers simple rooms, superb breakfasts and a large pool with a very friendly bar. Makrigialos is on the seafront, where there are plenty of small bars, tavernas and little shops – it’s lively and interesting and, best of all, has no nightclubs.

Take a trip up the mountain to Pefki and find The Peppertree for an iced coffee and cake on a balcony with glorious views to the sea. In cooler months you could walk back down through the gorge: it’s a bit of a trek, but a great adventure.

On the Buses: Don’t be afraid to use the buses, which are usually modern coaches with plenty of space for luggage and shopping below the main cabin. The routes from Heraklion to Sitia and Ierapetra (both via Agios Nikolaos) give you a chance to admire villages and scenery you might not otherwise get to see; there are shorter bus connections to use as well.

Buses are efficient, cost-effective and the crews (driver and usually a conductor, though not always for the full route) are always helpful, especially if you have change rather than large notes when buying tickets.

When using a bus station, say at Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia or Ierapetra, then you buy your ticket at the desk in advance. The staff keep track of the seats needed and may well put on an extra vehicle (or two) and make one a fast non-stopper and the other a stopper. This sometimes explains why a bus sails past you at a bus stop – this will be the extra non-stopper, with the timetabled bus coming behind. Bus stops are uniquely numbered, just remember which is your stop; ask the crew if you’re unsure.

The timetables on the bus stops are accurate, but the times shown are when the bus originally departs the bus station, not when it arrives at your stop; there is usually a map showing an expected transit time between stops to help work out when the bus is due.

Pause for Thought: It may seem strange to recommend a cemetery – but the small one at Souda Bay, for those who lost their lives in the battle for Crete in May 1941, is worth a short detour. If such places must exist, this is how they should be. The small town of Souda is nearby, but you would never know: all you can see are the hills and the sea.

Rows of headstones, bright white in the sun, are softened by being set in narrow flower beds full of plants, and surrounded by immaculate green lawns that would not disgrace an English cricket pitch. The names are British, with a sizeable minority of New Zealanders, Australians and a scattering of other nationalities, showing how this was a joint enterprise in a truly world war. What gives pause for thought is how many of them are the same young age – in their early twenties.

Cretan Cocktail: Agia Pelagia, near Heraklion, is a largely undiscovered jewel; a village blessed with a quiet beach, reasonable restaurants and the best cocktail bar in the world, Nefeli. Eleni will offer you a vast cocktail menu, produce your drink with care and precision and provide so many free bowls of fruit, popcorn and nuts that you almost don’t need to have dinner. When you pay the bill, there’s a free shot of vodka, limoncello or ouzo thrown in.

Road Warnings: Take care with your car-hire small print as it usually states you must only use surfaced roads for your insurance to remain valid. On a map the roads look fine but will often become goat tracks two bends off a more major road.

Even worse, if you are early in the season, can be the view of what was a road’s tarmac 200 feet below where it should be after a winter landslide – rubble driving is risky.

Clubbing: Hersonissos is a famous clubbing spot for irish tourist and 2013 is going to be no different as its booking up a storm at the moment with all the clubbers booking up early.

Thomas Cook Ireland offer weekly direct flights to Crete in the summer months from Dublin and Cork with prices from as little as €425 for a one week package holiday and €380 for a return flight only.

To book your holiday to Crete with Thomas Cook click here.