Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Crete
Crete (Kríti) is a great deal more than just another Greek island. In many
places, especially in the cities or along the developed north coast, it doesn't
feel like an island at all, but rather a substantial land in its own right. Which of
course it is - a precipitous, wealthy and at times surprisingly cosmopolitan
one with a tremendous and unique history. At the same time, it has
everything you could want of a Greek island and more: great beaches,
remote hinterlands and hospitable people.
With enough land for agriculture (and some surprisingly good vineyards), it's one of
the few Greek islands that could probably support itself without visitors. Nevertheless,
tourism is an important part of the economy, particularly exploited along the
north
coast
, where many resorts cater almost exclusively to rowdy young revellers lured by
thumping bars and cheap booze. The quieter, less commercialized resorts and villages
lie at either end of the island - west, towards
Haniá
and the smaller, less well-connected
places along the south and west coasts, or east around Sitía. The
high mountains
of the
interior are still barely touched by tourism.
Of the cities, sprawling
Iráklion
often gives a poor first impression of the island but is
well worth a visit for its excellent archeological museum. It's also close to the fabulous
Minoan sites of
Knossos
,
Phaestos
and
Ayía
Triádha
to the south (with Roman Gortys
to provide contrast). Further east, the upmarket resort of
Áyios Nikólaos
provides
sophisticated restaurants and hotels, while quiet, lazy
Sitía
is a perfect base for
exploring the eastern coastline. Heading west,
Réthymnon
boasts a pretty old town and
an excellent beach, though
Haniá
in the extreme west arguably beats it in terms of style
and atmosphere. South of here is the
Samariá
Gorge
, one of the best hikes in the
country.
In terms of
climate
, Crete has by far the longest summers in Greece, and you can get
a decent tan here right into October and swim at least from May until early November.
The one seasonal blight is the
meltémi
, a northerly wind, which regularly blows harder
and more continuously here than anywhere else in Greece - the locals may welcome its
cooling effects, but it's another reason (along with crowds and heat) to avoid an August
visit if you can.
7
Brief history
Crete is distinguished above all as the home of Europe's earliest civilization, the
Minoans
. They had a remarkably advanced society, and formed the centre of a maritime
trading empire as early as 2000 BC (see p.761). The island's strategic position between
east and west has since continued to play a major role in its history. Control of the
island passed from
Greeks
to
Romans
to
Saracens
, through the
Byzantine
empire
to
Venice
, and finally to Turkey for more than two centuries. During
World War II
, Crete
was occupied by the Germans and attained the dubious distinction of being the first
place to be successfully invaded by paratroops.
Adventure sports
p.450
The legend of the Minotaur
p.457
Wine tasting in Crete
p.462
Climbing Mount Psilorítis
p.467
Island escape: Gaidhouronísi
p.481
Hiking the Amári valley
p.490
Festival island
p.499
Ecotourism in Crete
p.504
