Crete: cradle of the Mediterranean civilisation

Crete is truly not to be missed; everything speaks of that ancient Minoan civilisation that exudes “kalos” in every place we visit. The first thing to do when booking the trip is to find out whether the hotel has a sandy beach, because 90% of the hotels are on cliffs where swimming is very difficult, especially in the northern part of the island; after seeing it on Google Earth, we chose the Kernos Beach hotel, very elegant, with a beautiful beach, a large pool, excellent varied food with local specialities.

On arrival the first thought is to rent a car; we chose a Smart, it takes you anywhere, costs a bit more but is worth it, it is good practice to bargain; in one week we covered over 1300 km visiting: Malia – Knossos – Heraklion – Gortyna – Phaistos – Aghia Triada – Spinalonga – Agios Nikolaos – Dreros – Olous – Chania – Rethymno – Kommos – Kamilari and many other very beautiful little villages. When you rent the car you get a map of the island; with that you go everywhere without ever getting lost and can even find the most out-of-the-way spots, for example the tholos tomb of Kamilari, a little hill in open countryside reached via a dirt road of several kilometres with regular signage even along the track and among the trees, the Cretans are truly very well organised.

What can I say about the tavernas and restaurants: exceptional and inexpensive; at the port of Agios Nikolaos you find the most beautiful sponges, of the highest quality.