GREECE - Crete
We picked out three smallish towns to stay in on the island of Crete - Kato Zakros on the east coast, Myrtos on the south east coast, and Lentas/Dyskos on the central south coast. Little did we know that all of them would be full of hippies and the beaches full of nekid Germans (wtfs up with that aye??).
The first day was really long - the obligatory early morning slog to the airport, a 4-5 hour flight and then a long drive out through the resort towns of north eastern Crete (uurrgghh...). However, toward the end we took a 'short cut' up over the central mountains. This was well worth it - the landscape was amazingly desolate and rocky with the really pungent smell of wild herbs in the air.
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Staying in Katos Zakros was great. It was basically three tavernas on the beach. The place we stayed was run by a tiny wee almost dwarf Greek (utbnsb?). And one of the other tavernas served delicious organic, probably homegrown, food. The second day we took a mini tour of some beaches and had a few attempts at snorkeling - but we gave up pretty soon when it became clear that the cheap snorkels we had bought were leaking like sieves and the lack of flippers was not cool either.
Most of the beaches on Crete are rocky, so we took a boat trip out from Ierapetra in search of some white sand. Chryssi Island turned out to be a crazy shrubby desert (“conifer forest”) with a couple a very nice beaches. After getting a little bit lost in the desert we spent a very nice afternoon lazing about.
The first day was really long - the obligatory early morning slog to the airport, a 4-5 hour flight and then a long drive out through the resort towns of north eastern Crete (uurrgghh...). However, toward the end we took a 'short cut' up over the central mountains. This was well worth it - the landscape was amazingly desolate and rocky with the really pungent smell of wild herbs in the air.
View Larger Map
Staying in Katos Zakros was great. It was basically three tavernas on the beach. The place we stayed was run by a tiny wee almost dwarf Greek (utbnsb?). And one of the other tavernas served delicious organic, probably homegrown, food. The second day we took a mini tour of some beaches and had a few attempts at snorkeling - but we gave up pretty soon when it became clear that the cheap snorkels we had bought were leaking like sieves and the lack of flippers was not cool either.
Most of the beaches on Crete are rocky, so we took a boat trip out from Ierapetra in search of some white sand. Chryssi Island turned out to be a crazy shrubby desert (“conifer forest”) with a couple a very nice beaches. After getting a little bit lost in the desert we spent a very nice afternoon lazing about.
Some picture resort style tourism at shell beach on 'donkey' (Chrysi) island
We spent one night in the wonderful sleepy little village of Myrtos and wished we had more time to hang about there sitting in the promenade cafes and watching the little old ladies in the town squares.
Kato Zakros - the view from the cliffs above (the tiny bay is the town) and the taverna on the beach (from our rent room)
We spent one night in the wonderful sleepy little village of Myrtos and wished we had more time to hang about there sitting in the promenade cafes and watching the little old ladies in the town squares.
Kato Zakros - the view from the cliffs above (the tiny bay is the town) and the taverna on the beach (from our rent room)
Erimopouli beach where the Minoan ruins of Itanos fall into the sea
Best zucchini balls ever, and an amazing view to boot
Millions of Minoan ruins
Best zucchini balls ever, and an amazing view to bootMillions of Minoan ruins
On the way to Lentas/Dyskos, we visited Gortys - the ruins of a Roman capital that ruled over North Africa. It included a temple, theatre and the largest Greek inscription ever found - a huge wall setting out the law code of the province. Inga made us go on a wild goose chase up a hill to the colosseum, which turned out to be a big rubble filled hole. Nice view though.
In Dyskos, we hung out on the beach with the tenting, naked hippies and hopped between the various tavernas snacking and getting addicted to the retsina (bark/tree sap flavoured wine). Inga took Matt out for a slap up meal at a estiatoria (restaurant with an oven, tavernas mainly charcoal grill and fry). It turned out to be hidden down a few alley ways but was definitely the place to be - with plenty of locals eating there too. The waiter/owner ended each meal by having a shot of his homemade raki (grappa) with the table! He also recommended that we visit a 'deserted' beach and drew us a map of a few squiggles on the back of the bill.
To get to the beach was a long climb down a goat track in a dusty ravine (in jandals - yeah, yeah, yeah). But the beautiful clear water and deserted beach surrounded by rocky cliffs were definitely worth it. And Matt played dress up on the way back up the hill.
To get to the beach was a long climb down a goat track in a dusty ravine (in jandals - yeah, yeah, yeah). But the beautiful clear water and deserted beach surrounded by rocky cliffs were definitely worth it. And Matt played dress up on the way back up the hill.
The deserted beach near Lentas
We had to cut the afternoon short to drive back to Heraklion, where we visited the Archaological museum (which bought the ruins we had visited to life) and had a beer in the main square to top it off.
We had to cut the afternoon short to drive back to Heraklion, where we visited the Archaological museum (which bought the ruins we had visited to life) and had a beer in the main square to top it off.
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