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Home > Features > Crete
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Paul Mansfield's report on Crete
Posted On
02.07.07 |
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‘Crete’s mystery is extremely deep. Whoever sets foot on the island senses a mysterious force… senses his soul begin to grow’
Closer to Africa than to Athens, Crete really is a land apart. The 60s travellers who took up residence in the caves of Matala on the south coast have now been replaced by backpackers and walkers. The coast retains its unspoiled appeal; a rugged place of volcanic cliffs, black sand beaches and isolated fishing villages.
Not everyone comes to Crete for isolation. On the north-east coast lies a strip of resorts catering mainly to young and raucous holidaymakers. Malia, Hersonissos and their neighbours may not be pretty but they do deliver the goods, albeit noisily and garishly.
In the nearby village of Elounda you'll find some of the most upmarket hotels in Greece. The Elounda Beach, Elounda Mare and the Peninsula (an all-suite hotel where prices nudge a thousand euros a night) and others offer world-class facilities in a country often associated with lacklustre accommodation.
The three big towns of the north coast all have their own appeal. Iraklion is home to Knossos, the spectacular Minoan palace dating from 1700 BC. Rethimnon is a sleepy town overlooked by a Venetian fortress. But it’s Chania that sums up Crete’s eclectic ‘east-west’ quality, with a harbour adorned by both a Venetian lighthouse and a Turkish mosque. In the old town, narrow streets are lined with restored Italianate mansions and wooden Ottoman houses.
Behind the town lie the dramatic Lefka Ori, the ‘white mountains,’ a wild and remote region of deep green valleys and rugged peaks. From here Europe’s biggest gorge, the Samaria Gorge cuts through to the coast: twelve miles long and three thousand feet deep. After around four hours hard slog you emerge blinking into the sunlight at the tiny port of Aghia Roumeli. As in all Cretan villages, the iron law of hospitality prevails and the word for stranger, xenon, is the same as that for guest. You’ll be made welcome with a beer, a fresh Greek salad, and a cooling dip in the Libyan sea. The Samaria is like Crete itself: wild, romantic, requiring just a bit of an effort - but always rewarding.
Paul Mansfield is a self-confessed former layabout, teacher, farm labourer, musician, arts writer and celebrity interviewer, Paul has found these skills invaluable in over ten years’ full-time travel writing. He is a frequent contributor to many publications including the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Telegraph, the Observer and the Express. As a backpacker he once spent a winter on Crete in a village with no electricity, and on returning recently was relieved to see that while the island has kept its character, its facilities have vastly improved. |
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Paul Mansfield, Travel Writer
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