I’m in the planning stages for a special 60th birthday trip to take place mid-June 2010. The whole family (husband in his late 70’s and two boys in their 20’s) will be along for the ride.
The current plan:
Crete: 3 nights Elounda to get over the jet lag and see a bit of the surrounding area 4 nights Chania 1 night Heraklion to be ready for the next morning’s ferry to Santorini: 2 nights Oia, followed by London: 4 nights
We’ve all been to London, never to the Greek islands. We like to travel independently, and my husband and I have driven in England, France, Italy, Greece, Austria, and Spain so would plan to rent a car on Crete. Reflecting on the ideal trip, the components would include: sacred sites (Delphi, Chichen Itza, and York Minster all fit here), culture/history, art/crafts, seaside, countryside, good food, beautiful scenery/walks, and finally, a mix of city, town, and village. Our trip to Italy five years ago, which included Rome, a week in a rental in Umbria, a few nights in Santa Marguerita Ligure, and stopovers in Tuscany, had it all.
Other places considered and passed on, at least for now, for one reason or another: Sicily, Veneto plus Bernese Oberland, the Amalfi Coast, Turkey (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus), Bali, Southeast Asia, Egypt.
From what I’ve read so far, what appeals most about Crete are Chania, the villages, the tiny churches, the archeological museum in Heraklion (I know that for now the best stuff has been distilled into a smaller space), the physical beauty, the food, the crafts traditions, its layers of history, and the independent spirit of its people. The site at Knossos would also be a big draw although my reading suggests we might come away somewhat disappointed. We’re not serious hikers so the Samaria Gorge is not a must, but the boys and I had a spectacular day in the Cinque Terre walking from Riomaggiore to Vernazza so one memorable hike would be great.
My questions: Is Crete likely to fit the bill? Did it make an indelible impression on you? If yes, should we spend a night near the Amari Valley on the way to Chania to visit some of the picturesque, more traditional villages or are there similar places within easy reach of Chania? Best 3-4 hour hike near Chania? Thank you!
Crete is a wonderful place. My partner and I spent a number of days there backpacking and traveling around the island back in 1993.
Personally we found the northern part of the island very touristy; basically hotels full of sun burnt Brits and the like. I suspect more than 15 years later it is only worse.
Instead head the southern part of the island and spend some time crisscrossing the coastline by boat, staying in the some of the small villages and towns that line the southern coast.
This is where you will find some of the places you are looking for.
In April's UK Guardian, this article may be of some help to you.
Also, have you tried doing a Crete search on our forums? In the little "Find" box at the top of this thread, type in Crete - there are several pages of results.
Your trip sounds wonderful. Hope you have a great time - please consider adding to our SlowTravel pages when you return with a trip report. Everyone loves reading them, and you'll be helping the next Crete traveler(s).
In our Trip Reports, member JDodge has submitted a trip report about Crete. It was the journal that was kept by her mother while traveling to Greece and Crete in 2007. Here is Jane's Greece Journal - Part 1, all about Crete.
