Greece’s biggest island (260km long with over 1000km of coastline), Crete, combines wild rugged mountains, dramatic gorges, and long golden beaches disappearing into a warm turquoise sea. With its sunny climate and fertile valleys, its rich soils produce harvests of olives, grapes, avocados and bananas. The Minoans, Europe’s earliest-known advanced civilisation, were the first to recognise Heraklion’s wealth and beauty, when they built the magnificent Knossos Palace here some 4000 years ago. The locals are fiercely proud of their identity and renowned for their hospitality, and the island appeals to lovers of wild unspoilt nature, archaeology, art and architecture.
Destination: Crete
If you’re exploring southern Crete, don’t miss the chance to eat out at Eleonas. Set amid olive groves on the lower slopes of Mount Psiloritis, their taverna serves authentic Cretan cuisine prepared from fresh home produce, including their own olive oil, wine, goat’s cheese and seasonal vegetables, plus freshly-baked bread. Expect favourites such as lamb with lemon and dill, fresh
trout (from the nearby lake) and flavoursome horta (wild greens from the surrounding hills). Round off with a carafe of rakomelo (a potent spirit flavoured with honey and cinnamon). They have tables outdoors on a leafy stone terrace, and 20 homely cottages, should you decide to stay the night.
Crete produces some excellent wines, so if you’re shopping for presents, go to Boutari for a bottle with funky Greek writing on it. Boutari is Greece’s largest wine producer, with seven wineries across the country, including this one in the hills behind Heraklion. And what better way to choose a favourite wine than going direct to the producer to taste before you buy? Their top wines include
the white Fantaxometoho, red Skalani and a dessert wine, Iouliatiko. They also offer tours of the vineyard and cellars, plus a film about the history of viticulture on Crete – the Minoans were already making wine here in 1600BC – should you wish to learn more.
El Greco tiny museum occupies a centuries-old stone cottage, reputedly the birthplace of Domenikos Theotokopoulos (1541 – 1614). Better known as El Greco, Theotokopoulos trained as an icon painter on Crete, then left for Toledo in 1577, where he adopted Spanish culture and worked until his death. Way ahead of his time, he expressed himself through colour and drama, and his
genius was only fully recognised in the 20th century. Here you can see several reproductions of his artwork. Fodele is a pretty village set amid orange groves, 3km inland from the coast, with an 11th century Byzantine church, and a main square with several tavernas and a bust of El Greco.
Rethymno has a buzzing nightlife, thanks to the town’s thriving student population. One of their favourite haunts is Figaro, a bar occupying a renovated 17th century building, with a minimalist interior decorated with paintings by local artists. Hidden away in the pedestrian-only old town, Figaro is a little difficult to find – the best landmark is the towering minaret of the Ottoman-era Neratze
Mosque, on the opposite side of the street. Come here for morning coffee and a game of backgammon, or after dark for cocktails to the strains of Björk, Astrud Gilberto and Depeche Mode. It stays open late and also stages occasional concerts and exhibitions.
Drive out to Crete’s remote east coast to see Finikodassos, a blissful golden sandy beach, with a crystal-clear turquoise sea. It’s backed by Europe’s largest natural palm grove, made up of 5,000 towering trees, dating from Biblical times, and giving the beach an exotic desert-island vibe. In peak season, daily excursion buses
arrive from afar, but if you stay the night at the nearby Metohi Vai Village – an old-fashioned inn with seven rustic apartments plus an open-air eatery serving traditional Cretan fare – you’ll have the beach all to yourself from late-afternoon till mid-morning.