Crete overall

Advantages: Sightseeing, markets, weather, amenities, culture, friendly people, nightlife, food.
Disadvantages: Euro rate. Some places shut due to economy. Drivers.

...Welcome to Crete. Do you want to come for a relaxing holiday or to go crazy clubbing all night. You can do both on this island, but if you dont want drunken teenagers at all hours disturbing you do not go to Malia or some other areas where Club 18-30 or equivalent teenage holidays operate. Check with your tour operator first before your book. Also, if you have walking problems or small children, check that the hotels are not stuck up a hill as some in Hersonissos area are and pulling a pram up steps in heat is not much fun. Crete has a wide range of things to do and see. The beautiful scenic area of Elounda and Chania is for a quieter holiday. You can also visit Santorini on a day trip but beware that the boat can be a bit choppy sometimes and delayed. There is also the 'leper' island of Spinalonga, which is interesting...

Phweeter 28.04.2009 (25.09.2009) · Read review
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Review of Crete (Greece)

Parallel Crete

Advantages: scenic and beautiful especially in spring and late summer
Disadvantages: Millions of other tourists if you go to the wrong place

...walk away feeling that I have benefited from an insight into another culture that is a rare privilege on a package holiday. ------------------------------------------------------------------- It is often said that of all the Greek islands, Crete is the most like a separate country of its own. The national slogan in fact is pretty much ?Cretan first, Greeks second?. It is the largest of the islands forming modern Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean (behind Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica) With its fine variety of sights and landscapes, it deserves to be explored independently by car, giving you the added advantage of escaping the over-trodden tourist trail for a while. As with most Mediterranean islands there are two distinct aspects to Crete: sprawling resorts packed with sun-deprived North European holiday makers...

flickpugh 01.07.2004 (20.09.2004) · Read review
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Crete

Advantages: Hot weather, nice food, everythings cheaper than in England
Disadvantages: Dangerous roads

...Introduction ~~ Having just got back from Crete I thought I perhaps should write an opinion on the Greek island that has something for everyone. Out of the 1,400 odd Greek islands Crete is the largest and the most popular place in Greece for tourists. And having now been there twice I can see why its so popular with English tourists? Places to stay ~~ The main towns of Crete are on the North of the island and all of the main towns are on the coast and most hotels are in the towns or a few miles outside of them. I stayed very near Rethymno in the Rithyma Beach hotel which was part of the Grecotel chain. Though I won't go into detail about the hotel I'll stick to category - Crete in general! Places to stay in Crete vary quite widely and there are hotels to suit every budget. Though the overall cost of the holiday will be a bit more...

Disillusioned 24.08.2001 · Read review
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ConCrete

Advantages: nice outside the peak season
Disadvantages: can't imagine being there during the peak season

...or: Concrete Crete (meaning we went to see the island and I won't present abstract ideas here!) One week at the beginning of November last year to fill ourselves up with sunshine before the drab and dreary season starts in Germany, how could we know that Crete would greet us with a cool wind blowing dark clouds across the sky and the tourists away from the beaches? We chose the resort Hersónissos, 40 km east of Heraklion, the capital of Crete, because it's nearly in the middle of the north coast and we thought it would be a good starting point for excursions. Hersónissos is the busiest resort on Crete with the most hotels and an active night-life, we had read about it in a guide book and heard about it from a taxi-driver, we didn't notice it, though, as the tourist season ends at the beginning of November and the pavements were...

MALU 08.09.2006 · Read review
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Review of Crete (Greece)

Stalis, Crete - lovely.

Advantages: It's beautiful, the weather's great and it's not expensive
Disadvantages: Eventually you have to come home

...the island when we got there, including Oiea and Thira, neither of which I can spell. You know those postcards of Greece with all the sugary houses on a hillside in beautiful sunsets? That's Santorini. It is just gorgeous, and a day there was enough to make me know I want to go back for a proper holiday there - but it's Kalymnos next year. Crete's probably a good island to try if you've not been to Greece before. It's big enough that there's lots to do, but not so big you can't get round it, and they're used to tourists so there's plenty of info in English and help available if you need it. If you want a quiet, relaxing resort with the option to do things, and plenty of choice for where to eat and drink, Stalis is great. I wouldn't want to go back to Crete, not because I didn't like it, but because there are so many more Greek islands to...

Flossiesdoll 18.08.2005 · Read review
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Georgioupolis, Western Crete

Advantages: Long sandy beach, village feel, friendly locals, good base to explore
Disadvantages: Mosquitos can be a nuisance, maybe too quiet for teenagers

...Georgioupolis lies directly between Rethymnon and Chania on the North West coast of Crete. Despite several European tour operators bringing groups of tourists here throughout the summer months, the resort still manages to hold on to its fishing village atmosphere and is a good choice for a relaxing holiday. There are 9km of sandy beach, with crystal clear water, and sand dunes in places, so if all you want to do is sunbathe - no problem. If you like to explore the surrounding area, Georgioupolis is also a good base to discover the Western side of Crete. The main square is surrounded by cafeterias, bars and restaurants, and there is also a good selection along the main routes throughout the village. I stayed there a month and NEVER had a bad meal. Locally caught fish are a speciality in most of the restaurants and are generally...

Sandroulla 28.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Crete (Greece)

  MOOSES GUIDE TO CRETE

Advantages: Culture if you go out and get it, excellent nightlife
Disadvantages: Loads of drunken yobs in summer, not cheap

...Last year I went on a cheapy holiday to Malia with First Choice holidays - £189 bargain! I stayed in the most tacky/loud/English resort on the whole island but I did manage to escape the resort in the short time I was there and I will detail you of my experience. General ------- Crete is one of the few Greek islands that could support itself if it wasn't for tourists. Even on the bus to my resort I came across the banana plantations, potato crops, olive and orange groves dotted by the roadside. Everywhere you get the feeling of self-sufficiency. They have snow capped mountains until the end of June which filters down providing the island with its own extremely valuable source of mineral water. The island itself is about the size of Jamaica about 260km long by 60km wide. The island was Turkish owned until 1913. Most of Crete...

moose 06.05.2001 (31.07.2002) · Read review
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My 2 weeks in Crete! A novel!

Advantages: the weather, fairly cheap, good beaches
Disadvantages: the roads, the toilets and the insects!

...I have never been abroad before, I have never flown before so the last 2 weeks have been a bit of a shock for me! We booked our holiday to Crete way, way back in May 2002, and the 18 months wait was a torture! We stayed at the Sunlight Hotel which is midway between Aghios Nicholas and Elounda on the North East Coast of the Island. There was fairly regular bus service 1 bus an hour going each way between the 2 towns, the main problem was they stopped running at 9pm. It cost 1 Euro each for the bus or 7 Euros for a taxi from either town. Aghios is very tourist orientated, lots of souvenier shops, boat excursions and waterside restaurants, but it is still a very pretty town. Most of the town is centered around the harbour where there are several companies offering trips to Spinalonga, a small island that used to be a leper colony...

tarara 20.10.2003 · Read review
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4 places not to miss when visiting Western Crete

Advantages: Hospital and Friendly people, affordable prices, excellent scenery
Disadvantages: None to my eyes

...I strongly believe that Crete and particularly its western side is one of the most beatiful places in the world. One of cousins, who spent most of his youth in the USA navy told me once that although he travelled all over the world, he couldn't find anywhere a place with such beauty and as friendly and hospitable people as in Crete. Since, Crete is my birthplace I'm often asked by friends who want to visit the island, where should they go. I always recommend having its west side as a base and travel everywhere- However, when they insist in me giving "names", I suggest to them the following 4 places, all situated near or next to the city of Chania: 1. Samaria Gorge Samaria is one of the most nicely preserved gorges in Europe, situated in the southwest side of the island, quite near to the city of Chania and has two entrances: One...

expertop 06.11.2005 · Read review
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A perfect holiday in Crete

Advantages: Good fun, the people are friendly
Disadvantages: none

...A few months ago I went on holiday to Crete, and stayed in a town called Malia. We were lucky to be staying in an apartment which was very close to the town and beach. Malia attracts lots of youngsters with plenty of nightclubs and taverna's to choose from. Although the nightlife in Malia is excellent, Malia is also suitable for families with small children. There's plenty of architecture and sites to visit during your stay. And the beach is so beautiful, you could quite easily loose track of time here. There's plenty of water sports available from the banana ride, paragliding and the big rubber rings what you sit in that the boats pull. For the less adventerous, you can just lay on a sunbed reading or sleeping. I went in October, and found this the perfect time of year to go. It wasn't so busy, and not so hot either...

Louise90 16.02.2001 · Read review
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