Matala, Greece Tobias Reich published 18th October 2020
Welcome on a journey to a magical island: Crete
When you're having a bad day at work or in your personal life, you may wonder how to find a way out of your current situation and move to a place where everything can be perfect, and you can live the best life you have ever imagined. Well, guess what?
I have the answer for you. Have you ever heard of an island that offers the best cuisine, the friendliest people, and some of the world's most beautiful landscapes? This island is Crete---you guessed it. Crete is the epitome of "philoxenia" which in Greek means the friend of a stranger. Hospitality in Crete is something that is genuine, and people are growing up with it, also it is the island with the most traditional habits in Greece which remain for thousands of years. Is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, ranking 88th in the world and fifth in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete is located around 160 kilometres (99 miles) south of the Greek mainland and approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) southwest of Anatolia. Crete covers an area of 8,450 km2 (3,260 sq mi) and has a 1,046 km coastline (650 mi). It forms the southern border of the Aegean Sea, bordered to the north by the Sea of Crete (or North Cretan Sea) and to the south by the Libyan Sea (or South Cretan Sea).
REGION OF CRETE - ACTION PLAN
Each TANIA participating region develops its own Action Plan, outlining how the lessons learned from interregional collaboration will be applied to improve the policy instrument under consideration in that region. In this regard, the Region of Crete established its Action Plan, which was drafted by the Region of Crete's Directorate of Environment and Spatial Planning. The principles that guided the formulation of this Action Plan were interregional collaboration among TANIA partners: A series of interregional learning activities (TANIA Exchange Events, TEE), research visits, bilateral exchanges of experiences, and sharing of best practises aided cooperation. Participation of important Cretan stakeholders dealing with innovation and the environment. Participation was primarily encouraged through the formation of a regional TANIA Stakeholder Group (TSG), which convened on a regular basis to advise the project. TSG was formed by academia and institutions working on nanotechnologies and environmental protection, public bodies dealing with environmental monitoring and policy formulation on environmental concerns, private enterprises and entrepreneurs working on environmental technologies and remediation
Crete: Development through strategies by the Greek government
Over the past 10 years, Greece had a significant economic crisis which affected the island of Crete economically all these years. However, the Greek Government help out all the islands including Crete regarding tourism and developing new ways to attract people and stay relevant to the worldwide market, using different models of marketing and making good relationships with the European countries. With this strategy, Greece wanted to implement a new style of attracting tourists and adding new values to the islands worldwide. Crete's economy is mostly centred on services and tourism. Agriculture, on the other hand, is vital, and Crete is one of the few Greek islands that can maintain itself without relying on tourism. As tourism became more important in the 1970s, the economy began to change visibly. Although agriculture and stock breeding remain important, the island's climate and geography have resulted in a reduction in manufacturing and an increase in its service industry (mainly tourism-related). Agriculture/farming, processing-packaging, and services are all directly connected and interdependent in the Cretan economy. The island has a substantially greater per capita income than the Greek average, while unemployment is around 4% or one-sixth of the national rate.
Chania, Griechenland, Wehde Florian, Published on November 5, 2020, Canon, EOS 90D
Here with me, you will realize how life can be extraordinary with simple things that we undervalue in life and do not know what we want in our life.
Three steps to your paradise
Budget Travel Adventure Travel Luxury Travel
ABOUT
Geography & Nature.
If Chania's dazzling port lights and waterfront restaurants don't attract you first, the majestic White Mountains, known in Greek as the Lefka Ori, are at the heart of West Crete's spectacularly gorgeous environment, and the towns in their foothills provide traditional Cretan gastronomy in glorious plenty. The abundance of flowers in spring transforms hiking trails and gorges into welcoming places for walkers, while in summer, the many beaches provide sun worshippers with a variety of attractive locations to spread their towels.
Culture
Mantinades are the most distinguishing aspect of Cretan culture. These are rhyming couplets on love, satire, or other topics. Crete's music is played with the Lyra and "laouto," two-stringed musical instruments, and the most well-known indigenous dance is Pentozali. Another peculiar Cretan habit is the vendetta, which refers to long-running feuds between families that culminate in the killing of male members of each family. Cretans have kept firearms at home since the days of struggle against the Ottoman Empire, despite the fact that gun processing is expressly prohibited by Greek law. Furthermore, the Cretans' traditional attire, which varies based on the season and occasion, is quite distinctive. For mooring, almost all Cretan men wear a black shirt. Because a Crete family can include great-grandparents, third cousins, and relatives-in-law, a local is presumably in constant mooring and wears black. This mooring could perhaps be a relic of Crete's many conflicts.
Minoan Marvels, Museums and Mountains
Homer portrayed Zeus' home of Crete as "a wealthy and gorgeous sea-girth region, densely peopled with 90 cities" in his epic poem The Odyssey. Although the number of cities has dropped since the time of Troy, Crete's allure to tourists has not. Stay in one of our luxury villas in Crete to experience this. Megalónisos, Crete's 'Great Island,' is home to one of the Western World's earliest civilisations. As a result, its sites and museums are among the most significant in the Mediterranean. The strong Minoans were not the only powerful civilisation to rule the island: the Mycenaeans, Byzantines, Andalusian Arabs, Venetian Republic, and Ottoman Empire all made incursions.
Impact of Hospitality in Crete
Due to the importance of tourism to the island's economy, various Greek administrations have used the industry to address the economy's issues, including reducing the sizeable budget deficit, the need for public sector borrowing, and the need to upgrade the country's deteriorating infrastructure. The country has been able to balance its foreign payments thanks to revenues from the tourism sector and assistance from the EU for the financing of significant projects. The impact of tourism on the island's balance of payments, however, cannot be demonstrated because Crete, an island region of Greece, lacks a separate balance of payments account and its foreign trade is combined with that of the other 12 Greek regions to create the overall Greek balance of payments.
Travel Tips
There are plenty of activities and experiences to do in Crete and the food comes from another world, with this famous cuisine is one of the best in the Mediterranean area.
In this blog, you will realize that you grow up in the wrong place and I will bring you at the most amazing landscapes you will ever see.
- Wine tour.
Crete is one of Europe's oldest wine-producing regions, with a 4,000-year history. There are over 30 wineries on the island, many of which can be visited as day trips from Chania or Heraklion. If you don't have a car, various wine excursions depart from both cities, including Chania Wine Tours and Made in Crete (Heraklion). Both offer wine-only trips as well as wine-and-olive-oil tours.
2. Visit Knossos.
Knossos was the former capital of the Minoan empire, and its Bronze Age ruins are among the oldest in Greece (it is said to be Europe's oldest city). The region has been populated since at least 7000 BCE and thrived between the 19th and 14th centuries BCE. You'll need a few hours to explore the reconstructed palaces, courtyards, private rooms, baths, villas, tombs, and other structures. (free admission on the first Sunday of every month during the winter).
3. Take a trip to Spinalonga Island.
In 1579, the Venetians erected a massive fortification in northeastern Crete to protect Mirabello Bay and Elounda Bay from the Ottomans. The defences were held until 1715 when the Turks laid siege to the island. When the Ottomans withdrew in the late nineteenth century, the island became a penal colony, which remained for decades. Visitors can now take a boat there and wander inside the wrecked church, a leper disinfection chamber, a hospital, and a cemetery. It costs 8 EUR to enter and is open from April to October.
4. Hike Samaria Gorges.
The main hike is a 16-kilometre (10-mile) trek that ends in the coastal resort of Agia Roumeli and gives spectacular views of the White Mountains. Remember that this is a long, challenging walk that will take approximately 5-7 hours to finish. Because of the length of the walk, you are not permitted to begin it after 2 p.m. (you can still do part of it, but you will have to turn around at a certain point). But it's well worth it for nature lovers, and you
can conclude with a beverage at one of the coastal tavernas. Avoid midsummer when temperatures can reach 40°C (104°F).
FOOD
- Cretan Cheese
Almost every Cretan village appears to have its own characteristic cheese. They are often prepared from sheep or goat's milk, or a combination of the two, and each kind has its own unique interpretation. Among the many delectable kinds of cheese, check for graviera, a firmer cheese that is sweeter while young but becomes nutty and flavourful with age. Soft, creamy cheeses abound, such as the AOC-protected pichtogalo Chanion or myzithra, a young whey cheese with a beautiful mild flavour.
- Dakos
The ever-popular dakos is known by several regional names across Crete... Some name it koukouvagia (meaning "owl"), while others call it kouloukopsomo (meaning "puppy bread"). What exactly is it? A wonderful Greek meze or salad that is similar to bruschetta but is made with barley rusks or paximadi rather than bread. To soften the rusks, they are lightly soaked in water or olive oil before being topped with grated fresh tomato and myzithra, a creamy sheep or goat's milk cheese. They are then coated with salt, oregano, and pepper and drizzled with Cretan virgin olive oil.
Hospitality at its finest
Finding Inspiration in every turn
'People from Crete can offer the best life in their own unique way through hospitality'
HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
Kapsialiana Hotel
This wonderfully restored cluster of stone village cottages, which previously belonged to the Arkadi monastery, is a throwback to Crete's rural past, but with plenty of modern touches. It's surrounded by beautiful grounds and built around a large pool. There's also a restaurant that serves.
Characteristics and Style: Owner Myron Toupogianis has been purchasing properties in what was previously an abandoned village since the 1970s, and the beautifully restored buildings appear to have sprouted out of the surrounding orchards (pomegranate, quince, and apricots) and olive groves. A raised terrace (formerly the village centre) has been transformed into the restaurant's grape-vine covered patio, with low stone walls adorned with large pots of pickled olives and macerated fruit; the monastery's olive mill has been converted into a small museum.
GRAMBOUSSA RESTAURANT
A fine dining restaurant that places its location in Crete, Balos one of the most famous and touristic place in the island. They discover the way that the Ancient Greeks were cooking they meat while being in the mountains and giving amazing result to the taste of the food. Several years later they trying to find those methods to cook the meat. The oldest practise of cooking meat over an open flame originated with shepherds and is referred to as "OFTO" in Homer's Iliad. They killed the animal, divided it into four squares or quarters, and then cut two or three rods from a maple or blackberry, skewered the pieces, and roasted them over the fire. It should be noted that this is the precise method of baking that Homer described in the Iliad Rhapsody I verse 205, which goes back to the period of the Trojan War.
Gramvousa Restaurant
Budget travel
Easy ways to go around and cheap accommodation
Crete is a vast place that has beautiful attractions, where you can move very easily by bus very cheap, or by boat which can bring you around Crete at very cheap prices finding the right people to accommodate you. You can come from all over the world either flying straight to Heraklion or going to Athens for a couple of days to see the beauty of the capital and then taking the boat which will take you a bit of time to arrive. Hiring a car in Crete is one of the best ways and cheapest if you find the prices that you need all over the island. From my experience, the best time to visit is Crete and enjoy your time in there, it would be in the high season which starts from 1 of July until mid-September, the prices at this time would be a bit more expensive, however, you need to book a few months earlier to find the prices that you need to do the perfect BUDGET TRAVEL.
Luxury Travel
The luxury side of Crete could be one of the most extraordinary things you can find all over the world. At the same time, it combines fantastic food, excellent drinks, beautiful landscapes, and the best accommodations for people who want to enjoy a luxurious life exploring new things in the best possible way. Take the first boat of the day from Plaka to the island of Spinalonga. This local fishing boat transports you and the island's soldiers across a narrow strait to the ruins of the Venetian fortification, which was built in 1579 to defend Elounda. From 1903 through 1957, Spinalonga was also a leper colony. You can walk through the wrecked streets of this isolated village and imagine the life of those who were sent to live there. Visit the burial ground, hospital, and decontamination facility, and learn about the extraordinary people who made a life here. Back on the mainland, meander around Plaka's lovely streets, which are lined with flowers, tavernas, and shops selling handcrafted goods.
Adventure
Welcome to my favourite part of the blog, while I was writing it down my mind was exploring different places from what I am right now. Crete is one of the destinations where you never get bored especially if you are a person like me. From hikes to seas to new hobbies till the last thing where every dream is possible to happen. Here are a few things that recommend you do from the first you step on this beautiful island:
Hiking shoes, reusable bottle for water could be the best solution while the 80% of the island is covered by mountains. Hiking is a popular hobby in Crete; hundreds of people arrive each year to discover the most magnificent natural features, Cretan gorges, and some of the best treks in Crete. Also the water from the tap is completely safe to drink all over the Island.
Agiofarago Gorge is one of the destination that you could hike safe and is located south of Panagia Odigitria Monastery and was formed by the convergence of two streams. The first stream flows north-northeast from Gyalomonochoro, while the second flows west of Pigaidakia. The two streams merge near the chapel of Saint Kiriaki, and after a pretty easy road, the united torrent forms the major Agiofarago valley, which ends on the spectacular Agiofarago beach. Vertical cliffs with caves rise along the gorge route, although the course in the flat bank of the stream is extremely easy and smooth. There is a climbing field just before reaching the shore, and it is normal to see several climbers.
AGIOFARAGO BEACH IN HERAKLION, CRETE (2016)
References:
Greece to set Marine Tourism Priorities in new marketing strategy (2022) GTP Headlines. Available at: https://news.gtp.gr/2022/09/22/greece-to-set-marine-tourism-priorities-in-new-marketing-strategy/ (Accessed: November 8, 2022).
https://unsplash.com/s/photos/Matala%2C-Greece
https://unsplash.com/photos/yNJ9unY2OnE
https://manage.wix.com/account/sites?referralAdditionalInfo=Route
Crete (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crete (Accessed: November 22, 2022).
(2016) Blue Aegean. Available at: https://theblueaegeanblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/03/agiofarago-beach-in-heraklion-crete/ (Accessed: December 1, 2022).
Andriotis, K. (2009) “TOURISM-RELATED DEVELOPMENT IN CRETE.” Available at: https://www.angelfire.com/ks/andriotis/Chapter4.pdf (Accessed: December 7, 2022).