Crete, Greece

I decided to go to the island of Crete to relax after all my explorations in Athens and surrounding Cities.

Crete is the biggest island in Greece  with a size of 3,219 miles ( 8,336 km). it is located at the southern edge of the Aegean sea. The capital of Crete is  Heraklion ( Iraklion in Greek)

Heraklion,Crete is about 8 hours via ferry from Athens. Since it is a long journey, the ferry boats typically leave at night around 9pm  and arrive at 7 am in Heraklion. This ferry boats definitely leave at 9pm promptly so have to be there before 9 and boarded otherwise you get left behind!!  I was not taking any chances and arrived at 8pm to get on the ferry. The ferries have cabins as well as Airplane seats and just plain deck for accommodations

I chose Anek lines because it had reasonable prices and feedback was that it was a smoother ride to Heraklion. This was important because i do have motion sickness and get sick at sea. However i did find the feedback to be accurate has it was indeed a smooth ride to heraklion

I arrived  Heraklion at 7pm and got a taxi to my timeshare resort ( Village Heights Golf Resort  ) in the town of  Hersonissos( locally referred to as the party town) located about 30 mins form Heraklion. I had no expectations of this resort, but I was very impressed by the size of the 1 bedroom with the fantastic view and accommodation. From my bedroom with the balcony,  I could  see the sea and mountains.

Since I arrived early in the day, i decided to get some rest and wake up later in the evening for sight seeing and sample the night life

Fast forward 7 hours later, I am now refreshed and arrived at the city center of Hersonissos  in search for renting a means of transportation to explore  the island. On the islands, you can either rent any of the following

• Motorcycle ( You need to have a motorcycle license to rent a bike/motorcycle)
• ATV( 4 wheeler and you will need a drivers license as well as an international drivers license)
• Buggy ( You will need a drivers license as well as an international drivers license)
• Car (You will need a drivers license as well as an international drivers license)

Based on the research done before my trip,  the safest means of  transportation is renting a car, however i wanted to try either the ATV or the buggy

I was able to convince one of the vendors to let me test drive the ATV and Buggy and ensure i make the right decision.  I did not choose either the buggy ( pink picture) or the ATV for the following reasons:
I was extremely frightened to leave the parking lot with the ATV. I  don't know how to drive a motorcycle so this was scary especially on the highway with big cars and buses. I did not choose the Buggy either as it drives really slow and has no cover for Sun protection or theft of belongings.I made the decision to wait till the next day and rent a small car.

Night Life
It is important to mention the night life at Hersonissos since it is the capital of the party city in Crete.  There is the strip at the city center with lots of bars, clubs and restaurants at each block interval. In fact each club is a restaurant by day and a club by night. In order to get people to come to their  clubs( since there is so much competition) there is someone standing outside the club calling out to  you ( rather enticing you with free drinks) to patronize their business.After visiting a few clubs, I decided to settle at the biggest club called El Paradisco.The atmosphere at the club was great and the DJ played a wide array of music genres for the guests. In addition,  the  manager was nice and friendly to the guests. 

Adventures
I explored so many so many sight seeing places, however below are some notable mentions



Fish Massage
This is all the rave in Greece so I decided to try out the experience especially since I had been walking for days and had sore feet.  It was very strange at first and ticklish but as you stay on past the first 5 mins, it becomes normal. Once your feet is in the water, the little fishes flock to your feet and attach to your feet. The fishes are vibrating fishes and that is how, it is able to massage your feet.

During the 45 mins experience, I got lots of looks and stares from other tourists passing by and some where bold enough to come in and ask me how it felt to have the massage.
Lene's Verdict: The massage lasted 45 mins of ticklish foot massage. Personally i still prefer a Human being massaging my feet than a Fish

Fish Massage Experience

Knossos- Early Minoan Palace

Knossos Palace is home to the legendary King Minos and the principal Center of the Minoan Civilization. It is  the earliest of the Aegean civilizations. The site is located about 20mins from Heraklion. The Palace is also connected with thrilling legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur, and the story of Daidalos and Icaros. The site was continuously inhabited from the Neolithic period (7000-3000 B.C.) until Roman times. .I will highly recommend getting a guide when visiting  for better understanding and appreciation of the site

Pictures of the Excavation site

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

The museum is located in Heraklion and most of the artifacts from Knossos are kept at this museum.  It is one of the greatest museums in Greece and the best in the world for Minoan art, as it contains the most notable and complete collection of artifacts of the Minoan civilization of Crete 

Artifacts from the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Agios Nikolaos

Agios Nikolaos is probably best known as a tourist town that serves as a hub to the twenty or so small villages and farms that make up that part of Lassithi. Tourist attractions include the small lagoon Lake Voulismeni, small beaches in the town, the tiny island Agioi Pantes, the archaeological museum, the local flora exhibition “Iris” and numerous fairs. Tourism is mainly West European with Greek tourism concentrating in mid August. The lagoon features a small park with a trail, traditional fishing boats, ducks, pigeons, an Amphitheater and many cafès. The modern city of Agios Nikolaos, Crete became internationally well-known during the 60's, "discovered" by famous cinema directors (Jules Dassin, Walt Disney etc.), BBC producers and many others. It was then, that the rapid tourist development of the area started.

 Picture Stops on the way to Agios Nikolaos

Agios Nikolaos

Spinalonga ( Also Known as Leper Colony)

History  reports that Spinalonga was not always an island, but was once linked with the adjacent Peninsula Spinalonga.  In 1526, the Venetians cut down a portion of the peninsula and thus created the island. Because of its position the island was fortified from its earliest years in order to protect the entrance way of the port of Ancient Olous. The island was subsequently used as a leper colony from 1903 to 1957. It is notable for being one of the last active leper colonies in Europe. The last inhabitant, a priest, left the island in 1962.  

Today, the uninhabited island is a popular tourist attraction in Crete. In addition to the abandoned leper colony and the fortress, Spinalonga is known for its small pebble beaches and shallow waters. The island can easily be accessed from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos by boat.  There is no accommodation on Spinalonga, and all visitors last only a few hours. I recommend leaving form Elouda because the boat ride is about 20 minutes and the boat fare is cheaper than leaving from Agios Nikolaos

Spinalonga

Boat trip to Spinalonga

Abandoned Ruins of Spinalonga Island

Lasithi Plateau
The Lasithi Plateau stretches (11 km (6.8 mi) in the E-W direction and 6 km (3.7 mi) in the N-S direction. It is approximately 70 km (43 mi) east from Heraklion.  The plateau is famous for its white-sailed windmills, that have been used for centuries to irrigate the land. Despite their vast number (some 10,000) in the past, most of them have been abandoned nowadays in favor of modern diesel and electrical pumps.

There are several caves of archaeological interest in the surrounding countryside, of which Diktaion Andron (near the village of Psychro ). The archaeological site of Karfi, believed to be the last outpost of the Minoan civilization is located on the mountains immediately north of the plateau.

Lasithi Plateau

Psychro Cave (Diktaion Andron)
Psychro Cave is the birthplace of Zeus according to Greek Mythology. Zeus is also said to have used Diktaion Andron as his hiding place after abducting Europa. The cave is located in the surrounding area of the Lasithi Plateau. it is located on the northern slopes of Mt. Dicte and the south eastern slopes of Mt Sarakinos at the height of 1025 m.  It also used to be an ancient site of worship and one of Crete's most important and impressive caves.