A break down of the 10 Best Beaches on Crete (PHOTOS)

Endless choices for every taste!

 Crete is the largest island in Greece and its coastline of 1,046 km or 650 miles makes for some extraordinary beaches. 

With crystal clear waters and sand in a variety of colors, Crete’s beaches are unforgettable – in fact, this year of the 486 Blue Flag awarded beaches in Greece, 112 of the eco-labeled beaches are located on Crete! 

Let’s look at the top ten beaches on the Greek island of Crete.

 1. Elafonissi beach in Chania

This is the beach that you want to go to if you are into sparkling water and beautiful pink sand! Located on the southwestern side of Crete the beach has both soft white and pink sand and the coast is lined cedar trees. There are sunbeds and umbrellas available on part of the beach.

2. Balos beach in Chania

Located on the northwestern side of Crete, this beach gives you a view of the sea and an island with a Venetian Castle on top. There are many ways that you can reach this beach – either by car through a track road from Kissamos or by excursion boat from Chania Town and Kissamos.

3. Matala beach in Heraklion

Once known as a popular hippie destination in the 60’s and 70’s, this beach is now a popular family destination. Surrounded by caves where hippies once dwelled for months on end, there is much to explore and enjoy at this sandy beach!

4. Vai beach in Lassithi

Why not go to a beach that is surrounded by the largest palm tree forest in Europe while on Crete? This beach is surrounded by over 5,000 trees and offers clear blue water. This beach once was a free camping site but now in recent years free camping has been made prohibited.

5. Falassarna beach in Chania

Another beach on the west side of the island and close to Kissamos town, this beach offers many organized facilities and activities which makes it an ideal beach for families. Above the beach you can visit the archaeological site of Ancient Falassarna. Also there are many activities such as windsurfing which you can access from a windsurfing station at the beach during the summer months.

6. Plakias beach in Rethymno

Want to get away form it all? This beach is the perfect escape as it has a mellow atmosphere and sits just in front of the village. There is part of the beach where you can access umbrellas and sunbeds, or you can bring your own and enjoy this sandy beach.

7. Istro beach in Lassithi

While visiting the east of the island in the region of Lassithi, stop by and check out this beach located near the town of Agios Nikolaos. The large beach has golden sand and turquoise water – not to mention you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas.

8. Preveli beach in Rethymno

This beach is located in the south side of the prefecture of Rethymno and has a river which meets the sea and forms a lake! It’s a lovely beach that is surrounded by palm trees and offers activities such as exploring the lake. The beach itself has no organized facilities so bring your sunbeams, towels and umbrellas and dive in!

9. Rodakino beach in Rethymno

This beach is located on the southern side of Rethymno near the village of Plakias. The beach is sandy, large and does have some organized sunbeds for rent. Also, there are some seaside tavernas and apartments which surround this beach.

10. Tymbaki beach in Heraklion

This beach is large and has both sand and pebbles and is also known as Kokkinos Pyros. You can pass the entire day at this beach! It is complete with an organized section in case you want to rent sunbeds and umbrellas, not to mention this beach also has few seaside tavernas serving up local dishes!
Source

First sea turtles arrive in Crete for the season

Archelon volunteers move nests to more safe place

 After a long wait, tireless effort and patience researchers from ARCHELON, the sea turtle rescue centre in Rethymnon, the first nest of the sea turtle for 2017 was recorded in the Sfakaki area in Crete.

The volunteers’ daily routine involved waking up at the break of dawn to check the state of the spawning beaches and to identify any sea turtle traces leading to nests.

The first nest was finally located in Rethymnon on the beach of Sfakaki. 

 Due to the erosion of the beach at the area, which led to a diminished space for the turtles’ nests, the volunteers transferred them to more secure places.

Spiegel: 3 million Germans to visit Greece

 Magazine invites Germans to holiday in Greece in lauding article

Three million Germans will visit Greece for summer, according to a report by German magazine Spiegel.

In an article full of praise for Greece, the magazine writes that the number of Germans to the Mediterranean country is expected to be 1 million more than last season.

 “My sea, my sky, my culture, oh Greece! For another year the white and blue colours will enthuse millions of visitors”, writes the magazine lauding the beauties of Greece.

 “This is where the journey to the most beautiful islands, the serene villages and the special locations will start.”

The piece urges even more Germans to choose Greece as their holiday destination, pointing out the love that exists between Greeks and Germans.

Greek Tourism Makes News in the Economist

 Greece may be expecting a record breaking 30 million tourists this year, but the Economist is saying that convincing them to dig deeper into their pockets will be the challenge ahead.

Under the title “Kalo Taxidi! Greek Tourism” (Bon Voyage), the Economist says Greece is set to welcome more travelers from the UK, Russia and Germany,  at top destinations including Mykonos and Santorini.

 The magazine goes on to refer to friendlier prices at “hot” destinations like Corfu and Crete, compared to rival destination Spain, and adds that vacationers are now opting to stay fewer nights and consume less compared to 12 years ago.

The London-based weekly magazine underlines the potential of Greek tourism, attributing in great part even further growth to the Fraport’s  management of 14 regional airports.

Heraklion Archaeological Museum Honored with EMYA Special Commendation

The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion on Crete was recently honored with a Special Commendation at the annual European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA), held by the European Museum Forum (EMF) in Zagreb, Croatia!

The EMYA Judges praised the museum for presenting a cutting-edge interpretation of the history and civilization of Crete, focused on the rise and decline of the Minoan culture.

“The museum is a huge social and cultural asset for the island, influencing tourism, the economy and the local community”, EMF said in an announcement.

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum was also nominated for the Council of Europe Award, in recognition of the Minoan Civilization’s broad dimension, displayed in a unique way at the Museum’s premises!

Tourism, Promotion of Local Products Top Crete – Russia Talks Agenda

Boosting incoming tourism from Russia to Crete and promoting Cretan products to the Russian market where the focus of talks between Crete regional Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis and the Russian Ambassador to Greece, Andrei Maslov, last week.

The two men met ahead of a joint inter-ministerial committee held in Iraklion, with the participation of Foreign Affairs Minister George Katrougalos and Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov. On the sidelines of the committee, the University of Crete organized a conference on “Transport and Tourism in the Globalized World”.

“We discussed all the issues of interest affecting the region, with particular attention to tourism as well as to promoting Cretan products to the Russian market,” said Arnaoutakis, adding that there is “a very significant flow of tourism to the island”.

“We want to see this relationship with Russia grow even stronger, we share the same faith, we have enjoyed an excellent relationship over time and I think that attracting tourists from Russia can be a significant source of revenue for the island, which can be achieved via synergies,” Arnaoutakis said.

“We have been discussing the prospects for cooperation between Crete and Russia in various fields and in the tourism sector. We are very pleased that arrivals of Russian tourists to Greece have increased significantly and especially to Crete,” said Maslov, adding that “42 percent of Russian tourists visiting Greece come to Crete, a very important destination for Russian tourists”.
(source:gtp)

Sfougato with courgette, feta and herbs

By: Georgia Kofina | 07.06.2017 | Appetizers, Mediterranean Cooking

Sfougato is a Greek oven omelet with veggies, cheese and beautiful fresh
 herbs!
The feta cheese will make it even yummier! 

Serve it with baked cherry tomatoes, a Greek tomato salad or a green salad with citrus vinaigrette!

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 15′ Cooks in: 30′ Ready in: 45′

Ingredients
8 eggs
2-3 courgettes, grated, salted, squeezed well
1 tsp dill, finely chopped
2 tsp spearmint, finely chopped
2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
1½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp pine nuts
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
chopped dill for serving
12 cherry tomatoes, baked, for serving
coarse sea salt for serving
salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven at 180C. In a large bowl beat the eggs and stir in the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil and the ingredients for serving.
Step 2
Add olive oil in a medium oven dish (32cm diameter), put in the oven and let heat for 6-8 minutes. Pour in egg mix and bake for 25-30 minutes, until set and nicely browned.
Step 3
Sprinkle the oven omelet with dill and serve with baked cherry tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm.

 Photo Vangelis Paterakis – Food styling Antonia Kati

Another gorgeous Cretan sunset last night...

Plakias, is a small fishing village and produces sunset like this..

https://www.plakiassuites.com/

Greek beaches: 486 Blue Flag awards!

Greece Ranks 2nd in World for 2017 Blue Flag Beaches

Greece ranked second place in the world on the 2017 Blue Flag quality award list for beaches and marinas, among 47 countries (EEPF)

 

A total of 486 beaches and 12 marinas were honored with the quality “Blue Flag” award in Greece for 2017.

The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches that follow requirements that include Environmental Education and Information, Water Quality, Environmental Management and Safety and Services.

 

For the complete list of all 486 Greek “blue flag” beaches, press here.

TUI: Greece to See Leap in Arrivals from Germany in 2017

Greece is expected to see a record number of bookings from Germany this year, according to travel giant TUI.

The German tour operator said on Monday that bookings from Germany to Greece are up 23 percent compared to the year before.

By destination, bookings to Crete are up by 14 percent, to Rhodes by 26 percent, to Kos by 14 percent, to Corfu by 6 percent and to the Western Peloponnese by 32 percent.

According to,TUI’s chief operating officer, Marek Andryszak, on a scale of 10, TUI’s customer satisfaction for Greece has risen to 8.7 percent.

“Quality of hotels and service levels have never been better than today,” he said, adding that Greek hotels have made great progress especially in the areas of “services”, “hotel facilities” and “hospitality”.

Greece is ranked second among TUI’s most popular air travel destinations worldwide after Spain.
(GTP)

28 million arrivals expected in Greece in 2017

Positive signs for industry 

All the signs indicate that Greek tourism is expecting a very successful summer season.

Greek hotel owners and industry professionals are confident the current season will be extended based on messages by foreign tour operators and are already setting their eyes on the next season. 

2017 is considered a success, despite the slow start in the year, as the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) expects arrivals to exceed 28 million (including cruise-ships), with estimates of revenue reaching 14.5 billion euros.

According to a study conducted by GBR Consulting, Athens and Thessaloniki saw a double digit rise in revenues during the first quarter of 2017, while the data for resort bookings was also impressive. 

Meanwhile, the Hellenic Hotel Federation predict vacancy capacities will hover around record numbers for the season, provided stability remains in the wider region. 

However, the issue of the tax for overnight stays, which is scheduled to take effect from the start of 2018 is of concern in the industry, as it will push revenues down.

Traditional galatopita

By: Georgia Kofina | 23.05.2017 | Desserts, Greek Classics, Mediterranean Cooking

Galatopita, or milk pie, is a traditional Greek dessert that is made with or without crisp phyllo and a super-satisfying custard cream made with semolina flour. You will absolutely love it!

Serves: – Preparation: 15′ Cooks in: 60′ Ready in: 1:15′
 
Ingredients
3lt sheep milk
1½ cup fine semolina flour
½ cup semolina flour
1½ cup granulated sugar
6 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
lemon or orange zest
2 tbsp butter, melted
icing sugar + cinnamon for dusting

Method

Step 1
Brush a heavy pan with water. Bring milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, lemon zest and butter to a simmer. Whisk in semolina, a little at a time, with a wooden spoon, and simmer, whisking constantly, until custard thickens and reaches consistency of loose mashed potatoes. Remove pan from heat and let cool a little.

Step 2
Preheat oven at 170C. Whisk together eggs, remaining sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Add in warm semolina mixture (not hot) and whisk, a little at a time, to temper yolks.

Step 3
Pour mixture in a baking pan (40cm diameter) brushed well with butter. Put oven rack in middle position and bake for 45-50 minutes until filling is golden and top is nicely browned (to test, insert a skewer into the middle of the pie; if the skewer comes out clean, it’s ready).

Step 4
Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar and cinnamon.

Photo of the day..

April at Plakias..

Plakias is 35 kilometres south of Rethymno, on the southern coast of Crete on the Libyan Sea and is a popular tourist resort well-known for its award-winning Blue Flag sandy beach stretching for 1400 metres.

Plakiassuites 

Money Magazine Includes Crete Among ’10 Best European Destinations’

The island of Crete in Greece is considered the third “Best European Destination” by Money magazine, mainly due to its numerous attractions and competitive prices. 

Money is a magazine that is published by Time Inc. and includes articles that cover personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues.

Taking into consideration the “record low summer transatlantic airfares” and the strong U.S. dollar, the magazine urges travelers to pack their walking shoes and travel from the United States to popular European destinations such as Crete, Paris, Prague, Rome, Italy and Barcelona, among others.

Money named Crete a “best destination for your money” due to its world-famous sites like the Palace of Knossos, its outdoor attractions, beautiful beaches, distinct culture and cuisine.

The Elafonisi Beach and the Balos Beach and Lagoon are suggested by the magazine as Crete’s must-see spots.
According to Money, the cost to spend a week for two on Crete would reach $3,697 as ticket prices have gone down nine percent since 2016, while hotel prices have dropped as well.

The “10 Best European Destinations” are:

1. Prague, Czech Republic
2. Paris, France
3. Crete, Greece
4. Krakow, Poland
5. Rome, Italy
6. Lisbon, Portugal
7. Budapest, Hungary
8. Barcelona, Spain
9. Berlin, Germany
10. Riga, Latvia

The top 10 cities scored highest on overall cost factors, giving the most weight to the price of airfare, lodging, and food, as well as the biggest year-over-year price drops.

Money also considered the number of restaurants and attractions each place offered, as well as experience factors like low crime rates, pleasant weather and ease of access to public transportation.
(source:gtp)

New review on Booking.com: "Beautiful accommodation, right by the sea"

"Great, comfortable accommodation, very nice staff and just a few steps from the sea.  

At the most beautiful beach section of the bay.  

We felt like at home!"

Thank U Mary lein

Plakiassuites: Exceptional 9.5/10 from 22 reviews on
Booking.com

Greece among top choices for American travelers

Greece is ranked 11th in the preferences of American travelers as a tourist destination, according to online platform “TripHobo”.

The data was collected based on the choices of 700,000 users and revealed that American holidaymakers picked Greece as one of their most popular choices over the last six months.

Canada took first spot, followed by Mexico, Italy and Britain. Californians and Texans loved traveling the most, followed by people from Florida and New York, with the most active travelers being between the ages of 25 and 34.

Millenials traveled more and made more independent travel plans, opting for experience-based holidays. The same group is expected to travel even more in 2017.

There was an increasing trend for shorter getaways, which were the most popular option with an average stay between 3 to 4 days.
 
1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. Italy
4. Britain
5. France
6. Spain
7. Ireland
8. Japan
9. Germany
10. Thailand
11. Greece
12. Netherlands
13. Switzerland

TripAdvisor: Greek Islands Among Top Destinations in Europe in 2017

Recognizing travelers’ favorite places around the world, travel planning and booking site TripAdvisor has included Crete, Santorini and Rhodes in the top 20 of its top Travelers’ Choice Destinations in Europe for 2017, based on the preferences of travelers.

According to the Travelers’ Choice awards for European destinations by TripAdvisor, Crete is fourth most popular destination in Europe, Santorini is the 16th and Rhodes is the 18th.

Crete also came in sixth among Tripadvisor’s Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Destinations in the World in 2017.

Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period, as well as traveler booking interest on TripAdvisor.
The awards honor 418 outstanding destinations in 24 lists across the globe.

“We’re excited to reveal our community’s favorite travel destinations for 2017 and recognize these iconic places with Travelers’ Choice awards,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.
(source:gtp)