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Crete Studios - Crete Island - Greece
Crete has long been the stuff of legends, right on the divide between Europe and the Orient, the last rocky outcrop before you reach Africa and island of the Gods since time immemorial. It has kept its special reputation despite centuries of invasion, a tormented history and, more recently , the development of tourism. When the essence of an island is divine, it remains so for eternity. According to Greek mythology
this is the birthplace of King Minos, product of the love of Zeus
for the beautiful Europa. Nowadays charter flights from northern
Europe unleash almost 1,5 million -sun and sand- seekers onto its
shores every year, from mid-June onwards. Is this not simply a
modern means of paying homage to the sun god Apollo and Poseidon,
god of the sea?
But the arrival of this seasonal human flood
interrupts the pace of the Cretans' traditional life and cannot help
but work changes upon a country which has suddenly had to leap at
lighting speed from antiquity to the third millennium AD.
Crete is certainly no longer what it was in the time of King Minos,
Henry Miller or the hippies who, in the 1960s, rediscovered this
natural, unspoilt island paradise within easy reach of civilization.
It has not yet been totally devastated, but specific areas have been
undeniably spoilt by hideous construction projects and all-consuming
asphalt roads. The majority of holidaymakers are concentrated in
specific seaside resorts (particularly on the north-east coast).
Apart from these highly built-up sites, full of ugly concrete and
metal buildings, the island of the gods has not yet sold its soul
entirely to the devil. In fact, far from it - in order to discover
Crete's overwhelming beauty, you need simply to visit it outside the
over-hot and overcrowded months of July and August. Go in spring, or
late summer, and follow the rocky tracks to the most outlying points
of the island, to the west or the east.
Crete is swept by the winds of Africa, and the Libyan sea caresses
the southern shores of this Mediterranean island. Orthodox
monasteries and white-painted chapels perch on hill tops or huddle
in valleys, their intact settings defying the passing of the
centuries. Blankets of olive trees temper the arid landscape. Along
the south coast, deserted shingle or sand beaches in the east and
west offer total solitude. Deep, abrupt gorges and caves (allegedly
more than 3.000) dot the island, and make for excellent walking
country. Re-set your mind to the Cretan pace of life and set out on
a voyage of discovery around an island which was one of the cradles
of the western world.
In our pages you can a very big collection of hotels, studios and
apartments available for online booking. Our partners guarantee that
the prices you will find here are the lowest. You can book the room
of your choice without any fees, just with the use of your credit
card through our secure servers. Select the destination of your
choice from the links bellow and enter the dates you are interested
in and we will find all the accommodation properties that are
available, together with prices and reviews from other guests.
Agios Nikolaos -
Chania -
Elounda -
Heraklion -
Hersonissos -
Ierapetra -
Malia -
Rethymnon


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