Our Trip to Crete, Greece
I’m finally getting around to this blog post on our trip to Crete!
As many of you guys probably know by now, my husband is from Greece. We try to go back every year to visit his friends and family, eat amazing food, and of course–soak up a little sunshine on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches!
This year, we spent 6 days in Crete, which is the largest island in Greece.
It was truly amazing and I took precisely one bajillion pictures (don’t worry, I won’t post them all).
I always have a hard time putting our experience into words afterwards, but I’ll try to recap just a little and touch on some of our visit in case you ever find yourself craving the Mediterranean sea and making your way to Crete!
Orange Juice of the Gods βοΈ
First things first. When your plane lands in Greece, locate an orange juice STAT. Freshly squeezed orange juice in Greece is absolutely life changing!
We flew into Athens (got our tickets super cheap this year from Scott’s Cheap Flights) and then took another quick flight to Chania, Crete.
If you want to explore Crete the right way, you really need a car because the island is so big and there’s so much to see.
Renting a Car and Hotel in Crete
We rented a car from Monza (at the airport). If you can, try to rent a car in a color other than white. Sounds weird, but it seems like more than half of the cars in Crete are white, and having a white rental makes finding yours in a parking lot very difficult!
One thing I’m always amazed about when we travel to Greece is how affordable the hotels are. We stayed at these cute little apartments called Electra Studios about 15 minutes from the center of Chania.
They were very clean and basic – with everything you need including a little kitchenette – for 55 Euro a night! There was a private beach access that was whopping 30 second walk away, and a nice garden outside.
Oh and the lot next door had the cutest little goats!
I would wake up in the morning, say good morning to the goats, take my 30 second walk to our backyard beach, and meditate for just a few minutes. Maybe do a little yoga.
It was heavenly.
(Only complaint I could make about the hotel is the sheets were a little scratchy. But other than that I’d definitely recommend.)
Falassarna Beach
The first beach we went to (besides our backyard beach) was Falassarna. It ended up being one of our favorite beaches in Crete. Falassarna is in west Crete, and has been awarded the best beach in Crete in the past.
The water was stunning! Very clear and clean with white sandy beaches and relaxing beach beds that you can rent (2 for 8 euro). There was free parking and wifi too.
Just try to go on a day when there’s not too much wind if you can because it can get very windy (and your hat might blow away. π)
The Old Port
At night we drove to the Old Port in the city center for dinner and walking around.
The town was really adorable with lots to do and see (including some archaeological museums). We were most interested in the tavernas and shopping though!
The bottom part of the port has lots of activity and is nice, but the area above is much more charming (and feels a little bit more high class). It literally feels like you are dropped into another time in history!
Cretan Diet
The food in Crete is TO DIE FOR. It was one of the reasons I was most excited to go.
What we know today as the Mediterranean Diet is based off of food patterns typical in Crete in the 1960’s. You really can’t go wrong with anything you eat in Crete, but we did have a few stand-out meals.
Everything in Greece is served family style, which I absolutely love. You order a bunch of delicious things and everyone gets to eat a little bit of everything!
Greek salad (horiataki) and boiled greens (horta) are must-haves at every meal. And if you go to Crete, you must try staka. It’s basically a roux made from goat milk fat, and sometimes they cover a couple of fried eggs with it and serve it as a dip with crusty bread. π
It’s unbelievably delicious.
Elafonisi Beach
Elafonisi is another very famous beach in Crete which all of us found to be overrated. There were sooo many people there (don’t let the picture fool you, K had to hike and trek to get one without people in it).
There was a really fantastic drive through the mountains and small villages to get there, but we didn’t stay at the beach very long.
Just long enough to do a little yoga. βΊοΈ
Seitains Beach
We were super excited to go to Seitans beach from the pictures we’d seen online!
It was just as beautiful in person, but more for admiring from the top. We didn’t venture down because it’s a VERY steep hike not meant to be done in flip flops.
If you go and want to get all the way to the bottom, pack real shoes and a backpack!
Marathi Beach
We opted for the easy beach instead. Again, you can rent beach beds and an umbrella for around 8 euros.
It was on the verge of rain for part of the day, but we still got a nice swim in and it made for the most beautifully dramatic skies.
I also found some ripe figs on a nearby tree to snack on. β€οΈ
Cretan Food in Marathi
The lunch we had in Marathi was one of the best meals we had in Crete.
We walked to a restaurant called Patrelantonis and stuffed ourselves with the most amazing seafood lunch. The grilled octopus and grilled sardines were my favorite! I’d definitely recommend this spot if you’re ever in Crete.
The Libyan Sea
We drove one day to the south of the island to swim in the Libyan sea. It took about 1.5 hours, but the drive there had gorge views and once we got to the beach it was worth every minute.
The beach we visited was called Ilingas Beach in the town of Chora Sfakion. It was by far my favorite beach of the trip!
The beach was very remote, but there was a little cantina built into the side of the mountain where you can buy drinks. They even made me a virgin mojito!
The water was incredible and was surrounded by these dramatic rocky cliffs. You could watch the wild mountain goats (called Kri Kri) climb the cliffs and it was an unreal experience.
If you go, swim around the left stretch of the beach and you’ll find a small, ultra private cove and you’ll think you’ve somehow landed in heaven.
Writing about it now takes me back to the feelings I had while we were there, and it’s such a gift I’ll never forget.
(πThat’s a goat I’m pointing to down there. See it?!)
After our swim we drove to a small village in Anopolis and ate at a taverna called Taverna Platanos. It was another AMAZING meal.
The meal ended with a plate of Greek yogurt drizzled with honey that was gathered from the family’s own bees.
Back to Athens
We ended our trip in Greece visiting family and friends in Athens. And of course, we had to make a stop at our favorite beach in Athens, Astir Beach.
It’s pricey, but cheaper if you go on the weekdays. (18 euro per person to get in but really worth the splurge because it’s so nice.)
Our friend introduced us to a new kebab spot that is definitely recommended if you’re in Athens.
It’s called The Original (translated from Greek)
More food.
And dessert. Always.
It can feel like we’re on an eating marathon when we visit Greece, but we’re usually A-OK with that. π
Every time we go to this beautiful country it reminds me of what’s important in my life: friends, family, Mother Earth’s beauty, and appreciating the little moments with the ones we love the most. β€οΈ
4 responses to “Our Trip to Crete, Greece”
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Each plate of food you showed looked divine, SO fresh and vibrant!! And can we talk about those beaches??
I just can’t get over just how stunning that water is. Every time I see shots from your trips over there, it absolutely makes my jaw drop. Definitely have to keep your travel posts in mind for when we finally get a chance to experience those coastlines ourselves someday – especially appreciate your candor about which ones are not hikeable in sandals // which ones were more crowded than others. Cause I’m definitely one of those avoid-the-crowds kind of humans. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for reading lady! It was such a special trip and I know that you guys would LOVE IT! There are lots of canyons that lead to otherwise inaccessible beaches that I think would be right up your alley! β€οΈβ€οΈ
Looks like a wonderful trip! Thanks for sharing insider tips and recommendations. It makes me so want to visit Greece. The food (notice I mention that first), scenery and cute animals (-: look right up my alley. I love traveling off the beaten path and truly experiencing the culture- minus as much commercialization as possible. Cheers,
Tracy
The food is at the top of the list for me for sure! It was a beautiful trip and Iβd definitely recommend it π