Stay in a luxury hotel in Crete with Small Luxury Hotels of the World to swim in the warm Mediterranean waters of Zeus’s birthplace. Wander among the frescoes at the Minoan palace at Knossos and peek at endangered sea turtles in their nesting sites.
Luxury beach holidays in Crete
Crete, the largest Greek island, has 1,000km of coastline. Take a boat ride to Dia Island, where a 130-year old wreck is a prime spot for diving. The fine sand and pebbles of Vai beach stretch before the largest palm forest in Europe. After a swim in the beaches at Aghios Nikolaos and Elounda, browse the shops selling luxurious hand-woven linens and rugs. Drive the winding coastal road to Sitia for a sweet black coffee at a waterfront café before settling down on its sandy beach.
Luxury Crete countryside holidays
Walk in the valleys and mountains amid pines, myrtle, vivid wild orchids and cyclamen. A hike in the Samaria Gorge might yield a glimpse of the kri-kri mountain goat, a shy creature unique to Crete. Ten thousand white painted windmills turn their sails slowly on the Lassithi plateau, home of Diktaion Antron, the cave where Zeus was born.
Luxury gourmet holidays in Crete
Visit the 15th-century monastery at Toplou for a bottle of Kritikos white wine. It’s a fine accompaniment to a dakos salad of feta cheese, tomatoes and oregano on a rusk doused with extra virgin olive oil from Sitia. Brace yourself for a shot of tsikoudia, the strong spirit used to welcome visitors. Keep your sweet tooth satisfied with a warm bougatsa filo pastry filled with creamy custard.
Book a luxury Cretan boutique hotel with Small Luxury Hotels of the World to listen to haunting rizitika songs in a village café before returning to your bougainvillea-clad balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mirabello.