MEETINGREECE
53
CRETE
On festive occasions those who are not in mourning wear white.
In the small villages in the mountains some men unabashedly
carry weapons including knives and guns which also appear at
special occasions such as weddings.
T RANS POR T A T I ON - I N F RA S T RUC T URE
Crete has ονε of the most important ports of the Mediterranean
Sea, the port of Souda (Chania). The island is connected with
mainland Greece and the Aegean islands with a large number of
passenger ships (ferry-boats) and freighter ships.
There are also four large ports those of Heraklion, Rethymno,
Agios Nikolaos and Sitia.. Additionally there are many small ports,
marinas and anchorages around the island. Also for those who
want to visit Crete by air, there are two international airports
operating in the island, ‘Nikos Kazantzakis’ in Heraklion and
‘
Ioannis Daskalogiannis’ in Chania. A smaller airport is found in
Sitia (East Crete) connecting Crete to Northern and Western
Greece through the cities of Alexandroupolis and Preveza. The
island is connected with most of the airports in Greece, Cyprus
and many other European countries, with regular or charter
flights. Companies that operate regularly on these airports are
Olympic Airways, Aegean Airlines and Cyprus Airways.
The main road in Crete is the national road that follows the north
seashore of the island from East to West. It is a fairly good road
that handles most of the traffic of the island. Furthermore, there is
an extensive public bus service (KTEL) that offers routes to and
from every spot of the island.
MOS T V I S I T ED DE S T I NA T I ON
The most dynamic sector of the Cretan economy is tourism. The
excellent climate of the island, the beautiful landscape along with
the remarkable tourist resorts, attract as many as 3.000.000
visitors every year.
Today the tourism infrastructure in Crete caters to all tastes. There
is accommodation of every possible category, from large luxury
hotels with all the facilities (swimming pools, SPA, sports and
recreation facilities etc.), to smaller family owned apartments and
camping facilities. Approximately 15% of all arrivals in Greece
come through Heraklion port and airport. For 2006 and 2007, the
capital of Crete ranked second in the top 15 domestic
destinations (air passengers only) whilst the city of Chania ranked
fourth.
Increase in tourism to Crete is reflected by the number of hotel
beds that increased by 53 % from 1986 to 1991 while the rest of
Greece saw an increase of only 25 % during the same period.
Tourism infrastructure in Crete caters to all tastes.
S E A AND SUN
The diversity that presents itself in the formation of the Cretan
landscape offers the opportunity for different experiences to any
visitor. Crete is famous for its beautiful beaches and resorts along
the 1.046 km coastline. In Crete you will find secluded beaches
with the softest white sand, enchanting coves with glistening
coloured pebbles, long stretches of golden silky sand, rugged
and rocky coastlines and naturist beaches. Family friendly
beaches by the bucketful and all amenities with neat rows of sun
lounges with parasols for hire are plentiful. Cretan beaches have
crystalline waters in the palest shades of turquoise, fading into
the deepest of blue. The Aegean, Mediterranean, Ionian and
Libyan Seas all surround the shores of this ancient island.
Organized beaches - found mostly on the northern part of the
island - are well equipped for the exercise and practice of various
water sports; water-ski, parasailing, banana, wind-surfing,
canoeing, kayak, self-drive boat, speed boat ride, and sailing
boat. There also exist parts of the island that are still untapped:
magnificent beaches on the southern part that remain to be
“
discovered” by those who prefer to enjoy their vacation without
the crowds from the big resorts.
H I K I NG - T RE KK I NG
Crete is also ideal for hiking and trekking. In fact, Crete
demonstrates a unique mountainous zone of magnificent beauty
that transcends the island from west to east. In the west, Lefka
Ori (White Mountains) peak at 2.453 meters, while Mount Idi
(
Pseiloritis) and Mount Dikti reach heights of 2.456 meters and
2.148
meters respectively. The rocky ground, the plethora of
mountain paths, and more importantly the famous gorges and
caves formed in the mountains, namely the Samaria Gorge, the
Rouvas Gorge, the Gorge of Aghia Eirini, Idaion Andro and
Diktaion Andro (considered to be the birthplace of Zeus) make
Crete ideal for hiking, trekking and climbing expeditions for both
amateurs and professionals. The most impressive of all the
gorges of Crete is the famous Samaria Gorge, the longest in
Europe (18 km), in Chania region.
