2 weeks of island hopping ahead, where better to start than Crete, with its prolific history and antiquated beauty? I knew nothing about Greece, having only stopped overnight in Athens en route to Cairo once in 2010. So I was hoping to explore, learn and eat everything I could in the time I had there. I admit I was a little nervous about backpacking alone (it has been a while) so I took a friend with me for the first bit to ease me in gently!

Arriving in Hania (Also Chania and Chani – this happens a lot in Greece) – easy, actually. After a slightly delayed – and slightly boozy flight it was simple to find the airport bus waiting right outside (buy your ticket at the little booth before boarding). Its roughly 30 minutes to the bus station, and with a bit of help from Google maps we arrived at our beach hotel, and most importantly, the beach! After the longest GoT winter at home the weather was gorgeously hot and not a cloud in the sky! We grabbed a couple of free sun loungers and promptly passed out, our pasty bodies soaking up the heat like hungry lizards. Hania seafront is a lovely little road (currently being re-tarmacked) dotted with the usual hotels, restaurants and little news agent-type shops that always hold some secret and fantastically foreign treasures. We found gin-in-a-tin which was a fab way to keep the party going until the sun slinked behind some lowly clouds and it was time to find some dinner.

We wandered up towards the pretty little harbour to a busy but sedate restaurant overlooking the water for a fabulous dinner of seafood and salmon (no veggie options here unfortunately) and were given a free dessert too! This, it turns out, is very common throughout Greece, and part of the laidback, rather drawn out experience of eating – there’s no rushing, you should expect to be sat for at least an hour and a half and will usuallybe given a dessert or a shot of raki (local grape-based aperitif that tastes like petrol) or both! I believe it is supposed to aid digestion rather than get you drunk, though I can’t say it did a lot for my stomach!

The next day we trekked back to the rather modern bus depot for our next stop of Iraklion (Heraklion, Iraklio) which is the ‘capitol’ of Crete. For €15 a comfortable coach took us along the winding, mountainous roads, stopping at undisclosed but apparently locally known bus stops along the way. Some of the places looked beautiful! Iraklion was busy with traffic and tourists compared with Hania, but it was reasonably easy to navigate (ish – there’s a few twists that throw you) and we found our Airbnb apartment on the coast road. We checked in and went exploring immediately which included lunch in the tourist area I would usually avoid. But I have to say my veggie risotto was delicious and it was genuinely delightful to sit in the shade of a huge tree and watch the world do its thing circling the Morosini fountain, which is the main hub. We meandered around in the sunshine stumbling across the usual old churches and relics of all European towns and culminating with a walk out to the fort with a melty ice cream!

For dinner we may have got a little bit tipsy and wandered into the buzzing hipster quarter of the town around Al Greco Park. Again no veggie options but I have to say the €7 moussaka was incredible! On our way home we stopped for water (and possibly more wine) and ended up having a hilarious drinking session with Vlad, a Russian shop owner who was clearly keen to make friends for the night. He had a little stash of raki and something made from bergamot which was delicious, and every person that entered was initiated into our private drinking club! Brilliant, random fun – if you’re ever there please go say hi from us and see what I wrote on the wall about Jesus! (it made sense at the time).

With sore heads we left the next day to explore Knossos, the Minoan capitol of Crete which houses the ruins of the legendary palace built in 7BC. Supposedly the palace was designed so that once you were inside you couldn’t get out!

It is also the basis of the myth of the Theseus and the minotaur. It was reconstructed – rightly or wrongly – by a Brit called Arthur Evans, and this allows you to get a real sense of the place which was eventually destroyed by earthquakes. It is definitely worth the 30min bus ride and the entrance fee – as is the archeology museum which you can buy for an extra euro. (The museum is in Iraklion town, don’t ask to visit at Knossos because they look at you like you’re crazy!). The restaurant there was surprisingly good value too, and no tourist day out would be complete without browsing the tat shops on the way back to the bus stop!

 

 

 

 

Our evening was spent at the not-as-trendy-as-it-looks Café Mar on the seafront, just west of the fort. Its a great place for sunset and the drinks were large and the food tasty. Although we were the only ones in the place drinking anything other than coffee! I know that the drinking culture in Greece is cavernously different from the UK’s obliteration ethos but still, it was Saturday night! So we took full advantage of the giant-sized sangrias and the veggie and vegan options which were not half bad. I recommend it for a chilled evening out away from the tourists.

The next day was filled with weather warnings arriving from the east, so we decided to try and outrun the storm by heading 1 hour west to Rethymno, a simply gorgeous place right on the Cretan sea with a tiny beach, sprawling waterfront and beautiful cobbled streets meandering behind the hipster cafes. Along the way through stunning surroundings of fluorescent pink and yellow flowers against stark grey rocks we kept seeing these clusters of coloured crates. They almost look like beehives or chests of drawers. We couldn’t work out what they were for – I’d love to find out!

Its hard to know where to start with Rethymno’s abundance of qualities: Sipping cocktails by the water’s edge, men fishing by the lighthouse, groups of lazy 20 somethings lounging on sofas drinking coffee, the ominously-looming old fort overlooking the town. Best of all for me – wandering round the old streets not knowing where you’ll end up or what you’ll discover next. Every corner seems to unleash more beauty than the last. A truly stunning part of Crete that deserves a visit. You have to go, you have to!

Crete is easy to get around, friendly and inviting. It was a great launch pad for a trip around the Cyclades, which is what I chose to do. Travel to and from Athens is possible, as well as the Dodecanese and daytrips to Santorini. If Greece isn’t in your top 10 then you’re gonna need a new list. It just gets better and better.

Next stop – Naxos!