Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands, at around 150 miles long and 40 miles wide, first time visitors are often surprised to find that they cannot drive or walk around it in a day as they can the other islands. Situated at about 35°N the island is roughly the same latitude as Osaka to the east and Atlanta and Los Angeles to the west. Summer is hot with temperatures up to 45C and it rarely rains between May and September, at the time of writing (mid-March) we still have snow on the mountains, (this remains on the high peaks well into June) and with temperatures currently between 15 and 20C and occasional, heavy showers, the olive groves and the hills have their annual green mantle, later, in Summer, this disappears as the ground becomes parched in the hot sun. April and May are idyllic months with temperatures between the mid-20’s and 30’s, and this is the ideal time to see wild flowers.

The island is home to a population of around 500,000 people (and several thousands more in the Summer), and several million olive trees. The Cretan people are justifiably proud of their island and their heritage, and as the majority are English speakers, will welcome you and generally be pleased to answer your questions, the pace of life being slower here this will inevitably take some time and probably involve food and drink!

It often appears that the only time they are in a hurry is when they are driving, and with some tortuous hairpin bends on the mountain roads, touring the island by car can be an experience, but at least the road signs are in Roman characters as well as Greek, even though the spelling can be a little erratic!

With excellent transport links from Northern Europe and from the Mainland and other islands, Crete is ideally situated as part of a European travel itinerary and offers visitors the chance to relax on the beach, tour the many Minoan archaeological sites, and visit the mountainous interior with it’s traditional hill villages, churches, monasteries, and the remnants of past invaders, where life has changed little for many years, and where you are just as likely to come across someone riding a donkey as riding a scooter.

Even in the centre of some tourist resorts you are likely to be staying next door to ploughed fields, and just as likely to be woken by the sound of cocks crowing or goat bells, as the goatherd takes his flock to pasture.

For some the island of Crete suggests the story of Theseus slaying the Minotaur of King Minos, or one of the labours of Hercules in capturing the Cretan Bull. For others it is a name synonymous with sunshine, beaches, sparkling turquoise sea and hectic nightlife. In between there are other choices to be made, and the range of activities makes Crete an ideal place to stay for the more adventurous traveller.

Of course, the Minoan site at Knossos is a must see, and the museums in the capital, Heraklion, are also essential for those interested in history, but other sites at Malia, Phaestos, and Zakros are just as illuminating! A tour of the interior will reveal the Lassithi Plateau, the springs at Lyttos, and Krassi, and the caves at Psycro and Skotino. There are museums dedicated to El Greco and Nikos Kazantzakis, and local museums are located in various towns throughout the island.

If you feel like a bit more activity then there are organised diving trips, riding, rock climbing, paragliding, parascending, walking, Jeep safaris, or a round of golf on our 18 hole ‘desert’ course.

For avid trekkers there is the Samaria Gorge, the longest in Europe, which is a full day out on an organised tour, which usually includes lunch.

Naturally after a busy day our thoughts must turn to food, and apart from the many restaurants serving an ‘international’ menu, there are many smaller restaurants offering traditional dishes prepared from, fresh, locally grown produce, frequently grown by the restaurant owner or his family. The traditional Greek ‘mezes’ are a very good way of trying everything and is a typical Greek way of eating! Add to this some fine Cretan wine or perhaps a ‘village’ wine brewed by the owner, with his own brew of ‘raki’ to finish your meal and aid the digestion, and you can choose to go to your bed or find more entertainment.

Nightlife in many tourist resorts can be very hectic, particularly those attracting younger people, and bars and clubs stay open until 4 or 5am. If this is your lifestyle then fine, but a late night means a late start to the next day and will make it harder for you to explore the island from the coastal plains to the high plateau, and mountains of the interior!

A few words about the author……Tim is owner of Villa Ralfa near Hersonissos on the north coast of Crete. Originally from Brighton, England, he lived in Australia for a number of years, and had travelled extensively in Australasia and Europe including the Eastern bloc countries when they were still behind ‘The Iron Curtain’.

He moved to Crete two years ago and opened Villa Ralfa as a gay establishment. Tim can be contacted through the website www.villaralfa.com/ghome.html, to take bookings and give advice on travel to Crete.