Chania - Crete August 2017
The flight itself was quick and on arriving at Chania airport we found our driver already waiting for us to take us to our resort of Aghia Marina, situated around a half hour drive from Chania itself.
The resort of Aghia Marina is the middle of three resorts which straddle the coast road. The other two resorts being Kato Stalos which is the quietest and Platanias which is the opposite side of Aghia Marina and is the busiest of the three. Our accommodation was called the Minos Village and was probably the nicest we've stayed in on our numerous visits to Greece. We had two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchenette and a huge balcony overlooking the pool which ran along the top of the building. A bonus was the air conditioning which was free - very unusual in Greece.
Within 5 minutes’ walk we were down on the seafront, but still being in the old village it felt like a lifetime away from the hustle and bustle of the beach and was surrounded by traditional Greek tavernas.
Our first day was spent familiarising ourselves with the area. On our first night we ate at a taverna which had been recommended to us and specialised in Greek meze food. As Daisy had never visited Greece before we felt this would be a good way for her to try Greek food and if she didn't like it, she could just try another one of the dishes. We ate Greek dips, Saganaki (fried cheese) and Greek salad amongst other dishes too.
On one of our first days we went down to the beach. The beach at Aghia Marina stretches for miles - starting at Kato Stalos and finishing at Platanias and is beautiful golden sand. It's lined with tavernas and bars and each had sunbeds which were free of charge for the price of a drink, which is a fantastic idea. We also introduced Daisy to my husband David's favourite Greek food - Gyros. This consists of pitta bread stuffed with tzatziki (yogurt and mint dip), sliced pork or chicken, a few chips and a little tomato.
One of the highlights was a trip to Chania. It has a beautiful, preserved harbour lined with brightly coloured buildings. Behind the harbour are the cobbled streets of the old town, crammed with little jewellery shops and traditional tavernas. We went out on a boat trip to two uninhabited islands - one to spot the wild Kri-kri goats, but unfortunately none were to be seen and then onwards to a tiny island where we could snorkel and see octopus.
On another day we took a drive out to the pretty port town of Kissamos and wandered along the seafront and people watched at a café and then drove back via the German war cemetery. It was hidden away off the main road and though it was pretty and peaceful it had an air of sadness as though it had been hidden away deliberately.
We also visited the pretty village of Kalives on a customer's recommendation and ate a meze lunch - it seems Daisy had really embraced the Greek food, followed by a drink in a seafront café so the girls could play in the sea.
Towards the end of the holiday we visited the British war cemetery at Souda Bay near Chania. Compared to the German cemetery it was easy to find and the lines of graves were lined to look out to sea as the sun sets. It was a truly beautiful view and brought a lump to my throat that they'd picked such a peaceful spot looking out to sea and towards Chania. It's one place I will remember for the rest of my life.
Greece has a special place in my heart. Crete possibly more than anywhere else as I met my husband there and I would visit it again in a heartbeat. The girls had a great holiday.
I would recommend the area and accommodation we stayed at whether you want a beach based relaxing holiday or as a base for sightseeing Western Crete.