A wild Cretan coastline
(The most recent instalment of a series of one-to-ones with our travel writers sees us catching five minutes with Chris Deliso and asking him…)
TI: Hi Chris. Right, getting straight to the heart of the matter: what are your favourite places to stay on Crete?
CD: Crete is Greece’s biggest island and thus has great luxury hotels, and some nice boutique offerings as well. The most upscale are congregated on the northeastern coast, between the pretty port town of Agios Nikolaos and Elounda – once a nondescript fishing village, now for several decades host to some of Greece’s prime luxury resorts.
Here, the always impressive Elounda Beach (and sister hotel, Elounda Bay) hosts the Greek jet-set and even international celebrities. They pride themselves on being able to satisfy the demands of even the most discerning guests, and it’s worth coming for the experience of indulgence alone. A diversity of fine dining options, and even private jetties for swimming from some of the rooms, make this a unique choice. Prices drop significantly out of high season, too.
Nearby, just above Agios Nikolaos, the St Nicolas Bay Resort is a really relaxing, friendly and tasteful place to stay. Even though it’s within walking distance from the town (with all its shopping and nightlife), rustling trees and discreetly-set rooms (some with heated seawater pools) give it a real sense of seclusion. The relaxation is enhanced by the fine spa centre. And you can keep the kids entertained too as there are dedicated child-minders, films, games and of course the resort’s little beach. The dining is top-notch, too.
Views from the terrace at Casa Delfino
Finally, Crete’s most evocative large towns – Rethymno on the north-central coast, and Chania, an hour and a half further west – are both marked by beautiful Venetian old towns (history buffs may know that the once mighty maritime republic of Venice ruled Crete for four centuries, until 1669). Here, many of the classic old homes and structures have been renovated and transformed into boutique hotels. In Chania, for example, the Casa Delfino is certainly the most opulent of the old town’s boutique offerings. The classic architectural elements have been effortlessly wedded with sleek modern stylings in its suites. The courtyard features an intriguing pebble mosaic floor, and the rooftop terrace commands excellent views over the colourful Chania waterfront.
Finally, I can’t leave off without mentioning a personal favourite, the Hotel Doma. Although it doesn’t date from the Venetian period (rather, it’s ‘only’ from the very early 20th century), it has an indescribable warmth and intimacy – qualities embodied by its very kind elderly owners, who are happy to explain the history of the hotel and the town in general. It has very eclectic décor, including an Asian headdress collection, yellowing photos of the late, great Greek leader Eleftherios Venizelos, and notes of thanks from famous Italian writers. Although it’s not particularly luxurious, you do get the feeling of being let in on a secret when staying here – the kind of place that leaves a lasting impression.
TI: Great tip on the Hotel Doma! We’ll definitely look into it…
TI: Moving on, where would you say is the best place to get a great lunch or dinner on the island? What’s your favourite dish there?
CD: I have been all over Greece, but Crete is the one place where I make it my mission to enjoy the eating and drinking! It all starts from the olive oil; while Lesvos and the Peloponnese also stake serious claims as producers of the best Greek olive oil, I will go with Cretan olive oil every time – especially the oils coming from the mountainous and wild southwest of the island.
Olive oil is an essential part of the Greek diet, and so it’s very important to get this right. Cretan olive oil tends to be heartier, richer and with a darker hue than others, and for people who want the full experience, there is simply no better variety. Along with the traditional Greek salad, a Cretan specialty that prominently features olive oil is dakos - a dish comprised of wetted, hard bread rusks, topped in soft cheese and tomatoes, and doused with oil.
Another reason to single out Crete for eating is the wonderful local sweet cheese, myzithra. The best myzithra comes from wild goats and, while there are partial imitators elsewhere in the country, nothing can equal real Cretan myzithra. It’s used in myzithropitakia - delicious, crunchy cooked filo dough portions with the cheese inside, and kallitsounies. Try to imagine a flat vanilla-type muffin topped with sweet cheese and flecked with cinnamon and you’ll get an idea of what it is.
For dining options, I always find the remote mountain and coastal villages to have the freshest seafood or vegetables (try horta, a pungent Cretan type of wild greens used in salad). If we want to talk about specific places to eat, however, the list is long! Here are just a few examples: in Chania, Portes does excellent Cretan traditional food with a creative twist, while Chrysofillis Mezedopoleio in Agios Nikolaos has vintage décor and specializes in delicious mezedhes (appetizers), and overlooks the sea. Finally, for many years I’ve enjoyed the whimsical atmosphere and fine food (try octopus stifado; octopus in tomato and wine sauce, and the myzithropitakia) at Plateia (named for the central square on which it stands) in the tiny hilltop village of Myrthios, south of Rethymno. Along with gracious service and tasty fare you’re treated to sweeping views of the Libyan Sea down past the olive groves and mini-resort of Plakias.
TI: What would you say is the island’s main attraction?
CD: For me, there are two key words when it comes to Crete: abundance and solitude. Although the island hosts around one-quarter of all visitors to Greece, it’s such a wild, rugged place that getting away from the crowds is easy. The landscape is varied, with lush vineyard plains, endless groves of olives, vast canyons and mountains sweeping into the sea. You can still find absolutely authentic mountain villages, road signs riddled with the occasional celebratory shotgun volleys, and untouched beaches – particularly out of high season. I have always thought of Crete as a fortifying bastion, a place where you can restore yourself in peace, a place where it’s fine to forget about what’s going on in the world at large, swim, indulge in hearty food and drink, and enjoy the moving and melancholy traditional music played on the lyra (Cretan violin).
TI: And what’s the most overrated?
Knossos: Overrated and kitsch?
CD: I know the travel agencies and tour operators will hate me for saying this, but I have to say the island’s most famous site – the ancient Minoan palace of Knossos, restored long ago by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans – has always left me cold. It’s Crete’s equivalent of Athens’ Acropolis – the one obligatory site for all visitors to the island. The style of the restoration was controversial, with some experts arguing that Sir Arthur took too much artistic license with it. I don’t know anything about the particularities of Minoan archaeology, but it does indeed strike me as somewhat kitsch. I much prefer the less reconstructed sprawl of Crete’s other main Minoan site, Phaestos, further south towards Matala.
TI: What’s your favourite spot for a drink?
CD: For ‘indoor’ bars I enjoy the bare-bones, somewhat alternative Guernica in Iraklio, which has an eclectic mix of music and lively student crowd, while the Fagotto Jazz Bar in Chania is in a restored Venetian building and, as the name would suggest, specializes in jazz (note that it’s best in the off-season, after the outdoor places close). Combining the outdoor/indoor thing is Skala Bar, down on the southwestern coast in Palaeohora. It’s a packed nighttime bar, but also has a colourful outdoor café during the day where you can order espressos, or even waffles and other snacks. You can check your email with the free wi-fi connection and take note of the occasional sharply-dressed Greek woman clutching a miniature dog like a replacement handbag.
TI: Any general tips for travelling around Crete?
CD: There are too many tips for Cretan travel to list, but in general remembering logistics and local conditions springs to mind. For example, while the north-coast cities and towns are easily connected by frequent buses, many of the villages of the south and interior are less often serviced, and roads may be in various states of disrepair. So if hiring a car, it’s useful to have some idea of where you plan to drive to ascertain whether you might need a 4X4. And, though you can never be too far from civilization here, most roads that cross the mountains are very windy – meaning some white-knuckle driving is inevitable. Cretan drivers tend to drive fast and furiously, so keep your wits about you in any case.
Crete’s summertime winds – they are multiple, and all have unique and colourful names in Greek – can be very strong, especially in the south. For me, this wind is wonderfully exhilarating, and it does help to keep the heat of high summer from becoming too oppressive. However, it can also make things tough for small children when the beaches whip up sandstorms and the water is full of whitecaps. These weather patterns help to explain why the south coast has thankfully remained less developed than the north coast.
Finally, another climatic condition to remember is the heat. Cretan summer temperatures can top 40 degrees Celsius. Aside from the usual precautions one should take with high temperatures, those keen on doing the very popular six-hour hike down Europe’s longest gorge, at Samaria in the west, should make sure to inquire the day before an intended hike with the local authorities – on really hot days, wardens may close the gorge, leaving unsuspecting hikers frustrated.
TI: How about a ‘hidden gem’ you’ve stumbled across along the way?
CD: Crete is so big that there are always going to be new hidden places to explore – even for long-time visitors! This summer, I really enjoyed the utter stillness of Triopetra, an isolated southern beach topped by a single rent-rooms/taverna far above. Since the place’s owner wakes up before dawn for fishing duties, you will get very fresh seafood. Backed by weird rocky cliffs, and with a very limited clientele, Triopetra is not luxurious but is utterly placid – a place where some guests have even put in their reservations three years in advance! There are some other hidden gems, but I will reveal them when the next Lonely Planet guide to Greece hits the shelves next year…
TI: We’ll keep an eye out. Thanks for your time, Chris.
Tags: chris deliso, crete, greece, interview, Travel Writers
