Crete East (Heraklion)
Dreaming of Greek Island Holidays - dream no more. Crete is is a large, rugged and mountainous island some 350 kms by 60kms. The centre of the island is remote and is an area of olive groves and goats. The main resorts on the island are are on the more accessible north coast. There are many over commercialised and spoilt resorts but we have chosen the resorts with character.
Agios Nicolaos:
More of a regional town than a resort. This is the main port in Eastern Crete, there is the continuous bustle of boats and ferries arriving and departing, all watched over by seafront restaurants and tavernas.
Elounda:
Originally a tiny village with a small harbour, now with some of Cretes finest five star hotels nearby. The village retains its original charm now with the addition of chic boutiques and shops.
Hersonissos:
Area of fine sandy beaches and hotels
Sissi:
Small town with a picturesque harbour surrounded with tavernas.
Old Mill Restaurant In Hotel Elounda Mare review by Marissa Tejada
An ancient mill that once churned steadily on Greece’s largest and most fertile island is the famously ambient and charming centrepiece of the Elounda Mare resort’s premier gourmet restaurant, Old Mill. Flanked by fragrant gardens overlooking the sea, the dining area is a tranquil setting for fine Cretan cuisine – a combination that has earned it multiple Toque d’Or awards over the past 30 years, defining it as one of the best restaurants in Greece. Chef Antonis Petrelis believes in Cretan gastronomy’s “timeless character,” often fusing it with other Mediterranean influences but always sourcing organic ingredients from local farms across the island. Starters are tasteful and include Cretan wholemeal pasta with rooster and Anthotyros, Cretan cheese. Main dishes show off the diversity of Cretan gastronomy including a sea bass tartare marinated with lime and virgin olive oil with salicornia (sea beans), Cretan crostini, pearls of salmon and sea-urchin roe. Also classic is the rack of lamb in keskeki, a mousseline of lamb, wheat and herbs and yoghurt sauce.
Reproduced by kind permission of DOTW News
Recommended Resorts:-
Luxury: Daios Cove, Elounda Bay Palace, Porto Elounda, Minos Beach Art Hotel
All Inclusive: Aldemar Knossos Royal, Aquila Elounda Village
Boutique: Castello Boutique
Greece Overnight Stay Tax
From 1 January 2018, you’ll need to pay an Overnight Stay Tax which has been introduced by the Greek Ministry of Tourism and aims to enhance the State’s revenue in the context of the current fiscal adjustment programme. This will be collected from you when you get to your accommodation. The tax works out at €3 per room for 4* hotels, €4 per room for 5* hotels. When and how to pay: You’ll be asked to pay the tax when you check-in at your accommodation, this can be paid by cash or card Why do I have to pay: The tax is something new and specifically aimed at tourists. It’s a cost beyond our control and the suppliers of the accommodation. It’s a Government imposed tax that has to be paid when you stay in accommodation in Greece. Whilst our website holiday information does mention the possibility of local taxes like this, we understand this cost is something you probably weren’t expecting to pay and are sorry the Government has decided to bring this in so quickly.
