EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY:
Eating out is cheap and there are plenty of excellent bars and restaurants locally with some open all year round.
You can't beat a Greek Salad accompanied by a cold glass of Mythos beer. Greek Cuisine is superb, so try the local dishes. Explore the island it has many delights.
THE DISTRICT OF APOKORONAS:
The district of Apokoronas in the north eastern corner of the prefecture of Chania and at the foot of the greenest regions of Crete contains some interesting sights such as lake Kournas, the island's only freshwater lake, picturesque villages and small beach resorts such as Georgioupolis, a sleepy little fishing village with village square, Kalives, a large village with nice sandy beach and Almyrida with its shallow waters ideal for families.
Vamos is the capital village with restored old stone buildings.
The White Mountains or Lefka Ori occupy a good part of the centre of west Crete and are the main feature of the region. They are made of limestone and called the white mountains because they are covered in snow until late spring. In the summer the sun reflected on the limestone summits makes them appear white as well. The highest summit is Pachnes (2453m) and there are over 30 summits higher than 2000m. The white mountains also have 50 gorges, the most famous being Samaria
POPULATION OF CRETE:
Crete has a total population of approximately 624,000 inhabitants. Heraklion 120,000, Chania 60,000, Rethymnon 24,000. The fertile land is perfect for agriculture and produces oranges, avocados and bananas as well as succulent tomatoes and cucumbers, which make those Greek Salads unbeatable. It's main export is Olive Oil. Fresh water, scarce on other islands is plentiful on Crete whether for a cool drink or shower.
You can't but notice the friendliness of the Cretan people who have a word for it - philoxenia - which loosely means 'friend of the stranger'. The Cretans will do their best to make you feel comfortable in their homeland. The family is central to the Cretan way of life. You will often be given gifts, whether it be a complimentary dessert or drink or a bottle of Olive oil. Try to speak the language even a little and you will have a friend for life. English is widely spoken so you do not need to worry, just enjoy practising the odd word of Greek. Yamas (Cheers!
Golf:
There is a golf course near Heraklion.
Other Activities:
Water Park near Chania
