What is the best season to visit Crete?
The spring is wonderful for its nature and flowers but the sea is still cold
and you can have some rain. July and August are too hot and crowded. So the
best time is from May to mid-June and mid-September and October. If you are
not coming for the sea and sun and want to experience Crete without tourists,
come in the winter, it will be a totally different experience.
Which are the most famous places to
visit on Crete?
- The nature is everywhere and really superb, especially the contrast between
sea and high mountains
- The Minoan palaces: don't miss the fact that you are in the cradle of Europe.
Knossos is not necessarily the best Minoan palace but certainly the most crowded
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum has the best collection of Minoan art in the
world. If you can go when it is quiet it is definitely worth a visit.
- The old towns of Chania and Rethymnon with their mixture of Venetian and Turkish
architecture.
- The beaches of Elafonisi, Balos and Falasarna are now major attractions...expect crowds
- More recently the island of Spinalonga has become very popular with visitors
How is it to travel as a single woman?
Perfectly safe but don't forget that Greek men belong to a hot-blooded Mediterranean
race and cannot avoid at least "trying it on". They will however
accept a clear "NO" for what it is, as opposed to the Italians.
Is Crete still a cheap place?
No! Crete is not the cheap place it was 20 or more years ago, but prices vary enormously
depending on where you are. The further away you are from large tourist resorts
and towns the cheaper it gets. Inland, away from tourism, is still comparatively cheap.
Are the Cretans still very hospitable?
VERY but it disappears in the large tourist concentrations, especially at busy
times.
Is there still no theft on Crete?
Theft is still very rare but it occurs, mainly from foreigners. A Cretan
will not humiliate himself by stealing with one exception: sheep rustling
is still a well loved occupation for some. This is unlikely to affect visitors
who generally do not come to Crete with their sheep.
Why do so many houses seem unfinished?
This question addresses two issues: houses that look unfinished and houses
that are unfinished and maybe have stood so for a long time.
In the first instance the houses may LOOK unfinished because iron bars stick
on top of the roofs. This is absolutely not to avoid paying property tax (as
the legend has it) but to simplify the building of another floor in some distant
future.
A house could also BE unfinished because the owners are waiting for money
to continue with the building. Until a few years ago Greece had a very high
inflation rate and it was wise to put any money you had into a house and build
whenever money became available. Although the inflation is now on par with the rest
of Europe it seems that this habit is still surviving.
Do I need to speak Greek to make myself
understood?
Absolutely not in tourist resorts. The further away you are from tourism the
less likely you are to find someone (of older generations) speaking English - although even in the
smallest villages you might find someone who has worked or lived abroad. But
don't worry, unlike the French the Cretans do not expect you to speak their
language and will make every effort to be able to communicate with you.
Is it true that when a Cretan says
NO he moves his head up?
A movement of the head upwards means NO. There are all sorts of ways to make
this upward movement. The speed and amplitude of the movement and how these
interrelate will convey the sort of No they mean. The eyebrows will also lift
(different speed and amplitude) whilst the upward movement is occurring. Often,
they will accompany it with an upward movement of the eyeballs of varying speed
and amplitude, which when interrelating with the head movement further refines
the quality of this NO. Whilst this is all happening the lips are pursed slightly
forward (I won't go into the pressure and directional factors there because
this gets complex) This can lead to a lot of confusion for the unknowing.
How should I dress in Crete?
It is pretty much up to you. You can be well-dressed without being conspicuous
but nobody will care much if you dress VERY casually. There are two exceptions
though: In churches and monasteries you are expected to have your legs and
shoulders covered. This applies to men and women.
Don't walk around in towns in bikinis and swimming costumes. I see it happen
in the middle of Chania at times and whilst nobody will stop you it is no less
ridiculous than if you were going shopping at your local supermarket in your
country in the same attire.
Is it true that the Cretans drive
dangerously?
Not so much dangerously, but like in everything, the Cretans follow their own
rules and when you don't know them, driving can get (and certainly looks) dangerous.
More information on Cretan driving here.
Will I be able to eat plenty of cheap
fresh fish?
NO! Fish is not cheap because their isn't plenty of it in the overfished Mediterranean
Sea. Prices of eating fresh fish range from reasonable to expensive. Plenty
of frozen fish from the Atlantic though. Note that restaurants
MUST display by law if any item in a dish is frozen, and if they don't and
are caught they'll end up paying a large fine.
To tip or not to tip?
Service is always included in all prices but is it usual to tip (waiters, taxi
drivers, room cleaners) if the service is satisfying. It is not however expected
as a due so that you will not get dirty looks if you don't tip. Around 10% is usual or often, simply round
up the payment. Keep in mind that most people working in the service industry
are paid low wages for very hard work and tips are not a luxury but a welcome
addition to their wages.
If you plan to leave a large tip, maybe because the service was exceptionally
good or over a period of time (as it could be in a hotel) make sure that you
explain clearly that it is a tip and that you are not making a mistake about
the amount.
Being invited out by a Cretan
If a Cretan invites you out, for a meal or a drink, don't expect to pay, don't
even attempt it. You are in their country and you are the guest. Trying to
pay by force (like taking the bill and going to pay it behind his back) would
be extremely embarrassing for him, unless you are very close friends and have
known each other for a while. If you want to reciprocate you will have to
think of another way.
Sunbeds on beaches
A comparatively new phenomenon in Crete is the deployment of sunbeds and umbrellas
on most beaches, even some pretty remote ones. It annoys me no end and I
am not the only one but it does have its advantages: providing sunbeds is
a job for which people have to have a license. The stretch of beach for which
the license applies (and is paid for) has to be kept clean by the licensee
and this is checked by the tourist police (or it might be the licensing municipality,
I'm not sure). Although in my eyes it has spoilt the landscape I must admit
that the beaches are now much cleaner (spotless in places) than they used
to be and some have good facilities such as toilets, showers, children playgrounds
etc. So let's not begrudge these few Euro.
Every beach also has to have areas where there are no sunbeds by law so that
you are NEVER obliged to pay. You can still enjoy the clean beach, showers,
toilets.
Are there poisonous snakes and other
creepy-crawlies?
There are no poisonous snakes on Crete (at least none that can bite you) but
you may find scorpions. These live under stones or in dry wood but can also
be found wandering about. Their bite is painful but no reason to panic. A worse
hassle that you are likely to get is from mosquitoes, at least in some places.
Smoking cannabis
After decades of a rigid approach against cannabis Greece seems to be moving towards decriminalization. But it's not quite there yet so if you need your smoke do it discreetly.