Yasu, from beautiful Crete, the largest island in Greece. For the next four days I’ll be exploring Crete by land, air and teeth to grab a cocktail sit back and enjoy.
This is my first trip ever to Greece I flew from Germany near Munich with Ryanair. I suggest you to print your boarding pass before you arrive at the airport. We picked up a rental car and drove 35 minutes to the Porto Platanias Beach Resort & Spa. They made a great first impression as they offered us a free upgrade and gave us a tour of the property while we chose between two rooms. It was huge and gorgeous with so many swimming pools I lost count.
I wanted to eat at the hotel at least once, so for dinner we tried out the buffet in their main restaurant. It was very affordable and their selection was extensive. I enjoyed absolutely delicious local specialties like stuffed vine leaves and spanakopita while watching the sunset.
Booking.comIf you guys love water sports as much as I do then you’ll find that there’s no shortage of things to do here in Crete. I’m at the Chania Surf Club and today they’re going to be outfitting us with some paddle board. They also do surfing lessons and a lot of different activities. So you can find these guys at the Agia Marina at the Ammos & Hlios Beach Bar.
We paddled out to Thodorou Island (Agios Theodoros) 1.2 kilometers offshore. Greek legend says the island was once a sea monster and the large cave was its mouth ready to swallow Crete whole. The God spared the cretins and petrified the monster. In the 1500’s the island became home to two venetian fortress guarding Platanias against pirates and turkish invasion. Look for the cree-cree goat, which is an endangered species that inhabits the island but don’t go on shore because it’s a nature preserve and is protected by a guard. If you can find it snorkel about 15 to 20 feet down to the World War 2 wreckage of a German Junkers JU 52 plane on the southeastern side of the island. Special thanks to Alex of Chania Surf Club for a beautiful day out on the water.
BALOS & GRAMVOUSSA, CHANIA
By the way Ammos & Hlios Beach Bar is awesome. It’s an explosion of color everywhere with tree houses and on-site massages. It has an energetic vibe. Great people watching and comes alive as the day goes on. So after working up an appetite on the water it’s the perfect place to unwind and get your party on.
Perfect mix of fitness, adventure and relaxation
I’m here on Falasarna (Phalasarna) Beach and today I’m going to be paragliding for the first time ever. My pilot is going to be taking me up today so I’m excited. Let’s do this… I actually rode on a tandem Para-Trike which is a little different than paragliding because you sit in a trike with a motor. I felt very safe and wasn’t at least a bit scared about being 980 meters in the air above the clouds. I’ve always had a reoccurring dream that I can fly and this experience was the closest I’ve ever come to fulfilling that dream. It was so exhilarating. I would do it every day and opening my eyes to a whole new world. This was definitely my favorite part of this trip.
Again this time with Blu Adventures Diving. I’ve been a certified scuba diver since 2007 but I really wasn’t feeling it that day. So I decided to just relax on the boat and do some snorkeling. My husband however did go diving. He didn’t see much marine life but was able to explore an intricate system of beautiful caves and caverns.
My hotel was surrounded by endless restaurants, bars and shopping places. I recommend dinner at the Platano’s restaurant and trying the Boureki Pie a local specialty that I seriously need to learn how to make. The food here was mind-blowing. Greek food is definitely my new favorite type of food. I have not eaten a bad thing since I’ve been here. Just across the street is another great place called the Panorama Restaurant. A place that you can enjoy the sunset and a nice view of Platanias.
No trip is complete without visiting Old Town Chania and the Venetian Harbor. Chania is an area rich with history dating back to the Neolithic era. Also Chania was ruled by the Venetians as well as the Turkish Ottomans. I only had four hours but you could spend several days or weeks in this area alone and never get bored. Everywhere you turn is just waiting to be explored. I did buy a ton of souvenirs. There is a lot of really cool shops.
Chania has a city that never goes to sleep at midnight. On a weekday, the entire harbor was still filled with people hanging out and enjoying the breeze off the Mediterranean. And if you’re lucky you might see a naked dude. One night we ended up at Caramella All Day Bar Cafe by day and Club by night. It’s right on the water, near the western corner of the harbor and was a lot of fun. I’ve just scratched the surface during my stay here. Chania is only one of four regions of Crete, each with its own distinct, charm and reasons to visit. To mention some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.