Crete is a seducing island for family. Its a beautiful place to soak up Greece culture, delve into the one of the oldest civilisation and experience varied island landscapes. There are many reasons why you should see Crete and here is just some of my ideas
Friendly people, especially with kids
For all my travel in Europe, I must say Crete and probably Greece people are amazing nice to kids. For all the local encounters we have from markets to hotels, from village to the beach, our kids are welcomed by their arms with smiling faces. In many hotels, the receptionists love to play with our kid.
Hence, you may find many kid friendly facilities like there is always a chair for children in many restaurants.
It is hard to express the authentic hospitality that local people have for kids and family but it is truly amazing.
Crete is a very money valuable destination
For those who concern about money when planning a family holiday, Crete is a perfect choice. Compare to many other places in Greece, especially the famous Santorini, Crete is considerably cheap.
These are some of our expenditure and I will leave it for your judgement :
– We got a hotel right by the sea with 70 euro/ 3 star hotel night. What I mean is your room has the sea view and the sea is right at the back of our hotel lobby.
– We paid 8.5 euro for a huge Cretan salad which can actually feed 2 people.
– Lunch for 2 people can be as cheap as 10 euro/ 2 people as we ordered traditional Pita – a type of sandwich with 2 drinks.
– You have many places to see if you travel off beaten track without paying the entrance fee.
Amazing Culture
Undoubtedly, Crete is a big magnet for those who love to learn about Greece culture. For a week we were in Crete, we got several cultural visits each day and the attractions are splendidly different. From Minoan Palaces to hidden Monastery, from traditional workshops to the old towns, you will be impressed by the wealthy history of Crete.
If you do not have much time, make sure you can visit Minoan Palaces and Heraklion Archaeological Museum at least !
Foodie Paradise !
Whether you have Asian palette or European Taste, Cretan foods have something for you. It is clearly mentioned when the foods are freshly made or stored in the fridge. This thing really surprise me since they do not do this in Paris !
Back to the food experience, from one side to another side of the island, you can find distinguished dishes. Certainly, you will love to have fresh seafood when you stay in seaside towns but in the less visited mountain, the slow cooked rabbit with aromatic herbs is just amazingly delicious.
For a hot day, grab a salad which combines local grown vegetable and Greece cheese – you will have mouth washing feeling.
For real foodie, I would love to recommend you to take a cooking class. This hand on hand experience provides you an exceptional feeling after the trip.
Easy to find private Beach for your own family
If you are not after the well-known site like Balos, Malia then it is not difficult to find a places without tourist. Even in such touristic places, when you arrive early, it looks like you have your own paradise.
During our week in Crete, we drove out of the tourism zone for 2 afternoons and quickly we found a small strip of sand without any footstep to enjoy family moment by our very own beach. I bet you can do that too !
Lessons for kids from the mountains
Crete does not only offer stunning waterways, it also provides some fascinating educational chances for kids. Apart from historic, world heritage sites, the mountains are ideal to show kids about Olive plantation, traditional works of ceramics as well daily life of a true farmer.
One of the highlighted opportunity that kids will love is to follow the villagers to pick up herbs which can be used for cuisine, medicines or simply like a tea. For those who seek for more fun-packed activities, a half day walk to conquer the highest mountain of the area could be something that lasts for a lifetime.
Wide Range of Kid friendly activities
Every corners of Crete is blessed with fantastic experiences that kids are eager to have. While by the beach, you can buy your children a ticket to see the marine life with 15 euro. If they are lucky, they can spot the sea turtle. Hiking along the mountain to reach the postcard like gorge is another fun-packed thing to make your kids occupied.
