The Surrounding Area

The Blue Flag sandy beaches of Almerida Bay are only a 10 minute (3 mile) drive from the house. The beaches here are very safe for children as they shelve very gently into the sea. There are over 20 restaurants, bars and shops and you can also rent kayaks, windsurfs, sailing boats & bicycles.

There are no large hotels and so Almerida has a quiet environment that livens up in the evening as the beach front restaurants and bars fill up with diners.

 

If you are missing the delights of the city, Chania, regarded as one of the loveliest cities in Greece, is a 30 minutes along the National Highway. There is a great old town where you can wander the narrow lanes until you come to the Venetian built harbour lined with restaurants and bars. Boat trips and horse and carriage rides are available and nearby there is a water park with both gentle and scary rides!

Crete is the most southerly and largest of the Greek islands (180 miles long by 40 miles wide) & so there are many areas to explore including; walking in the Samari Gorge (Europe’s longest gorge at 18km), boating on Lake Kournas, driving through the White Mountains, discovering the many beaches or wandering the historic cities of Chania, Reythimon or Heraklion.

As the home of Europe’s earliest civilisation, Crete has many ancient ruins including Knossos Palace, the ancient home of King Minos & the Minotaur where according to Greek myth Icarus began his ill fated flight.

The weather

Crete has 300 days of sunshine every year with temperatures ranging from low 20’s to high 30’s from April to October. Outside this period the temperatures are usually in the mid teens.