This week’s travel dream: Crete’s quiet coast

The beaches and sleepy towns of Crete’s northwest offer a respite from island's more popular and touristed spots.

Though Crete is Greece’s most popular travel destination, the famous attractions weren’t what drew me to this mountainous mass in the Mediterranean, said Jane Black in The Washington Post. In fact, its “most hyped” spots, such as Knossos, home of the mythical Minotaur, don’t “quite meet expectations.” They overflow with tourists, while the “best of Crete is found in the most unexpected places.” I came to the largest of the Greek islands to find peace and quiet, and my search led me to the beaches and sleepy towns of Crete’s northwest.

For a few days, I made the “sleepy but functional town” of Falassarna my base. This ancient port on the “jewel-colored” Sea of Crete happens to be home to one of the nicest and most natural beaches on the island. In no time, I had fallen into the “rhythm of sunbathing, swimming,” and feasting on meze platters of feta, grape leaves, and garlicky tzatziki. The water at Falassarna is “cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough” to walk right into, and the soft white sand never gave me a reason to bother wearing shoes. After three days of doing nothing at all, I took a ferry to the nearby island of Gramvousa, where I hiked up to a 16th-century fort that once served as a base for Greek pirates. When I reached the top, I could see why this spot had been so coveted. The rocky ruins offered “360-degree views” of the glistening sea.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us