Blogs from Crete, Greece, Europe - page 3

Our next destination on the island of Crete was Agios Nikolaos Marina where with the help of our friend, Carole from SV Swallow we had reservations. When we left Sitia we expected no wind from the forecast, but we rounded a point and were pleasantly greeted with some nice winds for sailing – a wonderful surprise! We arrived at the marina and fortunately our friends, Carole and Paul as well as the marina staff and people on the neighboring boat were there to help as Bob overshot the place they wanted us so with their assistance and Bob’s correction maneuver (thankfully there was an empty berth across from us) we got in with no damage to Tsamaya or to anyone else. That doesn’t happen often when coming into a marina, but occasionally these things happen unfortunately. ... read more

The history of Crete goes back to the 7th millennium BC, preceding the ancient Minoan civilization by more than four thousand years. The palace-based Minoan civilization was the first civilization in Europe. After the Minoan civilization was devastated by the Thera (Santorini) eruption, Crete developed an Ancient Greece-influenced organization of city-states, then successively became part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian Republic, the Ottoman Empire, an autonomous state, and the modern state of Greece. Excavations in South Crete in 2008–2009 revealed stone tools at least 130,000 years old. This was a sensational discovery, as the previously accepted earliest sea crossing in the Mediterranean was thought to occur around 12,000 BC. This suggests that the island may have been visited by archaic humans many thousands of years ago. Stone tools indicate that the is ... read more

One of the primary reasons for visiting Crete is the Iraklio (Heraklion) Wine Region. Heraklion is the capital of Crete and produces some of the most notable wines in Greece. The wine region is regarded as a top wine region in Greece, producing great wines that must be sampled. The region is home to almost two-thirds of Crete's vineyards. The Heraklion wine area accounts for 80% of overall wine production in Crete. To discover this unique region, the territory is divided into four different PDOs and two major wine routes. The Minoan Megaron, one of the world's oldest wine presses, is located in the deserted village of Vathypetro near Peza. In the Heraklion wine region, you are never too far away from a local winery. Heraklion is the largest city on the island of Crete, located ... read more

The largest (fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea) and southernmost island in Greece is none other than Crete. Crete's most famous author, Nikos Kazantzakis, wrote Zorba the Greek. His words: “The mystery of Crete runs deep. Whoever sets foot on this island senses a mysterious force coursing warmly and beneficently through their veins, sensing their soul beginning to grow.” Crete is long and narrow, from east to west only 160 miles, and a width of 7.5 to 37 miles. The administrative center is Heraklion. The island is home to roughly 600,000 people. As you might guess, the service sector, aka tourism is the largest portion of the GDP. Only a third of Crete's land can be cultivated, with olives, grapes, vegetables and fruit grown ... read more

Le bateau part du port de Kissamos (Kavonissi) pour Gramvoussa et le lagon de Balos sur la partie nord-ouest de la Crète. Gramvoussa et Balos sont des habitats Refuges fauniques, inclus dans l'initiative européenne ΝΑΤURΑ 2000. En raison de la préservation de son environnement naturel, il n'y a pas de routes dans ces zones, Nous partons du port de Kissamos et nous naviguerons pendant environ une heure dans la baie du même nom, avec en toile de fond des falaises abruptes et des rochers, des plages isolées incroyables et le bleu infini de la mer. Nous aurons la chance d’admirer une grande grotte qui abritait un ancien chantier naval. Au bout de la baie, on observe un phénomène géologique impressionnant. Au fil du temps, le côté ouest de la Crète s’élève tandis que le côté est ... read more