KRETA
The immediate surroundings and places of interest on the whole island
The largest of the Greek islands (8300 km2) and one of the most popular vacation aims of Europe. The variety of landscape, culture and tradition fills every visitor with enthusiasm. It stands out due to its mild climate and its long summers. The larger towns are in the northern coast with organized beach regions, the south is original.
STALIS - "A Gift of Gods to Man" is a justifiable characterization of the modern tourist resort Stalida.
If one goes back to the past of that place, he finds out that the picture the visitor gets today has no relation with what it used to be once. During the first decades of the twentieth century, Stalida was used as a port of transportation for goods produced in the area and in Lassithi (olive-oil, wine, bananas and horticultural goods) to Heraklion, with small sailing vessels.. Until the 1980s, Stalida was nothing more than a coastal patch with a few houses, kept by the inhabitants of the village Mohos, since Stalida was considered its haven. At this period, hotels, new houses and rooms-to-let started to be constructed and tourist development first occurred in the area. This surprising phenomenon, huge hotel groups next to small, cottage houses continued during the following decade as well and has been going on until nowadays.. In that area, the sun rises and goes down, spreading its magic colours, always vivid in the visitors memory. The beaches in Stalida are sandy and the waters are crystal-clear. You can enjoy your swim on those organized beaches and sunbathe under the golden sun of Crete. If you are a sports lover, you can try a jet ski or a banana-ski and raise your rhythms! That modern tourist resort offers the best, with regard to accommodation and entertainment facilities. Hospitality is the main feature of the locals, who will welcome you and make you feel at home. Wander along the coastal road, you will come across very modern, sophisticated restaurants, clubs, cafes with an ideal atmosphere, as well as numerous stores for your shopping. A common characteristic in all those places is friendliness, smiling people, good quality and excellent service. That destination will impress you by all means, since it has succeeded in combining calm and relaxation with magic nights under the moonlight by the coast, accompanied by the Cretan spirits, tsikoudia, good wine, exquisite Cretan food and traditional music. Good cheers and joy will certainly make your nights. You mind will always go back in that astounding corner of Crete, captive by the charms of that dreamy destination.
MOHOS - The panorama on the way to or from Mohos is truly breathtakingly beautiful.
The visitor's perspective when going up und down the foot of the mountains on witch the village Mohos is located is really panoramic and breathtaking. The historic village Mohos stretches imposingly at an altitude of 400 meters, on the way to the plateau of Lassithi. Minoan finds have excavated in Mohos at the locations Aginara, Zecheri and Macha, from which it is presumed that the village has taken its name. Entering the village and heading to its centre, one sights a superb square, densely planted with trees and surrounded by taverns, cafes, shops and traditional houses. The church of Panagia is a considerable church of Byzantine order, located on the same square. However, you should not miss to visit the old, small church Esodia tis Theotokou, where you have the opportunity to admire its graven chancel screen and the beautiful Byzantine icons. Make a stop and take pictures next to the old Fountain (well preserved until nowadays), which supplied the locals with water. Take a deep breath of relaxation and calm at the beautiful village square, over a cup of coffee or a glass of traditional wine and enjoy the hospitality of its cultured inhabitants. A wandering in the romantic alleys of the village will certainly stay on your memory, since neatness, the traditional houses, vegetation and the picturesque atmosphere will certainly charm you. The lake Ligaras, which is a natural reserve, is a beautiful oasis outside the village (on the way to Lassithi). At the lake you have the chance to see herons, swans, ducks and goldfish. During your exploration or Mohos, you will come across numerous small, picturesque churches, scattered all over the area. You have the opportunity to attend the celebration of the Prophet Elias, organized by the locals on 20th July. You can equally attend the night mess in the church dedicated to the Prophet (located on the mountain, 4 km away from the village) on the 19th, and participate in the festivities with Cretan music and food on the following day. Besides, you should not miss the greatest celebration on the 14th and the 15th August, organized for the Virgin Mary's Assumption. The festivities take place each year on the village square, where one has the chance to listen traditional music and enjoy traditional cuisine and exquisite Cretan wine, in a joyful atmosphere. There is no doubt that the mood and the temperament of the locals will charm you and you will leave the place with the best impressions.
KRASSI - The traditional and picturesque village of Krassi which belongs to the district Pediada is located in a height of 600 m of the western foot of the mountain Selena.
The name probably stirs for the peak of the mountain what as much as end means from the word Kras-Kras -- in this case here. The village offers one's services for environmental and agro tourism practically, surrounded by luxuriantly green vegetation. One finds many fruit trees walnut trees here, particularly. The main lines of business are olive cultivation and livestock breeding. The peaceful atmosphere which the place radiates transfers itself to mind and bodies of the visitor. A walk through the picturesque lanes conveys the feeling of the worry liberty, the zest for life, and perhaps one also admires the simplicity of this life. Dreamy alleys, traditional houses and luxuriant gardens are the main features Krassis. Characteristic for the village and centre of attraction for many visitors are the source from built with mortar excellently, the so-called "big fountain", which delivers incessantly much clear, best water. One lifts up her powerful crown for directly opposite over a more than one-hundred-year plane tree which donates shade to the whole village square. The tribe size measures 24 m 12 people needs to contain, the tree. It is an impressive experience to rest here -- it be, to arm for the continuation of the journey around itself with an extremely Cretan meal or also only with a coffee or another refreshment. They surely will have the warmth of the residents of Krassi and its hospitality left unforgettably.
LASSITHI - The name dates from the ancient Greek word "Lasios", this "fully" or "thick" means off.
The mountains were covered by dense woods in the antiquity. The district Lassithi is edged by 3 oceans (Cretan, Ikario, Libyan) and lies at the mountain Dikti. A picturesque place surrounded of a breathtaking mountain landscape. The windmills are a popular destination of the outing in the plateau today.
HERAKLION - The island capital is the cultural centre and an ideal starting point for voyages of discovery into the island inside.
Numerous museums expect the visitor for everyone, the archaeological museum with famous treasures of the Minoan culture and the palace from Knossos first is located only 4 km away. The port and the shopping streets in the town centre load to walks.
