Crete: Chania and Hora Sfakion

Crete is a gem set in the satin blue backdrop of the Mediterranean sea.  Surf and sand frame picturesque harbors where sunbathing and fresh fish are a matter of course, olive groves pepper the coastline and stretch inland to the White Mountains, and ancient ruins resound across the landscape with echoes of past lives lived well there.

When we arrived in Chania, we found that Crete is the getaway place for Danes: advertisements in Danish draped the walls in the baggage claim area of Chania airport, and we even found a brochure advertising real estate on Crete in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.  Danish love of Greece is quite understandable:  this a sunbaked place with pristine waters, ready availability of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, and a culture of living in the open air is appealing to all.

Here are some of our great memories:

• The sweetest watermelon, a gift from our airbnb host, enjoyed from one of our rental home's many balconies

• Dips in the pristine sea on both the north and south sides of the island:

• Chania's beautiful harbor

• The drive to Hora Sfakion, with a stop in a family-run taverna with the best views of the Askyfou Plateau and yummiest gemiste (stuffed peppers) ever

• The coast at Hora Sfakion

• Ayia Triada Monastery, where monks make fine olive oil and raki 

Agia Triada olive groves