By car, you take in Crete’s landscape and it often seems the bigger attraction than the historic and archeological sites that chart your route, such as the fortress in Rethymno or the Minoan ruins at Knossos outside Heraklion. Little is manicured.Boulders, olive trees, sheep, goats and scruffy plants blend.The land’s denizens are known for their longevity.Is it the olive oil? Or perhaps the genetics of Crete’s legendary fighters, who have defended the land through generations from the waves of invaders its geography has invited. Or, is this hardiness spawned by the rough terrain in all directionsyou see when you leave the tourist haunts of Chania, Heraklion, Rethymno and the many beaches.
The ride is easy but has its wild moments, especially if you choose to navigate the pile on of snake turns as you ascend Crete’s tallest peak, Mount Psiloritis.In seconds you move off a fast-moving paved superhighway on the island’s north side to dirt road exits that you fear will turn into the rock-strewn roads your car rental agency has advised you to avoid. In one of the small cities you might find yourself gridlocked in a tiny alley it seems impossible to exit.
The well-scrubbed hamlet of Douliana has many hotels, and strikes this writer as a perfect retreat tailored for anyone seeking to get away from crowds to write novels, music, or just to knit
Hiking outside the hamlet of Douliana
On Palm Sunday in Douliana, devotees of authentic Greek folk music crowd a tavern in the town's center to hear musicians and dine on mezzes
Outside Douliana, you find a display by an artist who makes the small shrines recreating Greek churches that you see along the roads and in towns throughout Crete
Lake Kournas, the largest freshwater lake of Crete, seems popular among locals
By car, you run across treasures that don't make their way into the guidebooks. An artist whose main gig is restoring religious murals points us to a nearby monastery and its remains of an olive oil plant from antiquity.
A priest at a monastery dedicated to St George explains that he "helped us a lot", referring to Crete's turbulent history with invaders
The remains of the ancient olive oil factory at the monastery. In the past, draw horses or mules would power the grinding stones to crush the olives
A small chapel at the monastery
Crete is smaller than you might first think.You are usually driving slowly.The places you are going to are very close as the crow flies.Driving from the north to south of the island ,and covering almost a third of the island, you use less than 1/2 a tank.For an American, it feels especially exotic to drive along the Libyan Sea on the island’s south shore.
MATALA CAVES
Sunset at Matala, Crete
Matala's caves date back to the neolithic era. For many old enough to remember the music of Dylan, Joplin, or Joni Mitchell, the Matala caves' history as a hippie hangout makes it an even bigger draw
A free folk museum in Spili gives you a peek into locals' lives in the past centuries.
The stark remains of the fortress in seaside Rethymno
In and around May Day you will find many local tourists from other parts of Crete and Greece in Heraklion, Crete's capital, and a carnival atmosphere in the busy pedestrian shopping strips.
Puppet show in the pedestrian shopping walkway of busy Heraklion
Finding parking in Heraklion isn't easy, but some locals seem to show a way you won't consider for fear of scratching your rental car
A busker relaxes as if taking union breaks from his performances on the streets of Heraklion
Heraklion port
Expect to be treated well and to eat well — at least during the shoulder season.In the small traditional village of Douliana a stranger takes us in tow, buys us a carafe of raki and showers us with tips on where to get the best food.A restauranteur goes through his address book to call local hotels—most closed during Greek Easter Week— to find you a place for the night. You relax because everyone around you is relaxed. A cafe owner in Anogeia waves off your payment and insists you take more of the herbs from the mountainside that he used to make your tea.
The Greek and Cretan salads are so superlative that you too might seek them at every meal.Cucumbers have never been so sweet.Now we KNOW why tomatoes are really fruit and not vegetables.The cheeses melt in your mouth. The abundant seafood options on menus become the afterthought accompaniment to the salads.You won’t forget the olive oil— or the raki.
A cafe owner is eager to give you more of the herbs from the local mountainside that he uses to make your tea
You may be tempted to buy these seeds as you leave the Heraklion airport of Crete. US customs officials might feel differently however.
