The Sirens of Eastern Crete

SITIA, Crete- We decided to miss our flight the next day over another Greek salad, fried anchovies, and fresh grilled sea bass overlooking another beautiful cove which created the perfect Greek island tranquillity.

 The previous day, Rania was offended at our plans to stay in town for our last day and said, “It would be a shame if you came all this far east and didn’t see the beaches of eastern Crete.” She quickly drew a map on the back of her business card with an itinerary.

 We were sold. The next morning, we headed to Vai, Europe’s largest natural palm grove. According to legend, the grove originated from Phoenician sailors spitting out date pits 2,000 years ago. The palms over the turquoise water were stunning.

 After a few hours, we headed to a fish tavern Rania suggested. Using the spotty Wi-Fi, I booked a local hotel and another flight five days later. We found an even cheaper place, the Hiona Holiday Hotel, in a smaller town with a few restaurants closer to the very eastern edge of the island.

 Our trip had begun a week earlier. As our flight descended over the turquoise waters, I was expecting a smooth landing. Then, all of a sudden, there was a violent bang as we hit the runway, then another, and then on the last one, the front wheels came down. The other passengers were shocked but rejoiced, realizing we all made it.

 Back in mainland Europe, the pilot would have had to fill out an incident report and we may have been evacuated from the plane. An attractive thing about Crete is the lack of everything: development, curbs, rules, driving etiquette, lettuce in their salads—I could go on. Everything seems laid back, and the visitors mix in with the residents.

 The first night, wandering through the old town on the waterfront, I came across a local festival. It was only five euros, and it included food and live music. I was the only non-Greek, but was able to get by with English. Inside, there were so many food stalls all serving local Cretan favorites like snails, slow-roasted pork, and fried graviera cheese with honey. I couldn’t get enough.

 The entertainment was traditional Cretan music played by a three-person band using stringed instruments: a lyra and a laouto, which resemble a violin and a mandolin, and a classic guitar. They played for an hour until a group of traditionally dressed dancers showed up and took the stage to perform the Stiako Pidihtos, a leaping dance rooted in ancient war movements.

 Our waterfront hotel, Sitia Bay, was defined as apartments since local development is limited. The owner, Eric runs the 19-unit property now with his wife. His parents built the property in 2000 when the Greek government bought their meat processing factory in Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games. The family had vacationed here, and given a reset, they decided to move.

 “It's quiet, it's further removed from the touristy places, it's authentic, and the quality of the food is really good,” said Eric when asked what made Sitia different. The property includes a roof terrace, a large pool, oceanfront views, and a beautiful full-service beach. They are open from May to October and close when it's time to pick the olives.

 Then, on our last day after the five-day extension, we came close to extending again. We drove 40 minutes to southeastern Crete to the town of Xerokampos, which was even more incredible.

 Mazida Ammos beach, which turned out to be our favorite overall, had the best view over a calm cove with clear water and a few beach chairs to rent. We drove to a restaurant for lunch, and the waiter pointed to four large swordfish heads strung up between two trees to reference the menu. I started to wonder how much a goat farm here would cost.

 We wanted to stay, but unfortunately, we have to save something for next year. I was reminded on this trip to put down the guidebook and speak with the people that live here. The best part of our trip and a reason to come back could have been missed.

mlp

Crete Hotels

Hiona Holiday Hotel

Sitia Bay