WHAT TO SEE
Heraklion The Cretan capital offers plenty of ways to spend a day, ranging from Venetian forts and fountains to outdoor cinemas.
Knossos Said to be built atop the infamous labyrinth where the Minotaur ran rampage, this Bronze Age site features vibrant restored murals.
Mount Ida Crete’s highest mountain offers five challenging routes, but for those less keen on hiking, suggest a drive to Ideon Andron cave.
Preveli Beach This unusual beach is edged by a forest of endemic Cretan date palms and a turquoise river that flows into the Libyan Sea.
tells us the 148-room hotel is almost fully booked, but we manage to view two suites before sitting down to a multi-course Cretan lunch in Armonia restaurant. As Kampouraki and I chat over a glass of white assyrtiko wine and watch kitesurfers leap across Aegean waves, a chef massages local olive oil into a leg of lamb in the show kitchen.
“Clients are the alpha –
providing a good service is the most important thing for us,” she says, as mezze ranging from creative feta doughnuts to moreish mushroom capellini pasta are served. My eyes widen when I realise these are just the starters. With a knowing smile, Kampouraki adds: “It’s not the full Greek experience if you don’t eat
and drink until you are…” She trails off, exhaling as she mimics her stomach ballooning.
SOUTHERN COMFORT The only family-friendly Paralos property on the island is Irini Mare, on the south coast. The nearby village of Agia Galini offers a snapshot of what Crete was like in
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