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ATMs. You will find automatic cash machines in bigger towns and cities all over Crete and Greece.
- Bullet holes in road signs. It is no secret that Cretans own guns, especially in mountainous areas. Road signs are easy targets and you will see many of them that resemble swiss cheese after some shooting practice. Cretans usually fire their guns at weddings and other celebrations
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Churches = ekklisies. The big churches are inside the towns but the numerous small ones are practically everywhere. Usually white-painted, you will find them on a beach, on the mountain peaks, in deep gorges or inside caves. People of Crete are deeply religious people and they build churches to express their gratitude to God or to fulfil a "tama", a promise given to God in exchange for a request.
Credit Cards: All major Credit Cards as well as Euro-cheques are recognized and accepted in most hotels, shops, travel and car rental agencies and restaurants. Stickers in the front windows will advise you as to which cards are acceptable.
- Dress code in monasteries and churches. No shorts, bikinis or sleevless shirts. Take your hat off when you enter a church and look for "No Photos" signs before you start shooting with your camera.
- Driving in Crete might seem a daunting prospect at first. However, provided you take appropriate care your trips will be safe and result in enormous pleasure.
- E111 form will prove valuable if you become ill or have an accident. All residents of European Union countries, who carry a valid E111 form, are entitled to receive free immediate, urgent medical care in Greece.
- Electric Current: The standard in Greece is 220V AC (50Hz). Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adaptor.
- Erotas or Eros, son of Aphrodite, was a god in ancient Greece. It is difficult to give the meaning of the Greek word "erotas" because there is no word for it in English.The closest translation is "being in love". The english word Love is "Agapi" in Greek.
- Erontas or diktamos is the Greek name of the herb dittany. It used to be a rare, hard to collect herb because it grew at steep cliffs in mountainous areas. Today it is cultivated, so it has become easy to find. It is said that its name "erontas", which is actually the same word as erotas, was given to it because a man should be deeply in love with a woman in order to risk his life and collect it for her from a cliff.
- Euro replaced the Greek drachma or "thrahmi" (th as in this) in 2002. Euro is pronounced as "evro" (e as in egg) in Greek. If you think that the Greek pronunciation is funny, then perhaps you should consider that Euro comes from Europe which comes from the Greek word "Evropi".
- Fresh Fish: Fresh fish in Crete has become rare and quite expensive. Common fish you will find at restaurants are: red mullet, sea bream, red snapper, swordfish and tuna. Octopus, squids, shrimps and mussels are also easy to find and they taste great. Fish like Sand-Smelt or Silverside is quite cheap and tasty, although its taste is described as "fishy" by people who are not used to Mediterranean fish.
- Garides are shrimps. Have them boiled or "saganaki" with tomatos and feta cheese.
- Gazoza, the Sprite of Crete. It is still produced by small companies all over the island and you will find it at cafes in the villages.
Greek Salad. In Greek it is called "horiatiki" and it is a tasty salad made from fresh tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese. Add some origano, vinegar and plenty of Greek olive oil and you have a tasty and fulfilling dish.
Herbs. If I had to describe Crete in 5 words only, then I would choose: sun, sea, mountains, sage and thyme. Sage and thyme are everywhere in Crete and the air is full of their characteristic smell. A lot of different herbs grow in Crete and you can buy them everywhere. Herbs have been used for ages by people of Crete as medicines. Try a tea of camomile and sage if you have a sore throat. If you don't dislike the sweet taste you may add some honey to it. If your nose is blocked and you cannot breath easily, then have a tea of thyme.
- Honey. Honey of excellent quality is produced in Crete and the reason is the many herbs of the nature of Crete. Thyme honey is considered to be the best. You can buy honey at many stores and supermarkets all over the island but for the best honey you will need to have a very good friend in Crete, who will buy it for you directly from a local producer.
- Immigrants: Albanians, Bulgarians, Russians, Ukranian and others from Eastern Europe have moved to Greece in big numbers. Most of them work in agriculture and construction and their number is more than 10% of the Greek population. They adjusted quickly to the Greek way of life and their children go to Greek schools.
- Internet Cafes. There are plenty of them, even in small towns. The rate is 1,5 Euro per hour (Heraklion, April 2004)
- Jobs in Crete. Many young people from Europe get a summer job in Crete, usually as waiters in bars and cafes or as reps in travel agencies. In order to get a job in Crete you will need to have a friend looking for you or you had better visit Crete in the beginning of the season, usually in April, and look for it by yourself. You should also find a place to stay, as accommodation is not included in most cases. You should be warned though, that your employers expect you to work hard for your salary and working 7 days a week for 5-6 months is not so much fun.
- Kafeneio, the Greek cafe, a very important part of the traditonal social life in Crete and Greece. Kafeneia (cafes) were strictly for men and the traditional ones become rare in cities. The modern version of a kafeneio is distinguished by the waitress from Eastern Europe. LINK: Greek Customs and Habbits
- Kalamari, deep fried squid. A popular dish in Crete and Greece.
- Kalimera, the greek way of saying Good Morning.
- Lamb meat. The best meat you can have in Crete is the young lamb or young goat meat from animals raised in the mountainous areas. If you happen to be in a tavern in a small mountainous village, ask them for grilled paidakia. Delicious! Pronunciation of paidakia= pythakia: py as in python, th as in this.
- Mesimeri means noon. In Crete and Greece, mesimeri is very important. First of all, it lasts longer: from 12:00 until 17:00. The lunch of Greek people is a full, hot meal and they have it at 14:30. Afterwards they enjoy their noon sleep. Never call someone between 14:30 and 17:00, unless he has asked you to do so. Even the law forbids noisy activities during the noon rest period. Shops and offices will close at 14:00 and open again at 17:30 until 21:00. This is the reason why Greek people have dinner late at night.
- Mizithra, a fresh soft white cheese. It contains lower fat and cholesterol than yellow cheese. It is made by sheep milk.
- Nai is the greek word for Yes. Gesture for Nai: move your head downwards.
- Ohi is the greek word for No. Gesture for Ohi: move your head upwards. Even an upwards movement of the eyebrows is enough for No. More Greek Gestures.
- Paximadi, the traditional Cretan way of preserving bread for a long time. It is hard dried bread that gets soft when you add some water to it. You will find it in various forms, sizes and made from wheat or barley, with or without yeast, whole grain or not. Pour some olive oil on a big round piece of paximadi, add some grated tomato, origanon and feta cheese and you will have the very tasty appetizer known as "ntakos" in Heraklion district or "koukouvaya" in Rethymnon and Chania.
- Pita Giros, slices of grilled pork meat with yoghurt, lots of onion, french fries, salt and pepper, all wrapped inside a round "pita" bread. Pita - giros is the fast food of Greece and you can find it almost everywhere. It costs 2,5 Euro (Heraklion 2004) and one of them will keep you full for several hours. Chicken giros is becoming popular lately because of the less fat it contains.
- Platanos or Plane Tree, a tree that grows close to water. You can find it usually close to a river in gorges or in the central square of villages of Crete. It looks similar to the maple tree and it can grow very big. Huge trees can be seen at Krasi village, at Asi-Gonia village or at Vlatos village, where a sign "Monument of Nature" points to it.
- Questions. Do not hesitate to ask questions whenever you need assistance or information about something. People of Crete are always helpful and most of them speak English or German in tourist areas. In remote villages it will be a lot more difficult to find someone speaking English and you may have to use hands and feet to make people understand your question.
- Raki. This is the famous local drink of Crete. It is produced in late October or early November and it is distilled from grape skins. It is transparent, very strong and in the summer it is served cold. Raki or tsikoudia is for Crete what ouzo is for the rest of Greece.
- Sariki is the traditional head cover of men of Crete. It is black and wrapped many times around the top of the head.
Souvlaki. Skewered pork meat, a traditional Greek dish. It is served with french fries and there is also chicken, lamb and swordfish souvlaki.
Spelling of towns and cities of Crete in road signs and maps. It is confusing because you will see various different spellings: Heraklion - Irakleion - Iraklion - Iraklio, Chania or Hania, Rethymnon - Rethymno - Rethimno, Sitia or Siteia. Use your creative imagination.
- Telephone: Local and international calls can be made from public cardphone booths and kiosks (periptera) equipped with meters. For the cardphone booths you will need a telecard, which can be purchased from kiosks and the offices of OTE, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization.
- Time: Greek time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, an hour ahead of Central European Time and seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
- Tipping. Tipping is optional but common at cafes, restaurants and taxis. A small amount of money is enough.
- Toilets. Should you need a toilet in a restaurant or a cafe, then look for the WC sign. Inside the toilet you will notice a waste basket or bin. This is where you should throw the toilet paper because the delicate Greek waste pipes will get blocked if you throw the toilet paper in the toilet bowl.
- Transportation.
By plane. There are three international airports in Chania, Heraklion and the newest one in Sitia. Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines fly domestic flights from/to the above airports to various destinations in Greece.
For international flights you will usually have to fly via Athens, except for charter flights or a few companies like Transavia, which fly directly to Crete.
By ferry. You can take the ferry from/to Piraeus to/from Heraklion, Chania (Souda harbour), Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia. There are also ferries to Santorini and various other islands. Travelling by ferry is more affordable than travelling by plane and the ships are modern, safe and fast. They depart late at night and arrive early in the morning of the next day. There are day trips also and the fare is reduced compared to night trips.
If you want to visit the island of Gavdos, then you will take the local ferry from Paleochora or Sfakia. The same applies if you want to travel from Kastelli (Kissamos) in west Crete to Kithira island and south Peloponnese.
By bus, taxi or car. For your transportation between the various towns in Crete you can take the bus, a taxi or hire a car. All above ways are convenient and affordable.
- Traveller's Cheques issued by all the major companies are widely recognized. You can cash your traveller's cheques in all Greek and foreign banks, exchange bureaus and big hotels, but do not forget to have your passport with you. Identification is necessary for the transaction.
- Unfinished Houses, a common sight in Crete. People in Crete build the frame of their house before their building license expires. Usually people will build a 3-4 floors building. Each floor is meant for one appartment. They need one appartment for their family but they plan ahead for when their children grow up and have families of their own. They will finish the house later when they will need it or they have enough money to do so.
- Vegetables. Crete produces many different vegetables and they taste a lot better than what you will find in the supermarkets in Europe.
- Water. Drinking tap water is not always recommended in Crete. In Heraklion the taste of tap water is bad and buying botled water is preferrable. For other areas you should ask your hotel receptionist for precise information.
- Working Hours.
Banks are open from 8:00 until 14:00 from Monday until Friday.
Public Services are usually open to the public from 07:30 until 13:00 in most cases. This varies greatly, so you had better ask a local for accurate information.
Shops in tourist areas are open from 8:00 until 22:00 or even later but the normal working hours are different in areas non-dependent from tourism, such as remote areas or cities. In cities like Heraklion or Chania the shops are open on Monday 09:00 - 14:00, Tuesday 09:00 - 14:00 and 17:30 - 21:00, Wednesday 09:00 - 14:00, Thursday 09:00 - 14:00 and 17:30 - 21:00, Friday 09:00 - 14:00 and 17:30 - 21:00, Saturday 09:00 - 14:00.
Supermarkets in cities are open from 08:00 until 20:00 from Monday until Friday. On Saturday they close at 18:00.
If you need to buy cigarettes, a chocolate bar, a bottle of water, condoms or a magazine you can do that easily at a periptero (kiosk). They are everywhere, even in the smaller towns. In cities there will be several of them open 24 hours a day, usually around the city's centre.
Gas stations close at 21:00 or 22:00. In every city there will be at least one gas station open during the night or on Sundays.
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- Xanthies touristries, blonde tourist women. Highly appreciated by the "kamakia", the young hot-blooded Greek lovers. Love stories between men of Crete and tourists are common each year. Most of them are just summer loves but a few marriages come out of them also. The result is the many european women living in Crete, mostly German, Dutch and Scandinavian. Be aware though, that having a romantic love affair during your holiday is one thing and living in Crete married to a Cretan man is totally different. The cultural differences are many and very important to ignore them.
Yakinthos, Saint Yakinthos is the Saint Valentine of Crete. There is a big celebration for the Cretan Saint of Love in Anogia in July every year.
- Yannis and Yorgos, are the two most common names for men in Greece. Yannis is John and Yorgos is George. More common names are Manolis and Nikos. For women the most common name is Maria. LINK Namedays in Greece.
- Zucchini or Courgette. Try zucchini slices deep fried in olive lioil. Fried aubergine slices are very tasty too.
weather in Crete is characterized by mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The climate in Crete is a temperate, Mediterranean climate
There are significant differences between the coastal zone and the mountainous areas, as well as between the west and the east part of Crete, when it comes to the weather conditions.
- Coastal zone: Dry summer, mild winter. The rainy season starts in late October and lasts till March or even April. Snowfalls are extremely rare in the coastal zone of Crete, especially so in the eastern part of the island.
- The east part of Crete (Sitia area) is drier and warmer than the west part (Chania district). This is obvious in the vegetation. Chania is a lot greener than the desert-like Sitia area.
- The same difference applies between the north coast and the south coast of Crete, with the south coast being drier and warmer.
- The winter in the mountainous zone of Crete can be very cold with severe snowfalls. It is not unusual for the roads to be closed due to snowfalls. Up in the high summits of Mt Ida and the White Mountains the snow stays until late June.
Basic Facts about Crete - Geography
Name: nisos Kriti = island of Crete. Crete is a region of Greece, it is the biggest island and the most southern one, except for the little island of Gavdos.
Description: Crete is 260 km (160 miles) long and 56 km (35 miles) at it's widest point. The area is 8,260 sq km (3,190 sq mi).
Population: close to 600,000. The population of Greece is 10,665,989 (2003 estimate).
Language: Greek
Religion: Greek Orthodox
Currency: Euro is the new currency of Greece since 2001.
Main Cities and Towns:
North coast: Heraklion (200,000), Chania (80,000), Rethymnon (30,000), Agios Nikolaos, Sitia.
South coast: Ierapetra, Mires, Timbaki, Paleochora.
Airports: There are five airports in Crete but only three of them are used for passenger flights: the Heraklion airport, the Akrotiri airport close to Chania and the Sitia airport. The airports of Kastelli and Timbaki are military airports.
Harbours: In Crete there are two main harbours: the Heraklion harbour and the Souda Bay harbour. The harbours in Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos and Sitia are much smaller. Along the south coast there are various fishing ports.
Mountains: Crete is a mountainous island and the island's history, as well as the personality of its inhabitants was greatly affected by these mountains. In the west there are Lefka Ori (White Mountains): 2453m, in the center there is Mt Idi (Psiloritis): 2456m and in the east there is Mt Dikti: 2148m. Cretan mountains form a continuous chain from one end of the island to the other and they make Crete look much larger than it really is.
Rivers: Rivers in Crete are short and they dry up in the summer months. Rivers which flows year-round are the river at Preveli in southern Rethymnon district and the river at Vrisses in Chania district.
Lakes: the lake of Kournas, a small but beautiful lake with many taverns around it.
Islands: There are several small islands very close to Crete: Gavdos island is the southest border of Europe and it is populated. The islands of Hrissi or Gaidouronissi, Koufonisia, Dia, Paximadia, Gramvoussa are much smaller and not populated. Most of them are popular destinations for one-day cruises from Crete.
The Cyclades island of Santorini or Thira is close to Crete also and there are daily cruises to it too.
Administration. Crete is one of the 13 administrative divisions of Greece. In Crete there are 4 Nomoi or Prefectures and many Dimoi (Municipalities). Each Dimos is consisted of various towns and villages.
- Nomoi or Prefectures in Crete -
Economy: The main sources of wealth in Crete are agriculture and tourism. The cultivation of the olive tree is very important in Crete and excellent virgin olive oil is produced here. Other important products include oranges, grapes and vegetables from greenhouses. Honey, cheese and herbs are of excellent quality also. Finally, big numbers of sheep and goats are raised in Crete.
History. Cretan History starts at 6000 BC, when the island was first inhabited. The best known period is the Bronze Age (2600-1100 BC), the period of the Minoan Civilization. During that period Cretans colonized Cyclades Islands and in Crete the palaces of Knossos, Festos and Zakros were built.
While Egyptians were afraid of the "Big Blue", Minoan ships used to travel and trade all around Mediterranean Sea. The cultural influence of the various nations Cretans came in contact with, gave birth to this civilization that we still admire and which is considered to be the first high-level civilization in Europe.
The Land: The north coast is the main tourist area of Crete and all cities are located there. The southern coast is the ideal place for the tourist who is in search of an isolated beach. Unfortunately as each year passes and their whereabouts become known, such beaches become a little more difficult to find. Naturism is a common practice on many isolated beaches. The south is also a good place if you want to train yourself in driving in narrow and very winding roads.
Away from the coastal regions, the interior is a far less well known part of Crete. This is the mountainous area of Crete; the roads may be really bad, the road signs are of little help and it's hard to find an English speaking person. Here is the place to search for small villages without the familiar "Rent a Room" or "Restaurant" signs. It is the place to meet the real Cretans: proud and friendly people, with a great sense of humor, ready to help you in any way they can and offer you a glass of "raki" (the locally produced colorless drink). When you meet them in the road just smile and say "kalimera=good morning", "kalispera=good evening" or "yasas=hello". If you ask for some information and want to thank them, then "efharisto= thank you" is the right Greek word. |
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