Crete hotels and accommodation

GREECE

ATHENS HOTELS AEGEAN SEACENTRAL GREECECRETE HOTELSAGIOS NIKOLAOSCHANIA HOTELSHERAKLION HOTELSRETHYMNON HOTELSIONIAN ISLANDSCORFU HOTELSZAKYNTHOS HOTELSCYCLADES ISLANDSSANTORINI HOTELSMYKONOS HOTELSDODECANESE ISLANDSRHODES HOTELSKOS HOTELSEPIRUSMACEDONIACHALKIDIKI HOTELSTHESSSALONIKI HOTELSSPORADES ISLANDSTHESSALYTHRACE

Welcome to Crete!
Welcome to the largest of the Greek Islands. The native land of Zorba the Greek, of El Greco, Nikos Kazantzakis, and Mikis Theodorakis. The Island of the Minoan Kings and their sentry Talos. Of Daedalus and Icarus, of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. The land of the famous frescoes in prehistoric Knossos and Phaistos.
Of the local traditional clothing, topped by caps of fringed black handkerchiefs, of the more than 400 endemic herbs, of the frantic folk dances led by the tunes of the Cretan Lyra, of Warriors of freedom and resistance to the Turkish and Nazi invaders, of wine and raki symposia, and of open-hearted philoxenia.
Of the Caves of Matala Beach, part of the Hippy history of the 70's, and of Drossoulites, the mysterious misty knights attacking the southern coastline on horseback over the waters of the Libyan Sea. The Island with 1046 kilometers (650 miles) of coastline and of snow covered mountain peaks of more than 2000 meters (6000ft) in height.
Welcome to the Island that has bridged three continents and four civilizations!

Crete: Culture and Crops

Cretan people are deeply connected with music and rhythm. Through their music they express their feelings, their joy, sorrow, love, and passion for life. The instruments that they use are the lyra, the mandolin, and the lute. However, the most popular form of musical expression is the so-called "mantinada," which is a poetic couplet of fifteen syllabus which express their feelings and their thoughts.
Cretans love dancing. Some of the most famous dances are syrtos, pentozalis, sousta, and maleviziotis.
Local artisans are known for pottery, leatherwear, embroidery, and feather work. A few islanders still don the traditional garb of high black boots, pantaloons, and embroidered jackets.
Traditional pieces of weaving and needlework, as well as embroideries made by the Cretan women, are of great importance and value, both historically and in modern times.
Nowadays, roughly 30 per cent of the land area of Crete is available for the cultivation of crops and orchards. The largest plain is Messara, a fertile stretch of roughly 45 kilometers (28 miles) in length and 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in width, situated in the central southern region of what is now the prefecture of Iraklion.
Crete produces high quality olive oil. Cretan olive trees, which are said to number 13 million, represent more than one third of the Greek crop as a whole.
Grapes are also Crete�s largest export, amounting to 10,000 tons annually. On a domestic level, Cretan wines have always enjoyed a certain reputation from antiquity and well into the present.

GREEK CRUISESCAR RENTAL GREECE VACATIONS GREECE GAY TRAVEL Greece helicopters