november-2011

Minos Beach Art Hotel,
Aghios Nikolaos, Crete
Far from the hustle and bustle in the west of
Greece’s largest island, the Minos Beach Art Hotel
in the east is about hidden luxury off the beaten
track. A five-star boutique hotel with a wellthought
out collection of art, the hotel displays
works by some of the country’s foremost
contemporary artists. There’s even a gallery in
the gardens. Ideal for trend-spotting couples and
families with older children, this elegant scattering
of spacious, stone-clad bungalows (some with
private pools) is hemmed in by manicured gardens
and faces a wide, sandy bay. As you might expect,
water sports are big here.
Perfect for longer stays, this laid-back hotel
is nestled within sweet-scented pine forest on
a peninsula near the charming town of Aghios
Nikolaos. It’s also just a short skip away from
the elegant holiday resort of Elounda, and from
Spinalonga, which was featured in Victoria Hislop’s
best-selling novel The Island, and has some beautiful
pebble beaches with shallow waters.
Still, you’re unlikely to need to do too much
exploring. The hotel has four restaurants serving
everything from traditional Cretan fare to French
gastronomic specialities, plus three bars (one of
which is in the pool area), where you can sip coffee
at breakfast or cocktails at dusk.
Reviews: Robina Dam, Heidi Fuller-Love,
Kathryn Tomasetti
Book online at Jet2holidays.com/indulgent, freephone
0800 408 0740, or visit your travel agent
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