ESCORTED HOLIDAYS COLLECTION 2020

A Week in Crete
- no single supplement
8 days from £949 May & September
This is a truly ‘laid-back’ holiday in Crete but with just the right amount
of included visits to give you a flavour of what this ‘fabulous’ island,
steeped as it is in Greek Mythology and ancient history, has to offer. From
your holiday base in Gouves you have two included day tours allowing
you to really discover the wonderful history of the oldest civilisation in
Europe and the truly beautiful landscapes of this island. The Minoan
Palace of Knossos, the open-air museum at Lychnostatis, wine-tasting, an
introduction to Cretan cooking – these are just a few of the highlights for
you to enjoy. And when you’re not appreciating the magnificent Cretan
countryside there is plenty of time to relax and enjoy the facilities of your
four-star hotel in Gouves.
• 7 nights hb in Kato Gouves in double rooms for single occupancy
• Tour of Northern Crete countryside • Traditional Crete and cooking
excursion
PROGRAMME
DAY ONE: Flight to Heraklion, short
transfer to your hotel for seven nights
half board accommodation in the resort
of Gouves.
DAYS TWO TO SEVEN: Free in Gouves
with two included tours.
The Northern Crete Countryside. An
excursion with a visit to Knossos and
wine-tasting! During this tour you will
be taken back 4.000 years to the time
of the oldest civilisation in Europe. The
Minoan Palace of Knossos, centre of
the Minoan Civilisation, will leave you
breathless as you wonder over the
technology and facilities of that period.
Then experience a wonderful drive
through the island’s hilly countryside
where the olive groves, orchards and
vineyards have changed little since
Minoan times, before arriving at a
local wine producer to learn about
winemaking and taste local wines.
There is free time for lunch and to see
the day to day life in the traditional
village of Archanes. 44 miles today.
Traditional Crete and cooking! After
breakfast, you visit the open-air
museum at Lychnostatis which offers
an insight into authentic Cretan life. In
a guided tour you will marvel at Cretan
architecture and the old traditional
lifestyle. You can stroll in the gardens
and admire the fruit trees and the
bright coloured flowers. You then travel
to a mountain village for an introduction
to Cretan cooking and learn to prepare
some Cretan specialities in the local
style. As a reward for your efforts lunch
is included today! If you prefer to leave
all your cooking skills at home and not
participate in the cooking workshop, the
surroundings are ideal for walking or a
sit-down in a coffee house in the village
and meet the locals. 32 miles today.
As well as the included tours there will
be a full-day optional tour showcasing
the history, culture and way of life,
both in the mountains and along the
coast. You drive west to the village of
Tylissos where a short walk leads to the
excavations of the Minoan settlement
with beautiful views over the vineyards
to the mountains. After a guided tour
here, you continue by coach 2500ft up
the slope of Mt. Psiloritis to the market
town of Anogia for a short visit. Next
stop is the Sfedoni Cave. A guided
walking tour (270m) in this impressive
cave reveals countless stalagmites and
stalactites with a variety of shapes and
colours in the labyrinthine chambers of
the cave.
Another optional tour takes you to
Southern Crete and the outskirts of
Mount Ida. In the village of Assites you
discover an ancient technique, while in
Gortys, the Roman capital and stepping
stone between East and West, you
see the famous law stones and the
amphitheatre. In the coastal village of
Matala, once the place to be for hippies,
you may enjoy a refreshing swim in the
Libyan Sea or a leisurely Cretan lunch at
a beach tavern.
DAY EIGHT: Free time until departure
for the airport and your flight home.
YOUR HOTEL
ASTIR BEACH HHHH,
Kato Gouves (seven nights)
The hotel is situated on the beach in
Kato Gouves on the north coast, 10
miles from Heraklion airport. Major
refurbishment of the public areas
including the restaurant, lobby bar and
terrace took place in 2018 along with
the addition of two more swimming
pools. The hotel is modern in style
and has a reception area, lounge with
satellite tv, bar, spacious restaurant/
dining room, two elevators, a pool bar,
a snack bar, and a mini market. All of
the 179 rooms are equipped with bath
or shower/wc, hairdryer, direct dial
telephone, safe box (weekly charge),
radio, satellite tv, mini-fridge and
balcony or terrace. Sea view rooms
are available at a supplement. In the
hotel grounds you will find a large
sun terrace and two adult and one
children’s freshwater swimming pools.
Sporting facilities include table tennis,
and minigolf. There is also a gym and
spa centre with steam bath, sauna and
whirlpool. Free wifi in the public areas
and rooms, chargeable LAN access in
the bedrooms. (www.astirbeach.gr)
Extend your holiday – extra week at
the Astir Beach Hotel.
A WALKING HOLIDAY is also available
from this hotel. Please ask for a copy
of our Walking Holidays brochure or
visit preferredts.com.
Please refer to the enclosed ‘Dates and Flight Information’ for details of departure dates, prices and flights.
www.preferredts.com | 27