ESCORTED HOLIDAYS COLLECTION 2020

Highlights of Crete
– from Mirabello to Chania
8 days from £899 May & September
The stunningly beautiful Bay of Mirabello, and the island of Spinalonga,
will be familiar as the spectacular setting of ‘Who pays the Ferryman?’
and, more recently, Victoria Hislop’s novel ‘The Island’. But Cretan
landscapes are much more than that – with olive groves, vines, sandy
beaches, spectacular mountains and picturesque fishing harbours, all
carrying tales of a fascinating history and offering, just as importantly,
warm hospitality. Crete, specifically Phaestos, is home to Europe’s oldest
civilization, that of the Minoans. Subsequently Romans, Venetians and
Turks are an important part of Cretan tradition, too. This two-centre
holiday will show you a wide variety of scenery and visits, and all within
very reasonable travel distances.
two harbours and historical city centre, is a
little Alexandria in Europe. On a walking tour
you see the covered market, the ghetto and
Jewish, Christian, Muslim quarters of the city.
The lighthouse of the king of Egypt Mehmet Ali
stands at the entrance of the old city’s harbour.
Chania like the whole island of Crete is drenched
in history. From here you have a coach transfer
to the Botanical Park and Gardens of Crete.
Here you can walk the peaceful trails along the
hill slope with herbs, shrubs and trees from
all over the world. But don’t be late for your
included lunch in the beautiful restaurant with
magnificent views across to the mountains! 106
miles coach travel today.
There is also the chance to take an optional
excursion to Southern Crete. You visit Phaestos,
the second largest Minoan Palace in Crete,
on a hill and overlooking the olive trees and
greenhouses of the Messara Plain. Your
lunchtime break is at the seaside village of
Matala. It still retains the charm and character
of a quiet fishing village, and the laid-back,
hippy lifestyle of the 60’s and 70’s lives on.
Here, you can have a dip in the Libyan Sea and
still have time for a leisurely Cretan lunch at a
beach tavern. On the way back to your hotel you
stop in the mountain village of Spili to see the
Kefalovrisi, a series of 25 Venetian lions heads
spraying water from their mouths.
DAY EIGHT: Free time until your departure for
the airport, just over an hour away. Depending
on flight timings, there may be time for some
last-minute sightseeing en-route.
• 3 nights hb in Gouves, 4 nights hb in Rethymnon • Excursion to Agios
Nikolaos, on the Gulf of Mirabello, with boat trip and entrance to Spinalonga
island • Visits to Eleftherna, Arkadi Monastery and Margarites • Walking tour of
Rethymnon • Excursion to Chania and the Botanical Park & Gardens with lunch
PROGRAMME
DAY ONE: Flight to Heraklion. 20-minute
transfer to your hotel in Gouves for three nights
half board accommodation.
DAY TWO: At leisure in Gouves, or you can take
an optional excursion in the afternoon to see the
ancient ruins of the Minoan Palace of Malia.
DAY THREE: Full day excursion to the Gulf of
Mirabello. This fabulous day begins with a trip
through the spectacular St George ravine to
the village of Kritsa, a whitewashed mountain
village with brightly-coloured doors and
shutters, famous for its woven handicrafts and
its Byzantine church. You then continue to
the picturesque port of Agios Nikolaos. Here
you have free time over lunch to stroll around
the Marina and Lake Vouliagmeni. Your trip
continues to the town of Elounda from where
you take a 20-minute boat trip across to the
Venetian fortress island of Spinalonga which
was a leper colony for the first half of the 20th
century. After a guided tour of the island you
return to your hotel. 72 miles today.
DAY FOUR: Today you leave for Rethymnon
in the west. First stop today is the remarkable
Eleftherna Museum, Crete’s newest
archaeological attraction. Opened in June
2016, this impressive museum houses exhibits
discovered over a thirty year period in the
surrounding area. The next stop is the Arkadi
Monastery. There are still hundreds of working
monasteries and convents around Crete and,
as well as performing religious, social and
educational functions, monasteries have been
an important symbol of Cretan resistance during
the centuries of Turkish rule. Arkadi is the best
known because of the massacre which took
place there in 1866. You then have time in the
pretty village of Margarites which is famous
for its pottery workshops still using ceramic
techniques from the Minoan period. Arrival at
your hotel in Rethymnon, where you have four
nights half board accommodation, will be late
afternoon. 100 miles today.
Rethymnon has a pleasant beach and resort
area, but by contrast with your first centre, is
quite a large town, with 40000 inhabitants,
including a sizeable student population. It has an
impressive Venetian fortress and harbour, and
some interesting museums.
DAY FIVE: Included morning walking tour of
Rethymnon. Walk into town with your guide
via the promenade through the charming
old quarter to the Venetian harbour, and then
through narrow streets and squares with Turkish
and Venetian architecture. During this pleasant
walk you’ll see in a local workshop how the
Cretan musical instrument, the ‘lyra’, is made
and, at a pastry shop, how to make the waferthin
phyllo dough for traditional pastries.
DAYS SIX AND SEVEN: At leisure in Rethymnon,
with an included excursion to explore the
varied landscapes of the west of the island.
Your excursion to the west begins with a drive
to Chania. The pearl of Crete, Chania, with its
YOUR HOTELS
ASTIR BEACH HHHH,
Gouves (three 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)
THEARTEMIS PALACE HHHH,
Rethymnon (four nights)
The hotel is close to the town’s long sandy
beach and boulevard, and 20 minutes on foot
from the old town of Rethymnon. It consists
of 245 well-appointed and recently renovated
rooms. All the rooms are equipped with satellite
tv, direct dial telephone, refrigerator, safety
deposit box, bath/shower, wc and hairdryer.
The restaurant offers a variety of Greek and
international specialities. (www.theartemis.gr)
A WALKING HOLIDAY is also available
from this hotel. Please ask for a copy
of our Walking Holidays brochure or
visit preferredts.com.
28 | www.preferredts.com Please refer to the enclosed ‘Dates and Flight Information’ for details of departure dates, prices and flights.