Although many people consider as top diving destinations the Carribean or the Red Sea, the Mediterranean underwater landscape has much to offer to the human eye. The Mediterranean Sea gives life to 650 species of fish, to seals, dolphins and thousand of invertebrates, while special mention should be made of the well-known sea grass Posidonia, which replenishe the oxygen in its waters.

In Crete you will find many organized and experienced diving centers right on the beach, offering multiple diving courses and activities for people of all ages, in order to explore the beauty of the Mediterranean. Scuba diving is for everyone, even for children of 12 years or more, allowing you to enjoy this activity with your family and friends.

Discovering scuba diving in the safe and warm water of Crete is an experience you shoudn’t miss. Not only beginners but also experienced scuba divers and free divers from all over the world have found in Crete their secret paradise for diving training, or just relaxation by joining day trips for snorkeling, BBQ or picknik to beautiful small islands, organized by local diving centers.

For beginners the Discover Scuba Diving course by the world famous Padi organization is designed exclusively for people with no precious experience in diving. Beginners learn the basics required in order to dive under the guidance and Supervision of a Diving Instructor.

If you are interested in becoming a diver and getting a certification most of the courses can be completed in a few days, allowing you to become a certified scuba diver by Padi, IANTD or another organization. Your certification is valid all over the world and by showing your Scuba Diver Card you can combine yout future vacation with diving at any place you choose to visit. Most of the courses include theory and practice through fascinating underwater training, as well as examination in the end of the course. All equipment and diving is included in the price of the course and you can always try to arrange a better price if you are a group of people and not an individual.

You can find various scuba diving centers in the South and North of Crete. Popular location close to Heraklion, the largest city of Crete, is Lygaria, Agia Pelagia and Bali.

Additional information on courses, activities and prices you can find here.

Wedding Flowers is the only Greek site, who is dedicated in wedding and in flowers. You will be informed about anything concerns the wedding and you will find useful information’s and best proposals, which are make your wedding organisation separate.

If you are a professional florist, take this unique occasion and you will be meet the best collaborators of your sector. From these pages of our site, you will have the chance to inform about the new materials and the tendencies and you can select prototypes products that they will facilitate and renew your work.

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Up to four thousand marine organisms will be introduced into the aquarium where they will spend their lives within specially designed and constructed tanks containing 1.6 million litres of seawater, and visible to the public through 300 m2 of glass or transparent acrylic materials. Overall the building covers 5000 m2, including the backstage and technical support areas. At both the entrance and exit of the aquarium there is a coffee shop and a central meeting point.

Some very small organisms, such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, eggs, larvae, will be visible by means of gigantic screens that the visitor will be able to manipulate without difficulty. Thus, visitors will be introduced in a dynamic way, following the route designed for them, to the leading roles in the marine environment played by Science, Technique, Marine organisms and last but by no means least, Humankind itself.

For detailed information about Activities Crete visit the site of Cretaquarium

The table below lists road distances between the better known towns and villages in Crete. The distances are indicators only. Some of the places listed can be reached over more than one route and distances may differ. Bear in mind that many of the roads are small curvy roads and do not assume a high average travel speed

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Access
The Heraklion airport (HER), named after the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis, is one of the biggest in Greece. There are many airlines currently operating flights from Athens and Thessaloniki to Heraklion, Olympic Airways, Aegean Airlines, Cronus and others while during the high season there are flights from/to Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini. There is also an international airline,Transavia, that connects Heraklion to Amsterdam , Holland. Transavia has two flights per week , during the winter season, with more of these during the tourist period. During the summer season there are numerous chartered flights to Heraklion from all over Europe (mainly Germany, the United Kingdom , and Holland). During the summer months there is a huge increase in air traffic that peaks in August (approximately 130 flights per day).
Heraklion’s airport is about 5km east of the city. Major car-rental companies have desks at the airport. Taxi and public bus are available for trenfer to Heraklion.

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The Birth of Zeus in the Diktian Cave:

After Kronos and the other Titans had overthrown their father, Ouranos, they inherited rule of the cosmos. Kronos was much like his father in that he had a very violent side; when he took his sister Rhea as his wife, it was foretold that one of his children would rise up against him and overthrow him, like he had his father. He resorted to a more permanent solution than Ouranos upon hearing this; he swallowed them.

After he had disposed of five children this way, Rhea was absolutely desperate to save her last child. Seeking help from her mother, she devised a plan. When the time came for her to give birth, she fled to Mount Dicte on the fertile island of Crete; then, instead of giving Kronos Zeus, she swaddled a rock in thick blankets and presented it to him; he promptly shoved it down his throat.

About a year later, Kronos finally vomited the children he thought he had permanently disposed of. They joined with Zeus, who had grown up healthy and strong away from his cannibalistic father on the island of Crete. Together they overthrew their father and took over rule over the world. Zeus won control over the skies, his brother Poseidon ruled over the oceans, and Hades ruled over the underworld.

The Minotaur and the Labyrinth, Theseus and Ariadne:

Before Minos became king, he asked the Greek god Poseidon to assure him that he was to receive the throne. Poseidon sent a white bull on condition Minos would sacrifice the bull back to the god. Indeed, a bull of unmatched beauty came out of the sea. King Minos, after seeing it, found it so beautiful that he instead sacrificed another bull. Poseidon was very angry when he realized what had been done so he caused Minos’s wife, Pasiphae, to be overcome with a fit of madness in which she fell in love with the bull. Pasiphae went to Daedalus for assistance, and Daedalus devised a way for her to satisfy her passions. He constructed a hollow wooden cow covered with cowhide for Pasiphae to hide in and allow the bull to mount her. The result of this union was the Minotaur.

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The earliest documented music on Crete comes from ancient Greece. For many centuries, Cretan music was primarily influenced by eastern techniques and styles. The Cretan lyre is almost the same as the lyre of Constantinople. Concerning their roots, we have to deal with two different possible versions: 1) The lyre was brought by the Arabs who where coming from Spain and stayed in Crete as conquerors from 823 A.D. to 961 A.D.. During these years the lyre stayed in Crete continuously this means that the Arabic rebab of that period is morphologically the same as the lyre of Byzantium. 2)The lyre ‘arrived’ in Crete from Constantinople, probably through the Dodecanese, and “entered” the island through Sitia, which is the neighbour of Kasos and Karpathos. This must have finished by the 12th century (1101 – 1200 A.D.), since two centuries are more than enough for a musical ‘trip’ from Constantinople to Crete. Following the Crusades, however, the Franks, Venetians and Genoese dominated the island and introduced new instruments and genres. By the end of the 14th century, a poetic form called mantinada became popular it was a rhyming couplet of fifteen syllables. The introduction of the violin by the end of 17th century was especially important.

Modern music of Crete
Some of the earliest popular music stars from Crete were Andreas Rodinos, Yiannis Bernidakis (Baxevanis), Stelios Koutsourelis, Stelios Foustalieris, Efstratios Kalogeridis, Kostas Papadakis, Michalis Kounelis, Kostas Mountakis and Thanassis Skordalos. Later, in the 1960s, musicians like Nikos Xylouris and Yiannis Markopoulos combined Cretan folk music with classical techniques. For the above choices, Nikos Xylouris received the criticism of conservative fans of the Cretan music but he remained popular, as did similarly-styled performers like Charalambos Garganourakis and Vasilis Skoulas.

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People compose music, but when this music becomes particular to a remote geographical location, particularly when such location is historically significant, owing to the actions of its inhabitants through the centuries, then the human factor merges with the location itself.  This is the case with the island of Crete.

On many cultural occasions the terms Crete and Cretans are interchangeable. References to Crete or Cretans, evoke, among other things, Cretan music with its particular notes and characteristic sounds. This music relates the valor and spirit of Cretans through the centuries. It is a cultural artifact in musical form that has long been misunderstood by other Greeks in the mainland. 

Cretan music encapsulates a code of daily action that befits those brave in spirit and bold in action. It reverberates the harsh and jagged rocky spine of the island, the fresh and free air of the mountains, valleys and gorges. In short, it is a reflection of the Cretan soul that roams free and accepts no limits.

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- Do you want Chania hotels next to dazzling beaches?
- Do you prefer staying in Chania hotels near the impressive archaeological and historical sites?
- Are you interested in finding romantic honeymoon suites in luxurious Chania hotels?
- Would you like Chania hotels in serene, traditional villages?
- Are you looking for Chania hotels in popular tourist resorts?
- Have you planned a holiday with your kids and require family hotels in Chania Crete?
- Are you searching for luxury Chania hotels or budget Chania hotels?
- Have you been considering alternative vacations and need to find ecotourism hotels in Chania Crete?

We can help you find the best Chania hotels to suit your needs.

Reserving accommodation in Chania Crete is a piece of cake. As it is a very popular holiday destination, there is a plethora of Chania hotels scattered throughout the prefecture. Just click on the names of the hotels in Chania Crete that are listed below, and you can reserve you accommodation quickly and easily.

Most Chania hotels are very charming, built in the traditional style of Crete. Visitors have an extremely wide variety of accommodation to choose from, such as Chania hotel apartments and studios, which are ideal for families and large groups. Rental villas are the best alternative to Chania hotels if a group is larger than 4 persons. Chania hotel rooms and suites are perfect for couples and small groups.

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Elounda Beach – Elounda Bay Hotel – Porto Elounda De Luxe Hotel – Elounda Mare Hotel – The Peninsula All Suite Hotel – Elounda Gulf Villas & Suites – Blue Palace Hotel – Pleiades Luxurious Villas – these fine hotels contstitute a luxurious mosaic, which has been repeatedly chosen by world statesmen, prime ministers, members of royal families and national as well as international celebrities of stage and screen! The lagoon of Elounda is shaped between the coast and a small peninsula of 7-8 km length that serves as a breakwater. Today, the peninsula is separated from the mainland by a channel that was dug by the French at the end of the 19th century. A narrow bridge joins the peninsula with the mainland.

The ancient city of Olous was situated in the area of Elounda. Some ruins of the city are preserved at the edge of the peninsula, but most of them are below sea level. The ancient history is visible on the seabed, magically connecting the rich past with the fascinating presence. During summer, boats leave the harbour every hour, transporting visitors to the small islet of Spinaloga giving the chance to the passengers to stroll in a deserted leper colony with its Venetian Fortress. Elounda Hotels is a dream location for a luxurious relaxing holiday.

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The small, especially well attended port of Agios Nikolaos, has its own charm, as it is surrounded by the picturesque tile-roofed houses and it is illuminated in the evenings by the lights of the shops and those of the “kaikis”, fishing boats moored at the big dock. This is their starting point of their day trips to Spinalonga, Elounda and the picturesque Mirabello Bay. Agios Nikolaos is accessible from the mainland and the whole of Europe through Nikos Kazantzakis airport in Heraklio and many daily ferry services in Heraklion Port. Two ships directly connect Agios Nikolaos daily with the ports of Piraeus, Sitia and Aegen islands of Milos, Santorini, Karpathos, Kassos, Kos, and Rhodes.  In this site you can find a list with amazing Agios Nikolaos Hotels.

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Most people visit the island of Crete during the summer months, during the high tourist season. The excellent climate and the mild weather of Lassithi, make it a great holiday destination all year long.  The prefecture of Lassithi is packed with wonderful ancient sightseeing, including:

The Archaeological Site of Itanos and the Monastery of Toplou in Vai.
The Early-Minoan Cemetery and the building of the Middle-Minoan period in Agia Fotia.
The Minoan Settlement in Gournia.
The Minoan Palace in Zakros.
Ancient Elounda, located beneath the sea.
Kales Fortress, the mosque, the church of the Metamorphosis of Christ and the churches of Panagitsa, Agios Nikolaos, Agios Ioannis, Timios Stavros and Eleoussa in Ierapetra.
The ruins of the Middle-Minoan and the Post-Minoan Settlements on the islet of Agios Nikolaos.

On this page, we provide a list of Lassithi hotels, apartments, studios, suites, bungalows, traditional houses and rooms for rent in Lassithi Crete Greece. Each Lassithi hotel listing is accompanied by a brief description of its facilities, services, and location in Lassithi Crete Greece.

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• Grecotel Creta Palace:  Exclusive 5-star resort located on 300m sandy beach, the main hotel building and three bungalow villages are surrounded by verdant gardens. The resort’s excellent facilities include two freshwater swimming pools, ten private pools, tennis, evening entertainment, indoor pool and Nautilus gym, as well as many dining choice ….

  

• Pearl Beach Hotel: The Pearl Beach hotel in Rethymno is uniquely situated on the famous Rethymnon beach promenade, overlooking the bright blue Mediterranean sea and within walking distance of the Rethymnon’s main attractions and activities. Because of the many services and facilities offered, as well as the welcoming atmosphere and setting….

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During your touring of the prefecture of Chania, we suggest that you visit Akrotiri, which is only 15 km from the town of Hania. From there you can enjoy a spectacular sunset as well as a panoramic view of the town of Chania. Other interesting spots in the prefecture are the ancient town Aptera and the traditional villages Vamos, Gavalohori and Kefala. Also, don’t forget to visit Paleohora, a place that will offer you many historic information as well as a wonderful tour through green landscapes and picturesque little villages.

To view a variety of Chania accommodations please click the desired location on the map or use the search engine below to find all major Chania Hotels.

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• Fax
• Courier
• Hostess
• Excursions
• Photocopier
• Photographers
• Syndicate Rooms
• Access to Internet
• Secretarial Services
• Parcel & Postal Services

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Reenergize and rejuvenate your body and soul at the Thalasso Spa and Treatment Center of the Creta Maris Hotel in Hersonissos, Heraklion, Crete. The Thalasso Spa and Treatment Center provides an extremely relaxing environment, including state-of-the-art equipment that is utilized by highly-trained staff. Guests are provided with a large selection of beauty and health treatments that are based on the beneficial properties of the sea, such as:

Thalasso Spa Treatments:

• dietary and nutritional observation
• medical consultation
• seaweed massage
• oil massage
• jet massage
• 4-hand massage
• back massage
• hot stone massage
• chocolate massage
• anti-cellulite massage

• massage for men
• mud envelopment – affusion
• sea-mud fango treatment
• seaweed envelopment
• sea-rain shower – affusion
• thalasso minceur
• seaweed wrap for arms
• mud therapy for arms
• body hydration
• café thalasso therapy
• golden spa therapy
• red grape thalasso therapy

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Heraklion Luxury Hotels from the Great Hotels of the World collection cater for all your Heraklion travel needs, such as: 

Heraklion Luxury Spa Hotels
Heraklion Luxury Honeymoon Packages
Heraklion Luxury Business Accommodation 

Our luxury hotels in Heraklion have been put through a rigorous selection process with comfort, quality and high standards in mind. You will find the best accommodation combined with excellent locations at the Heraklion spa resorts. If you are looking for a romantic Heraklion hotel for a Heraklion honeymoon or romantic holiday in Heraklion then look no further. Business hotels in Heraklion from Great Hotels of the World provide everything you will need for your business trip or conference. Arrange your Heraklion luxury holiday or business trip in Heraklion via Great Hotels of the World as our list features the very best luxury Heraklion hotels. 

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It’s risky to turn up on spec at any of the main tourist destinations without a reservation in July and August though you may strike lucky if you persevere and are prepared to take whatever’s offered. If you visit outside the most popular months (June to September) you’ll be able to get a discount of 50% or more on high season prices if you hunt around. But expect to pay top rates if you’re visiting at Christmas or Easter. Freelance camping on the beaches was common in the sixties but is now frowned on by the police and many of the islanders. There are plenty of well-equipped official camp sites dotted around the island’s coastline but many backpackers still take the risk of camping out in secluded spots. Breakfast is included in the room price at many of the island’s hotels and the more upmarket establishments lay on in-house entertainment such as weekly Cretan nights with traditional music and dancing.

Package Crete holiday accommodation is largely concentrated in the frantic seaside resorts of Hersonissos and Malia on the northern coast east of Iraklio. The beachfronts are lined with hotels of all standards but most are block booked by the tour operators months in advance. You’d be ill advised to pitch up in either resort in high season without a booking though you might find a last minute bed in Malia’s old town which has numerous rooms and cheap pensions geared towards independent travellers rather than package holiday tourists.

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Each hole has a selectlon of 4 tee beds, providing a challenge for all golfers whatever their standards. Where the scratch golfer will fInd the course a tough enough test from the back tee, the novice will find the forward tees more suited to their game. For the farways, we have selected Paspalum as the grass type. This requires the minimum amount of water whist providing the maximum drought resistance. Tifdwarf will be used on the greens where a finer turfgrass is needed.

The course also comes with the full range of practice facilities for novice golfers, tourists and golf club members. ThiS includes a double- ended covered driving range with practice bunkers, short game area and practice putting green. There is also a second put- ting green adjacent to the first tee. 

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