Inside you will find:
• Cafés - A Modern Cretan Café – Street Café in Iraklion
• Beaches – Preveli Beach is a remote gem
• Music – Biography of Haralambos Garganourakis
• Accommodation – A traditional house in the rolling hills of Rethymnon
• Preview of upcoming topics

Street Café in Iraklion

Chances are, when you are in Iraklion, that you will visit or meet friends at the Liondaria. This Venetian fountain is the hub of the town, and very popular with tourists. The little plateia around the fountain gets very full, and all the cafés around it too.

There are some lovely big trees and cooling shade; one of our favourite cafés is just a step behind all the madness, down a little laneway called Katanoléon.

Street Café is one of our favourites because of its location, service and hot chocolates. It is a modern café, with high bench tops inside. Usually you have to jostle for elbow room. There are seats outside in the laneway, which is our favourite spot. Here we can gaze out across the large plateia El Greco, and watch the world go by.

The shopping here is excellent; within the journey from the Liondaria to Street Café you will find your SIM card, exotic jewellery, haute couture, stunning home wares, a wonderful bookshop and a fine bakery. Just next door is the Greek telephone office OTE and also another of our favourite shopping streets, Handakos.

With stunning modern decorations, quality amenities, wonderful service and good coffee, we love Street Café, and are glad to find it open often during siesta. Street Café, Katanoléon 2, Iraklion.

Preveli Beach

Preveli is one of the most famous beaches in Crete, isolated, beautiful and romantic. Preveli Beach is located on the central south coast of the island, just a few kms from the monastery of the same name, 43 kms from Rethymnon town.

You can journey to the beach by car and foot, walking over the mountain ridge from the dirt road, or you can take a boat from Plakias or Agia Galini. The walk is steep and not for the faint-hearted, be careful in hot weather. There are also buses to the monastery and day trips to Preveli from Rethymnon town.

The tall, steep Kourtaliotiko Gorge meets the Libyan Sea and form a cool lagoon and sandy beach. Palms and oleanders create shade; a tropical paradise forest amidst the dry rocky Mediterranean terrain.

Don’t be fooled into thinking you will get any peace and quiet in summer, because the beach is busy. There are sun lounges for hire and paddle boats. Ferries and private boats bring more visitors every time you wake up from your snooze.

A short rocky walk over the headland to the west takes you to Drimiskos Beach where Dionyssos Taverna is set back in the shade. You can gaze over the beautiful Bay of Drimiskos and enjoy tasty seafood and traditional Cretan dishes. There are a few rooms; be sure to pre-book in summer.

Another beautiful remote beach nearby is Damnoni Beach. The southern coast of Crete is wonderful to explore and provides the independent traveller with the colours, vast open spaces and textures for adventures.

Biography of
Haralambos Garganourakis

Haralambos Garganourakis Xαράλαμπος Γαργανουράκης, was born in 1946 in the beautiful village of Agios Thomas. For the last forty years, to this day, Garganourakis has been one of the most respected exponents of the Kritika Paradosiaka.

Garganourakis plays his Lyra with a great depth and feeling, whilst never over-playing. Garganourakis sings with a deep and resonant voice, which so proudly delivers to us his soulful mantinades. He is primarily known for his traditional Cretan music, and has also sung lighter and more contemporary Greek songs, including those of Giannis Markopoulos.

For a full biography visit our Cretan Musicians page.

Cretan Traditional House Accommodation

This beautiful rural accommodation in Crete is chosen for its authentic architecture and nice small size, making it a peaceful rustic getaway for a real experience of Kriti.

Located 25 kms from Rethymnon town in the central north of the island, the House of Kourites makes a perfect base for an extended stay in Crete, as it is located centrally on the island, allowing easy driving access to each capital town and to each of the diverse prefectures of Crete.

Located in the picturesque village of Tzanakiana Margarites, very close to the famous Arkardi Monastery, this cluster of traditional stone houses is a delight. It is a lazy 15 km drive to the beaches at Panormo with fresh seafood tavernas on the water.

Myth has it that the Kourites were the inventors of the agriculture and healers with herbs and dance. They also were the protectors of the young god Zeus, who hid from his father Chronos in a cave in the Psiloritis mountains (close by). The Kourites guarded the cave and also danced and clashed their spears against their shields to mask the sound of the baby Zeus crying. The Kourites have a special place in Cretan mythology.

With accommodation for 23 people, the rooms and maisonettes have been warmly decorated in a simple traditional Cretan style, accenting the rough stone walls and thick timber beams. There is much more than meets the eye here, as there is an active ecomuseum teaching visitors and locals alike about history, ecology, sustainable agriculture, and ‘quieter tourism’.

If you want your visit to Crete to contribute to the island, we encourage you to learn about Kriti and participate in an integrated cultural experience just like this one at House of Kourites. More information and rates are available at www.kouritonhouse.gr

New Topics

Upcoming Topics

We are busy writing about Cretans all around the world and their various associations and clubs. We will be happy to present a whole page on Cretan language and greetings, and more about Cretan musical instruments.

Looking for a specific place? Have a look at our interactive map.

Join us in our love of this most beautiful island.