Archive for 'Must See Attractions in Greece'

A villa in Crete and a vacation spent exploring the island leaves you with endless adventures and lots to see and do from lazy days soaking up the sun at the beach, to sailing and water sports along the coast, to hiking a wide variety of types of routes and paths through this beautiful landscape, to wandering ancient sites, to visiting pretty little towns and indulging in the extraordinary local cuisine. However, if you are interested in history, nature, have kids in your party, or are simply looking for an indoor activity to enjoy during the hottest part of the day for summer breaks, then we cannot recommend a visit to Heraklion’s Natural History Museum of Crete highly enough! A vacation rental in Heraklion is already perfect for history buffs as the entire stunning city is home to some gorgeous old buildings and an excellent Archaeological Museum as well as being positioned close to the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaestos but the wonderful Natural History Museum is the real cherry on top!

Founded in 1980 and located in the building that once housed the Heraklion Public Power Corporation since 2007, the Natural History Museum of Crete in Heraklion is the largest exhibition of its kind in the Mediterranean and operates under the auspices of the University of Crete. Showcasing the present and historic natural environment of both Crete itself and the wider Mediterranean, this engaging and invigorating museum employs innovative displays and exhibits to inform and thrill visitors! 

Greece is home to lots of incredible little towns that pack a punch far beyond what one might expect from their size and number of inhabitants but, as a land of immense natural beauty and impossibly rich historic and cultural heritage, even villages you might never have heard of before are quite extraordinary. Take the village of Lindos on the island of Rhodes, for example. With a population of less than four thousand and a relatively compact centre, one might not expect much from seeing the facts of the fishing village laid out on paper but all you have to do is take one look at the place to realise that it is kind of magic. With plenty to see and do in the area, utterly scenic surroundings, and lots of character, those who find a villa in Rhodes and come to spend any time in the village will find themselves quickly and irrevocably in love. 

Crete’s seaside towns are all pretty magic in their own ways but each are steeped in their own local myths and traditions and have their own trademark attractions and landmarks. The town of Agios Nikolaos, for example, is marked by a beautiful body of water that remains amongst the villas, apartment buildings, shops, and restaurants: the unique Lake Voulismeni! Incredibly picturesque, this special gem is a focal point for life, leisure, and tourism in the town. It is a place to go for strolls, to go for a little dip, to enjoy food or wine or a coffee by the water, or to simply sit on a bench and take in the scenery and do a bit of people-watching. One more reason to plan a trip to this stunning part of the island, be sure to check out our villas in Agios Nikolaos and our vacation rentals in Crete and come spend some time in this utterly scenic and rather magical little corner of the world. 

While there is certainly plenty to keep any visitor occupied if they have found a villa in Crete, there is also boundless opportunity to see other parts of Greece on day trips while on the island. Heraklion, the largest city on the island and the capital, also happens to be a highly important port town and ferry dock that is really well- connected to the rest of the country. So, if you find a vacation rental in Heraklion, you can certainly spend time exploring all the city has to offer (of which there is plenty) but you can also take the opportunity to experience a bit more of Greece while you are at it. Some of the destinations that are connected to Heraklion by boat or ferry include Santorini, Ios Island, Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes, Naxos, Karpathos, Kasos, Sitia, Anafi, Chalki, Diafani, and several daily ferries to Piraeus.

We’ve spoken about the stunning island of Zakynthos in Greece on plenty of occasions as an ideal spot for a relaxing island getaway where most of your days are spent exploring the picture-perfect landscape and enjoying the array of gorgeous beaches on offer. However, if you are browsing our incredible villas in Zakynthos and are actually planning your trip today then we have one particularly lovely beach for you to make note of as a must-see among all of the great beach options and wonderful spots of natural beauty that the island has to offer: Gerakas Beach.

Without a doubt one of the most picturesque of all of the beaches on the island, this is partially because Gerakas Beach is also where the protected Loggerhead turtles that populate the island come to nest and hatch their eggs and is a highly protected area that is part of the Zakynthos Marine Park, as a result. While this fact means that there are some restrictions to keep in mind for those visiting the beach, it is also one more reason for many people to visit and, if you’re up for getting there before dawn between May and October you might even be able to spot the eggs hatching and the baby turtles making their way to the sea for the first time from a distance!