C R E T E I S L A N D
CHANIA
RETHYMNO
HERAKLEION
LASITHI
© Copyright 2006
Virtual Greece
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crete
is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean.
It has an area of 8,300 sq. km, a coastline of 1,040 km,
and a population of 500,000.
3000 BC. The Egyptians where trading all their goods sailing along the
Nile river. The main commerce activities at that time where taking place
along the banks of the river. When they were coming close to the Delta
of the Nile where the river was meeting the Mediterranean they were staring
at the big sea and never attempted to sail through.
They
were calling it the "Big Blue". By that time the Cretans were
sailing all over the Mediterranean Sea trading goods all over the place.
They were also doing the commerce for the Egyptians who never tried to
explore the "Big Blue".
The "Big Blue" is all our hopes, all our dreams, all the things
in life that we shouldn't miss. It might be hard to explore all the Med
Sea but we are sure that visiting the island of Crete is a chance that
you shouldn't ignore.
Full of tropical beaches, traditional villages, everyone with a different
history, a huge variety of gorgeous landscapes, remains from ancient civilizations,
you've got people here writing history for the last five thousand years.
N. Kazantzakis was inspired and wrote his famous book " Zorba the
Greek" in Crete.
Crete is the one for those who want it all.
Art
Wars
and occupations were not able to prevent the intellectual
and artistic flowering of the island. For example:
The appearance of the great Cretan painter Domenicos Theotokopoulos
known as El Greco
Then
when the works of Georgios Chortatzis and Vitcenzios
Kornaros were played in the theaters.
We are even spoken of the recent past, of that great Cretan writer Nikos
Kazantzakis
Products
The main products of the island are olive oil, wine, the famous raki
(tsikoudia), grapes, citrus fruit and cheese. Among its other products
mention should be made of folk arts and handicrafts, especially the weavings,
embroideries, portable icons, ceramics, silver and golden accessories.
How can you go to Crete?
You can go to Crete by plane from Athens, Mykonos, Santorini,
Rhodes, Karpathos, Kasos and Thessaloniki and by ferry boat from
Piraeus, Cyclades, Dodecanese and Gytheio in the Peloponnese.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I n d e x
_____
M a i l
|
|