Kalives, Crete

18 km east of Chania and strung along the edge of Souda Bay, Kalives is still very much a Greek village that has taken tourism in its stride and the bustling main street reflects the status quo with local shops, mini markets, tavernas and cafes happily doing business with all and sundry.

There's a pretty little river which huge trout are rumoured to inhabit and where small plump ducks encourage children to feed them. Sheltered by the headland just to the east of the village is an excellent sandy beach with convenient cantinas selling cool drinks for sunbathers, whilst pedaloes are readily available for the more energetic. Just back from the main thoroughfare in a warren of narrow streets tucked into the hillside, the locals go about their daily life in time honoured fashion and if you venture into the nearby countryside, you will discover numerous tiny villages in idyllic rural settings.

With almost a dozen tavernas, plus a number of small hotels and a choice of cosmopolitan little bars or ethnic cafenions, Kalives has much to recommend it to the visitor and yet happily manages to retain that quintessential Greekness.