Mrs Moore, Villa Georgokastello, Crete

"Just wanted to say thank you for all your help in arranging the holiday. The villa was wonderful; great views, peace and quiet, and Crete was a revelation. I was expecting it to be like Cyprus but it's far superior. I'd also like to say how helpful  the local Freelance staff were,  they gave us insightful tips of where to go, the best times to go and restaurants worth seeking out. I am sure we will be back. Many thanks, once again and best regards"

Western Crete & Chania

Still relatively uncommercialised and authentic, Western Crete & Chania  just waits to be explored. Here, the magnificent White Mountains bestride the landscape and melted snow from their high slopes waters the fertile coastal plains, where orange, lemon and olive groves flourish and superb fruit and vegetables of every description grow in amazing profusion. This part of Crete also boasts some of the island best beaches, especially the coast west of Chania which is one 15 kilometre stretch of sandy beach broken by rocky outcrops and bustling villages with numerous waterside tavernas. Inland and virtually untouched by tourism, Crete rural life continues at the same slow pace as it has for centuries and the visitor who ventures off the beaten track will be suitably rewarded with fabulous scenery and a friendly welcome at every wayside watering hole

Whether you're looking for a little hideaway cottage of local stone, a magnificent modern villa with private pool, or perhaps a Chania harbour side hotel or apartment in a small seaside town, you'll find that Crete has them all in amazing disparate profusion. Once you take the plunge and opt for a holiday away from the massed rows of beach side hotels and apartments in more popular resorts, you might be agreeably surprised to discover just how easy it is to live in a more natural Mediterranean environment and how rewarding it can be to meet the locals on equal terms in the village bakery, butchers or wayside fruit stall. Without doubt you will also begin to understand the real meaning of filoxenia, the Greek word for hospitality to foreigners, still a way of life in rural Crete, where good Samaritans always stop to extend a helping hand and even the poorest shepherd will offer you a glass of fiery raki in the local cafenion by way of a welcome.

."Just a quick email to thank you for our great holiday in Crete. We had a great time and really appreciated how easy you made it for us, especially as we were booking from Australia. Terrific accommodation, great flexibility on your part and excellent help from all your staff and your local rep. Hope to book our next Europe holiday with you. "

Chris Rands - Villa Amanda

"We have been travelling to Greece & Crete for nigh on thirty years and thought we had already experienced the best. We were wrong; we have just had the happiest holiday of our lives in Crete. The combination of mountains, sun, cool breezes and endless kindness was bewitching. And I don't think anything on earth can compare with the magic of floating in a pool with mountains all around you and eagles circling high overhead. Thank you. This was a very special holiday among equally special people."

Crete has more places of interest than any other Greek island making Crete a Utopia for sightseers. There are so many well documented sites of historical interest including the Palaces of Knossos and Phaistos as well as  many smaller ones to explore. There are not only the great  and fascinating Archeological Museums of the main towns, displaying artefacts which visually catalogue Crete's history back through many centuries, but also naval and  folklore museums aplenty which bring to life various aspects of Cretan life. There are  brooding and beautiful Monasteries as well as countless churches, beautifully decorated.  

For walkers there is the  famous   Samaria Gorge and  many smaller gorges to walk as well as the E4 way stricking across the island east to west.  Cyclists will discover quiet roads and good tracks criss crossing the countryside and can choose between challenging routes in the White Mountains or taking the easy way with transport to the higher points and a downhill ride back to the coast.

Boat trips can be taken along the coast to beautiful bays and lagoons or over to the neighbouring volcanic island of Santorini (2 1/2 hours each way).

In early Spring  the variety wildflowers is legendary and  even outside this season Western Crete attires itself with a suprisingly green mantle, made up of a host of trees and a variety of flora.

Beware - there is so much to fill your time that you might struggle to get a day on the beach!

 Click HERE  for more details.

From the coral beaches of Elafonisi on the West Coast of Crete to the cosmopolitan beaches of Chania  Nea Hora just past the Harbour of Chania old town, Crete, but especially Western Crete has a vast number and variety of stunning beaches just waiting to be explored.  The Apokoronou Peninsular, to the east of Souda Bay has a string of sheltered beaches with shallow waters ideal for small children. and running west from Georgopolis towards Rethymnon is one long sandy bay backed by the occasional taverna or hotel. South of Rethymnon, and west of Agia Galani, a succession of virtually undiscovered sandy beaches border the Libyan Sea.