Crete Part 1 - finding Elounda

The warmth of Crete is not just about the weather. The people are known for their welcoming nature and hospitality and even arriving at our hotel at the late hour of 2am was no exception.

Our annual girls holiday started with a late lunch at the airport and everything seemingly running to plan. The flight was due to arrive in Heraklion around 10.30 that night and we hoped to be in our beds by around midnight. However, a glitch involving a luggage discrepancy before our departure meant we lost our slot and left 2 hours later than planned. Something to know about hand carry luggage is that if you asked to check it at the gate and are given a luggage tag, do not remove it and try to get away with carrying it onboard. It will invariably throw the bag tally out and cause a disruption which creates all sorts of issues with the handlers, not to mention the passengers and crew who are also subjected to the delay. Thankfully, the person who did this owned up but the damage had been done.

Arriving so late we at least got through the border control relatively quickly and met with our friendly transfer driver who drove us to Royal Marmin Bay, Elounda about an hour away from Heraklion. We were dropped off around 1.30am and met at the bottom of a steep hill by a night porter with a buggy which took us up to reception. He was very welcoming and presented us with fresh lemonade while we wearily filled in our details. Needless to say all we wanted to do was sleep and to wake up to sunshine and a great view.

It was amazing to throw open the curtains and look out over the bay that first morning. Even though it was looking a little cloudy it was beautiful and pleasantly warm. To the south we could see the town of Elounda, about a 25 minute walk or a 10 minute bus ride away. Luckily the clouds disappeared as the day progressed. It could only get better and it did. 


The breakfast area was situated right by the pool and the staff couldn't do enough for us. Although it was a buffet of every type of food you desire, they were on hand to serve coffee, juice and anything else we wanted. I chose a plate of fresh fruit, Greek yoghurt and chopped pistachio nuts, which I then had almost every day afterwards. Definitely my kind of breakfast.

We gravitated towards the pool after breakfast. A lovely quiet haven with ambient background music and again the staff were super friendly and helpful refusing to let us lift a finger. If you wanted an umbrella up or down they were there. A drink from the pool bar? Don't get up we'll bring it to you. Nothing was ever too much trouble. 



We had a light lunch at the pool bar and booked a table for dinner at one of the restaurants on site, Poseidon. We were given a table which maximised the view of the beautiful bay as the sun went down. The service and food was fantastic. They have a good wine selection with some great locally produced ones on offer. One that we all really liked was a Greek Rose, Nautilus, created by growing imported vines from France. It has a blush appearance and the taste is similar to any that you would get in Provence and very reasonably priced too.

Day 1 all but over we looked forward to gently slipping into proper relaxation mode and of course getting out and about doing a bit of exploring at our leisure.

Next up .. Crete Part 2 - Spinalonga