Description

Takes you from the turquoise lagoon of Elafonisi to the butterfly-filled gorges by the Libyan sea - finds the best places to feast on fresh lobster and speciality cakes and pastries - escapes the crowds in the quieter spots along the south and west coasts, the White Mountains and the impressive Samaritan Gorge - heads east to the unspoilt port of Sitia, with its waterside restaurants and expanse of sandy beach - knocks back the ouzos in the tavernas of the Iraklion package tour coast - includes mouth-watering recipes so you can take the experience home 'Crete's popularity is a tribute to its extraordinary charms. Four mountain ranges lend the island a dramatic grandeur out of proportion to its size; the White Mountains in the west hold the Gorge of Samaria, the longest canyon in Europe. Some 1,500 kinds of wild flowers, including species unique to Crete, brighten the landscape in the spring with the intensity of 1950s Technicolour.'