We had an absolutely fantastic time in Crete last summer and I'm so sorry it's taken this long to post our review! Having done so I now want to go back again for this summer and the next and probably the next...
Where to start? I'll give you the shortened version. The Palazzo is an absolute gem of a hotel - and the best bit is it's not really a hotel at all. Imagine having a very hospitable friend who happened to have a very plush pad in the old part of Chania and said you could stay there. And filled the fridge up before you arrived. And came and tidied up after you. And waited around incase you needed any information about anything at all. Well that's Christine and her family. But please, please give the girl a break once in a while - she spends far too long behind the desk! She might ask you if you can fend for yourself for one day of your stay - SAY YES!!!!
As I said, the Palazzo isn't really a hotel - more of an apartment. It is wonderful and you can't help but feel privileged to be staying in such a beautiful old building. The other thing about it is you get a real sense of the local community when you stay there - it doesn't really feel like you're a tourist at all. If you do decide to say there - and you must - please please don't treat it like just another hotel - you have to respect this place for the unique Cretan experience it gives you! Christine's parent even went to a wedding one day and brought back traditional Cretan wedding cakes for us! They were heavenly pastry and honey and nut creations which were worth the trip alone!!
Moving further afield - well next door - is Steki which is a fab little taverna (don't be lured to the posher looking one on the other side of the Palazzo - more expensive and not a patch) with Johnny and Jesper the two (very) contrasting waiters. Really good food at reasonable prices - have the hot mixed platter starter to whet your appetite. Johnny also arranged a beautifully candlelit dinner for us up on the balcomy one evening - how very Romeo and Juliet!!! Lovely people but don't be tempted by the late night firewater they offer!
Next street along toward Halidon you'll find Spirit Lounge. It's great for a drink any time but best of all it must be the only place in the whole of Crete where you can get Strongbow!! What a Philistine I am!!! Seriously, it's a gloriously laid back little bar (in a fantastic setting) where you can get great drinks and even better conversations with the very eclectic clientele - from ex-pats to Athenians who've come over on the boat for the weekend. Before you know it it's 5am and a short stroll back to the Palazzo. It's run by Lee and Anna who are true West Country folk and I promise will give you the warmest of welcomes. And there's nothing like a cold glass of the Bow after a hard day on the beach...
Next - Samaria Gorge. You have to do this but go prepared. Hat and sensible (lace-up!) shoes or boots are an absolute must. The Gorge is beautiful but the whole experience should not be missed. And don't be dull and get a package thing - go local!Get the bus from the central Bus Station (7am) but be warned the journey is very beautiful but very bendy for those who (like me) get travel sick. Even Iron Guts (my boyf) felt queasy by the time we got there. But it's well worth the trouble. We did it in four hours (!) but I was too chicken to jump in the very choppy sea at the end. I viewed the ferry bouncing up and down on the waves like Skylark with some trepidation but it was an experience all in itself - my first Greek ferry! - and the views to the shore were stunning. Quite incredible to think of all those people smuggled over those mountains during WW2.
Right, history lecture over! Other highlights were Falasarna beach which was secluded and beautiful and probably our favourite. Elofinisi - the beach is stunning but sadly a bit of a tourist trap. Definitely worth going to especially for the stunning drive but take the inland road. We came back on the coast road and it was one hell of a drive! I don't think the flip-flops helped matters!! Think an English country lane (that's the width at best) with a sheer drop of oooh 300 feet into the sea on one side with no crash barrier and mad Cretans hurtling towards you at speed. You get the idea! Christine warned us - always listen to Christine!!!! Closer to Chania the town beach was adequate and Stavros Bay was lovely, full of happy local children and families and a twenty minute drive away.
So, my recommendations would be to hire a car and just get out and about. Lose yourself in Chania - it's wonderful. Immerse yourself in the Cretan way of life. Relax!!!
And last but by no means least - stay at the Palazzo. You won't regret it. Apart from when you've walked the Gorge (18km) in 4 hours and then have a lot of stairs to climb to your room and your calf muscles feel like tennis balls. Ouch!
Thanks, Christine (especially for the Baklavas)! We'll Be Back!