The Fortress of Koules in Heraklion Crete

The Venetian Castle of Heraklion is called Koules, which means fortress in Turkish. It is an impressive fortress that surrounds the harbor of Heraklion, Crete. The Koules Castle is a massive fortress with two storeys that used to guard the entry to the port. The Castle was constructed by the Venetians in the early 13th century when they conquered the town. The earliest description of the Koules Venetian Castle exists in the work of the Florentine monk Cristoforo Buondelmonti in 1429.

The Fortress was primarily built for the storage of the foodstuff and the military supplies. It also served as the quarter for the officers and as a prison. A devastating earthquake completely destroyed the Castle in 1303 and it was rebuilt by the Genoese. The fortress was again restored during 1523-1540 and got its ultimate form. During the Ottoman rule, the Castle was again transformed to a prison. Several Cretan heroes who revolted against the Ottomans had been imprisoned in the castle and had been killed in the dark dungeons.

The architecture of the Castle is the typical Venetian architectural style. The construction was such that the walls of the Castle could protect the breakwater of the harbor. The Castle was made of stones. The ground floor has a vaulted roof with broad fanlight. The walls were very thick and were divided into 26 apartments serving as the residence of Kastelanos, the officer responsible for the well-being of the castle, as well as the dwellings of the captains and other officers.

A part of the ground floor was also used as the storeroom. There were three carvings of the Lion of Saint Mark in the Castle. The one at the seaside of the castle exists to these days. The upper floor and the basis of a minaret were added in the original construction by the Ottomans. Today the Koules Venetian Castle has been cleaned and restored many times. It is visited by thousands of people every year and consists of the trademark of Heraklion Town.

Greece reveals health protocols for flights and hotels in summer 2020

Tourism Minister, Haris Theoharis, revealed the health protocols for flights and hotels Greece plans to implement during the tourism season in summer 2020, once the country opens its borders to tourists amid the pandemic.

Speaking at an online event of the youth organization of ruling New Democracy, Theoharis stressed that the pandemic makes the setting of rules for the tourists’ arrivals necessary and that these health protocols must be respected.

He said that the health protocols have been prepared in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Commission of the Greek National Health Organization EODY.

These protocols have already been submitted to tourism agencies for consultation and submission of proposals on their side, the Minister added.

Flights

In order for a passenger to board a flight from abroad to Greece, he must have received a health certificate within the last 72 hours that he is not a carrier of COVID-19.  Without this certificate, he will not be allowed to board.

There will be no vacant seats on flights to, from or within Greece, ie their capacity will be full so that air transport is economically viable.

Passengers will not be served food for flights for up to four hours, but only packaged snacks.

Greeks who want to travel abroad should also be tested 72 hours before boarding the plane.

Greece’s request is that no COVID-19 test be conducted when tourists leave Greece. Tourists should be tested when they return to their own countries.

Tourists will leave the country without any control, so that there will be no risk of being trapped in the country and stay in quarantine. “After all, this would be a disincentive to choosing our country as a holiday destination,” the minister said.

Hotels

“Quarantine hotels” in every tourist area

The Ministry of Tourism will rent a tourist accommodation in each tourist area of ​​the country which will function as a “quarantine hotel.” Tourists who are found to be carriers of the coronavirus will be transferred there.

Each hotel or tourist accommodation will be obliged to contract with a doctor, who will determine whether a tourist must undergo a COVID-19 test. The diagnosis will be either live or via telemedicine.

The test results will be released within six hours so that anyone who is tested positive can be transferred to “quarantine hotels”.

Special training  in hygiene rules will be provided to the staff of each hotel.

There will be no buffets in the hotels, except in small hotels.

Sunbeds will be installed at a safety distance to each other and will have a disposable cover for each swimmer.

Revenues, bilateral agreements

Regarding the revenues from tourism, Theoharis said that last year revenues were 18 billion euros. “This year we will have at most 8 billion euros,” the minister said.

He announced bilateral agreements with countries such as Bulgaria, Israel, Cyprus, for the free passage and return of Greek tourists.

How Greece is beating coronavirus despite a decade of debt

Every day at 6pm Greeks turn on their TV sets and tune into a broadcast that at other times they might have missed. Like most rituals, there are no surprises: each time they encounter the same scene, two men, seated several meters apart, behind a long table in a brightly lit room.

The health ministry’s daily coronavirus briefing then begins with Sotiris Tsiodras, a soft-spoken Harvard-trained professor of infectious diseases, delivering the latest facts and figures with the occasional emotional plea. Nikos Hardalias, the civil defence minister, invariably follows, invoking the gravity of the situation with warnings that Greeks “must stay at home”.

The bookish professor and no-nonsense former mayor are the faces who have come to be associated with the government’s drive to contain the spread of Covid-19. Their efforts at keeping the country virus-safe appear to be paying off: in a population of just over 11 million, there were, as of Monday, 2,145 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 99 fatalities, far lower than elsewhere in Europe. Italy to date has registered 20,465 deaths.

Greece, it is generally agreed, is having a better crisis than may have been expected. Tsiodras recently allowed himself to speak of “a flattening of the curve” even if authorities accept that the prospect of Orthodox Easter, on 19 April, is unlikely to be without challenge. Traditionally, Greeks flock to ancestral villages in the countryside to celebrate the biggest festival in their religious calendar.

The country’s ability to cope with a public health emergency of such proportions was not a given. After almost a decade embroiled in debt crisis – years in which its economy contracted by 26% – Greece’s health system has far from recovered.

State hospitals bore the brunt of cuts demanded in return for rescue loans from international lenders to keep the nation afloat and in the euro zone. With the epidemic’s arrival in Europe, officials were forced to acknowledge, 18 months after the country exited its third bailout, that it had only 560 intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

It was a stark reality that left no room for mitigation strategy, or contemplating policies of achieving “herd immunity”.

Greece, like Italy, also has a large elderly population, with about a quarter of pensionable age. “There were realities, weaknesses, that we were very aware of,” said Dr Andreas Mentis who heads the Hellenic Pasteur Institute. “Before the first case was diagnosed, we had started examining people and isolating them. Incoming flights, especially from China, were monitored. Later, when others began to be repatriated from Spain, for example, we made sure they were quarantined in hotels.”

Mentis sits on the scientific committee that advises the centre-right government on the deadly disease. What is increasingly being seen as textbook crisis management, even by political foes, has been attributed as much to prioritising science over politics as to a managerial approach that focused on what the 51-year-old prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has described as “state-sensitivity, co-ordination, resolve and swiftness”.

Alex Patelis, Mitsotakis’ economics adviser, said: “There are problems you can solve through spin and others that require truth and transparency. It was very clear we needed experts and we needed to listen to them. That said, Greeks have been through crisis; they know what it is. I think that also enabled them to adapt and be stoic.”

From the outset the 25-strong committee pushed for the socially disruptive choice of lock down, a devastating option for a country that had only just begun to show signs of economic rejuvenation.

Driving in Crete

Driving in Crete

Driving in Crete is not only the most practical way to get around this huge island- it’s a pleasure in itself. Crete is Greece’s largest island, with a stunningly diverse landscape that is a joy to drive through. There are towering gorges, dramatic mountains and plateaus, fertile plains, and endless kilometers of coastline with rocky shores and white sandy beaches.

Crete’s four main cities – Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion, and Agios Nikolaos – are all on the north coast. The north coast of Crete is where the ferries and flights arrive, and you’ll find plenty to do here, and also plenty of natural splendor.

But to truly experience the wild and majestic beauty of Crete, you need to drive through its mountains and gorges as well as alongside endless beaches. Your reward for crossing the island to the south coast on the Libyan sea or to the farthest eastern and western ends of the island will be more beaches – but even better ones – less visited and more pristine.

Along the way, you will pass near beautiful gorges – some short enough for an impromptu hike before you continue on the road. You’ll also drive through historic rustic villages, not frequented by tourists. Old style classic “cafenia” shaded by lush plane trees in the town square, churches centuries old, bakeries with wood burning ovens. This is a experience of authentic Crete that you can only enjoy by car.

An Essential for Driving in Crete – Quality Cars in Good Condition

Roads are generally good in Crete, but for the sharp curves, steep inclines, and narrow passages that you find driving in Crete, you need good brakes and good tires. A reliable rental center is the clear option.

Driving in Crete, Route 1: Chania to Chora Sfakion – 73 km, 1.5 – 2 hours drive

This is one of the most famous routes for driving in Crete. Chania is one of Crete’s most popular destinations with a richly diverse landscape. The route starts out on the main national road VOAK/E75/EO90 that links Chania to Rethymnon and beyond, following the north coast. You’ll pass though some of the loveliest Cretan villages, starting with the inland village of Mournies, birthplace of the great statesman Eleftherios Venizelos. Back at the coast, you’ll see the beachside village of Aptera and Kalyves before veering inland one again towards Vrysses, still on the national road.

Vrysses means fountains or springs; this is a green and shady village that makes a refreshing and scenic stop for a thick Greek coffee or a local soft drink (Cretan lemon soda and orange soda are all natural, tangy with local juices). This is the midpoint of the route. At Vrysses, you’ll turn off the national road and onto the rural route (“EO” or Epar. Od.”) “Vryson – Chora Sfakion,” heading south.

Driving in Crete- Though the White Mountains

The road brings us through the Askifou plateau. At an elevation of 730 meters, the plateau is surrounded by the “Lefka Ori” – White Mountains. This is the Sfakia region. The uncompromising landscape of the White Mountains has shaped people of excellent and rugged character- this is a landscape of heroes. The people of Sfakia have skillfully fought against both the Ottomans in the 19th century and the Germans in WWII.

The road next takes us by Imbros, the entrance to the famous Imbros Gorge. This gorge is second in popularity only to Samaria. It is not only a great favorite with hikers, but also a with historians and descendants of the Allies who fought in Crete WWII.

A few kilometers south of Imbros, the road becomes more challenging and exciting, as it descends steeply with switchbacks, each offering increasingly fabulous views of the Libyan sea far below. Take it very slowly, both for maximum safely and maximum pleasure- these are among the finest views in Crete.

Chora Sfakion

Chora Sfakion, our destination, is a fine small port town. Visit a bakery and pick up some excellent “paximadia,” have a lunch of fresh fish at a taverna overlooking the harbor, or leave your car and hop on a boat. From here, a short boat ride brings you to Loutro- an enchanting seaside village reachable only by sea or on foot – then on to Agia Roumeli, where the Samarian gorge ends.

Driving in Crete, Route 2: Chania to Elafonissi, 73 – 82 km, 1.5 – 2 hour

At the very southwestern corner of the island is one of the most famous beaches in the world. Elafonissi is actually an island, a beach, and a lagoon of clear turquoise waters. This is a spectacular nature preserve. Wildflowers cover dunes of bright white sand, and caretta caretta turtles nest here.

You have your choice of routes to get here from Chanis. Both follow the national coastal road Kissamos – Chania VOAK/E65/EO90, then turn south to cross through the interior. The shorter route has you turn at Drapanias to the country road Kaloudianon-Chrisoskalitissas (signs for Elafonisi/Paleochora/Topolia). For the longer route, you turn at Tavronitis (just past Maleme) onto the rural route (“EO” or Epar. Od”) Tavronitis-Paleochoras (look for signs for Paleochora).

This slightly longer route takes you by the village of Ano Vouves. It’s famous for its olive tree – one of the oldest in the world, estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old. The enormous gnarled trunk is a gorgeous sight.

You’ll then pass by Mesavlia, where the Mesavia – Delaian gorge starts. This gorge of 5 km that connects the two villages is a beautiful and not at all challenging hike.

The two route converge again before Elos. This is one of the loveliest villages of the route, where you can see a 14th century Byzantine church an acquaduct from the Ottoman era. The village is shaded with chestnut trees and makes a fine stop for lunch, as there are several simple tavernas.

Just 5 km before you reach Elafnissi you’ll pass the 17th Chryssoskalitsa Monastery. It’s dramatically situated in a rock 25 m above the sea like a fortress, and is an active nunnery.

Route 3- A Short Scenic Drive: Chania to Therisos- 16 km, 30 minutes

One of the most beautiful half hour drives you’ll ever take is just outside of Chania. Leaving Chania town towards the southwest on Vasiliou Poulaka, you’ll pass through the neighborhood called Perivolia. Follow the signs to Theriso, and you will soon find yourself in a narrow, steep-sided gorge. Trees fill the gorge, and a stream runs alongside the road. The gorge ends in Theriso, a historic village.

In addition to being the birthplace of the other of Eleftherios Venizelos, this was a place of historic uprisings against the Ottomans. I was also the site of the birth of the uprising of Cretans against Prince George of Greece, who opposed Crete’s union with Greece. At Therisos’ Musuem of National Resistance you can learn more.

The other thing that Therisos is famous for is the excellence of the meat. Many tavernas serve top quality grilled or roast goat alongside other Cretan specialties. In warm weather, you’ll die in the shade of trees on large outdoor patios.

It feels so remote and peaceful here. It’s hard to imagine you can be back in the center of Chania in just half an hour.

Driving in Crete, Route 4: Rethymnon to Matala- 75 km, 1.5 hours

Gorgeous Rethymno with its Venetian monuments and picturesque harbor is the starting point for this trip. The destination is one of Crete’s wildest and most famous beaches- Matala. Matala was largely discovered by the Hippies who camped in the caves on its cliff in the 1970’s (and immortalized in the lyrics of this Joni Mitchell song).

The rural route (“EO” or Epar. Od”) Rethymnou – Agias Galinis is a beauty, taking you through part of the Psiloreitis mountain range. The highlight along the road is the large mountain village (430 m elevation) of Spili. This green village, whose name comes from the word for cave, as there are several nearby.

Whatever the weather, it’s cooler up in shady Spili. What’s more, Spili has the most fabulously refreshing fountain imaginable. Shaded by large plane trees is the “Kefalovrysi.” Here, cold water flows with force through the mouths of 25 carved stone lion heads. The mountain water is absolutely delicious.

About 10 km further along, you’ll reach the small village of Akoumia. If you want to make another stop, you can visit the 14th century Sotirias Christos Church with its fine frescoes, and then enjoy a refreshment in the shady village square.

You’ll reach the south coast at gorgeous Agaia Galini, once a sleepy fishing village, long before that the Minoan harbor of Syvritos, and now a popular resort town, arranged dramatically along the hillside overlooking the pebble beach. Continue from here to the rural route Faistou – Agias (“EO” or “Epar. Od”). After the town of Tymbaki, take the rural route (“EO” or “Epar. Od”) Timpakiou-Kamilariou, and shortly afterward turn onto the rural route (“EO” or “Epar. Od”) Gortinas – Matalon.

This famous beach town has grown since the days of the hippies, but the waters are still crystal clear, and the great white cliff sheltering the beach is dotted with caves.

Route 5 – Sitia to Ierapetra, the Coastal Route- 115 km, 2.5 hours

Passing through Palaikastro, site of the ancient Minoan port Itanos, you’ll come to Ano Zakros. This simple village is worth a stop for a visit to the Women’s Cooperative, where you can buy fantastic treats made from labor-intensive traditional recipes.

The beaches of Xerokambos are wild and secluded, with pure waters and excellent swimming. A favorite is Argyle, which is the word for clay. The cliff by the beach is made of natural clay – perfect for an impromptu natural spa treatment.

From here, along the rural route (“EO” or “Epar. Od”) Zirou-Palaikastrou, the road rises again dramatically, golden hills giving way to vistas of the Libyan sea in the distance. There are few houses and even fewer cars. You’ll feel as though you have the island entirely to yourself.

Ziros is the largest village, and after passing though here you’ll come to Chandras, a small and tranquil white-washed village of stone houses.

As you descend towards the south coast the Lybian sea comes again into dramatic view, glimpsed through golden fields. The area around Ierapetra is the markt basket of Greece, filled with hothouses providing much of the country’s produce. Ieraptera itself is a pleasing harbor town.

From here, you can take a ferry to Chrissi- a fantastic uninhabited island that is a paradise of silky white sands and Lebanese cedar trees a little over 10 km from Ierapetra. Or if you want to get back to the north coast and explore charming Agios Nikolaos – the smallest of Crete’s four capitals – it’s just 45 minutes to the north, across one of the narrowest sections of the island.

These five drives are as enjoyable as the destinations, a great way to start exploring Greece’s largest island.

Crete is also full of beautiful places to discover on your own by car.