Three weeks ago I visited the island of Crete off season. The purpose of the visit was business, actually, since I had a number of work meetings, but it was also a great opportunity to visit my favorite place in the world.

The winter months in Greece are equally pleasant and have a special charm. Crete can be reached outside the tourist season on a flight that includes a short stop in Athens. Charter flights from Israel to Crete will begin this year from 28 March.

South Crete

The great advantage of being on a Greek island in the winter is the small number of tourists; it was a wonderful way to experience Crete in its natural state, with its the 650,00 permanent residents. This means free roads, vacant hotels, businesses and restaurants are mostly closed, but those that are open are populated by locals.

The airport in Heraklion was almost empty, there were no lines at all, and 15 minutes after landing I was driving a rented car with a friend who accompanied me to our first destination on the north-east side of the island. We climbed up to the village of Mochos, the winding road ascends to the top of a very high mountain, below the coastline began to look smaller and the whole landscape unfolded at our feet – the road is challenging – not recommended for those who fear heights.

MOCHOS CHURCH

In Mochos we sat down to eat in a charming taverna called Taverna Rodamanthis with an authentic Greek menu, right in front of the beautiful church in the main square. During June-August, there is a professional folklore dance and music happening every evening. From Mochos we continued on a beautiful road to the Lessiti region, in eastern Crete.

the wat yo Agios Nikolaus

Agios Nikolaus, the charming marina town of Lessiti, which attracts thousands of tourists during the summer months, was also quiet and empty of visitors. The weather was perfect, very much like the Israeli winter, it was warm and not rainy, and in the evening, the cafes and taverns around the lake filled with locals.

The beaches, that are usually full of people in the summer, look wild and savage in January, and all this beauty is uninterrupted. Apart from the fact that bathing in the sea is not suitable for the season, the rest is pure pleasure. Especially in the winter.

Agios Nikolaus

Easr Crete beach

From Agios Nikolaus we drove south to the city of Ierapetra, the largest southern city of the district of Lessity. The road there is curvy and beautiful. The Libyan Sea is revealed while driving and the bays are just amazing. The weather also becomes warmer.I marked all the places I wanted to return to in the warm months and came back with a longing for the place and a promise to come again, quickly.

MAKRYGIALOS CRETE

South Crete