Crete - Intro - Thomson Villas With Pools April 2012

TOP 3 THINGS To See & Do 1. Palace of Knossos Built in the Bronze Age, this complex was a key political centre for the Minoan civilisation. It's also rumoured to be the site of the fabled labyrinth, a massive underground maze which was built to contain the fearsome Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature. CreTe With miles of sandy beaches, a scenic interior and an encyclopedic offering of myths and legends, Crete really makes the most of its size. s the largest of the Greek Islands, Crete subscribes to the `bigger is better' school of thought. Its size means it's got 650 miles of coast to go round, and every stretch of shoreline is different. The beaches in Malia are the lively hangouts of the 18 to 30s crowd. The 12-kilometre swathe of sand in rethymnon is covered with the footprints of families. And the beaches near Aghios Nikolaos take a something-for-everyone approach, offering watersports and harbour-side restaurants. Crete's got more history than many of its neighbours, too. The island's timeline stretches back more than 4,000 years. In fact, Crete is credited with being the birthplace of modern civilisation. evidence for this claim can be found at The Palace of Knossos � the Minoans who lived here were some of the first people in the world to have fashions, parties and women's rights. Finally, Crete has a lion's share of unspoilt scenery. Soaring mountains, deep gorges and mirror-like lakes are all part of the island's complexion. You'll get the best feel for what the island has to offer at Samaria Gorge. Stretching for 16 kilometres, it's the longest in europe. 2. Samaria Gorge, Chania like a giant rocky wrinkle, the Samaria Gorge gives away Crete's geographical age. This deep crease has been carved into the island's landscape by a river over thousands of years. Today, the 16-kilometre gorge is a World Biosphere reserve and it's home to a rare species of goat and hundreds of unique plants. 3. lake Voulismeni The Cretan equivalent of loch Ness, lake Voulismeni is in the centre of Agios Nikolaos. Some say the goddess Athena once bathed in its waters. Some say the German army abandoned weapons into its depths during World War II. And others claim the lake is bottomless. A Villa only in Crete per villa per week on code CCC excluding flights and car hire from � 854 249 Flights to Crete return including taxes from � FASTFACTS Chania and Heraklion 4 hours from Gatwick Kalyves, Istron/Kalo Chorio, Hersonissos, rethymnon, elounda, Agia Marina DeSTINATIoN AIrPorT APProxIMATe FlIGHT TIMe KeY reSorTS Visit your travel shop | Call 0871 230 2555 | Click on thomson.co.uk Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. The cost of calls was correct at the time of publication. See page 3. Crete 143

Intro contd… Crete