Crete, Greece (Smaller Villages - Georgioupoli & Matala)

Beach at Matala, Crete, Greece

Hippy Side of Matala - Crete, Greece

Nude Red Beach - Matala, Crete, Greece

Paradise Beach 
at Georgioupoli - Crete, Greece

Matala's Slogan - Crete, Greece

Church - Georgioupoli, Crete, Greece

View Down to Red Beach - Crete, Greece

Palapa Day on Paradise Beach 
for Wayne & Pat
- Georgioupoli, Crete, Greece

Crete, Greece – Smaller Villages (Georgioupoli & Matala) (6/23- 7/11/2010) - It took four different buses to visit the small village of Matala in southern Crete but we were so glad we did! 

Matala is famous for its beautiful setting and beach between rocks (see photos) as well as being a former 'hippy' haven where in the 1960’s hippies lived in caves that were former Roman tombs. 

The laid back feeling and the local Greek tavernas (restaurants) on Matala's beach are ideal for romantic and carefree nights. Wayne took a hike to Red Beach that involves a climb over a hilltop to arrive a beautiful beach that is bathing suit optional – that explained his slightly pink bottom.

Taking a bus from the beautiful Venetian city of Rethymno (see our other Crete blog post), we were dropped off at the very uninspiring bus stop of Georgioupoli. Pat almost did not get off the bus. Four days later it was hard to get her back on the bus.

The charms of this quaint former fishing village quickly grow on you. Starting a recent transition from fishing village to vacation resort, Georgioupoli still offers the benefits of both. An unique ambiance is created by Georgioupoli's many good tavernas (restaurants), nice affordable accommodations, a great very long beach, and old eucalyptus trees with a small river that flows into the sea create (see photos). 

A small walk from the village of Georgioupoli we found a bit of paradise, actually called Paradise Beach, sitting on a beautiful sunny beach looking out at clear blue water (see photos). Our perfect day included a wonderful dinner in town… OK, life is good!

Crete is the largest and most populous (pop: 650,000), and diverse of the Greek Islands. The people of Crete are proud and warm and maintain their culture and customs, particularly their strong musical tradition. 

Some history... An advanced people, now named Minoans, came to Crete in 3400 BC developing unprecedented artistic, engineering, and cultural achievements. Around 1450 BC, the Minoans were wiped out by earthquakes and possibly a giant tsunami caused by the massive volcanic eruption of Santorini.

More modern history is showed today by the beautiful Venetian towns and fortifications around Crete. The Venetians ruled supreme from 1204 until 1669 when they were succeeded by the Turks who ruled Crete until very recently except for a brutal occupation by the Nazi Germans in WWII. In 1988, Crete became an independent country, followed by its union with Greece.

Please also see our other blog post about Crete to see more of wonderful Crete:

Crete Greece Large Towns Rethymno Chania Agios Nikolaos

Please see our 10 other blog posts for other beautiful Greek Islands:

‪Greece Greek Islands Our Impressions and Travel Advice

Greece Antiparos Greek Island

Greece Ios Greek Island

Greece Mykonos Greek Island

Greece Naxos Greek Island

‪Greece Paros Greek Island

‪Greece Rhodes Greek Island

‪Greece Santorini Greek Island Oia Fira Villages

‪Greece Santorini Greek Island Rest of Island

Greece Tinos Greek Island

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Write by: AN - Friday, August 27, 2010