Καλώς Ήρθατε!
(Kalos Irthate! / You are Welcome!)
Perhaps the single most common expression in the Greek language, and for good reason. Greece in general and Crete in particular are well known for the friendliness and generosity of its people. Visitors to Crete are made to feel welcome at every juncture – it is, after all, the Cretan way of life.
Crete was the centre of the remarkable Minoan Civilisation from 3000 B.C., and since that time, it has been influenced by the mainland Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire. All have left their mark, but Crete has managed to maintain its unique and resilient qualities and spirited way of life almost in spite of these occupations.
Crete is the largest and most southerly of Greece’s more than 1,400 islands. It is blessed with more than 310 days of sunshine every year and has, at last count, something over 25 million olive trees and a population of less than 600,000 living on its 8,350 square kilometres.
Wide open spaces, fabulous beaches, rugged mountains crowned with snow during the mild winter, and breathtaking hiking and trekking trails – all of these combine to make Crete a fabulous place to visit and an even better place to live or own a holiday home.
Crete Island Estates operates primarily in the West of Crete. Our office is located in Kalives on the Drapanos Peninsula, an area also known as Apokoronas.
