Gay travel tips for Greece and the Greek Islands

This little article (linnk below) pop ups all over the place, written by Howie Holbein, who runs a travel company called Spirit Journeys in the UK, it is a little on the brief side so not very useful and of course it mentions the old favourite islands of Mykonos and Lesbos.

I tmentions Crete in passing saying it does not have any definable gay scene, which is not quite true, but Howie can be forgiven I think as he has probably never been here!!


http://www.helium.com/items/1602844-gay-travel-greece

A Short Slideshow From Villa Ralfa the Original Gay and Lesbian Gueshouse on Crete, Greece

Crete, Greece - Gem of The Mediterranean

Not noramlly considered a gay or lesbian destination, in fact most gay travel agents and web sites would have difficulty sending you there, Crete has much to offer the gay tourist who is looking for Greek and Cretan culture, history, and food.

The Greeks will tell you that when the gods created the world, they apportioned all the dry land out to each race, at the end there was a pile of rocks left, and these they threw into the Mediterranean Sea, and this became Greece. Whether the story is true or not, Greece remains a rocky country, which probably explains why the Greeks are so good at moving rocks about, but one particular pile of rocks, the island of Crete is a gem amongst rocks.

From fertile coastal plains to rugged barren mountains, from mellow stone houses to stark concrete modernity, from bustling capital to sleepy hill villages, Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands, is an island of contrasts.
Home to around 500,000 people and several million olive trees, the island remains ever popular with visitors from northern Europe, other parts of Greece, and indeed, visitors from all over the World.

Many visitors never venture further than the beach, pool, or the nearest taverna, and remain (blissfully?) unaware of just how large the island is! Unlike the other Greek islands you cannot drive (or in some cases walk) around the island in one day, but having said that, four or five days is sufficient to give time to sample some of the islands’ delights and attractions, and 3 weeks will give you time for a full blown tour. Driving around the island is an experience in itself, road signs appear in both Greek and Roman characters, the spelling however has a certain eccentricity which gives map reading a whole new angle. And the, sometimes, tortuous hairpin bends on the mountain roads could be a challenge to any rally driver. Add to this the occasional appearance of a goat from out of nowhere, and the odd large truck which can appear at any time, and you will soon find your driving skills much improved and your speed much reduced in line with the pace of life we experience here!

To many Crete means the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, and many visiting cruise ships stop only for the day to give their passengers time to see Knossos and its Minoan Palace and the Museum in the capital, Heraklion. To the uncomplicated farming people of many thousands of years ago, the ‘city’ of Knossos would, indeed, have seemed like a Labyrinth! But outside the city there lie more ruins of interest, and greater simplicity, leading to greater understanding and more insight into the history behind the ruins.

The interior of the island holds many surprises, with spectacular scenery such as the Samaria Gorge, the longest in Europe, and traditional hill villages, churches and monasteries, where little has changed for many years, and where you are just as likely to see someone in traditional Cretan dress riding a donkey as you are a tourist riding a scooter. Even in the tourist resorts development has taken place around agriculture, and the olive trees and field of potatoes behind your apartment block will still be an active part of the life of Crete. Waking to the sound of cocks crowing and goat bells can still be a fact of life even when surrounded by concrete and glass.

Throughout the island the remnants of occupation by invaders from the Romans, through to the Turks, can still be seen, with aqueducts and architecture still plainly visible. But throughout these invasions the Cretan people have remained relatively unscathed and retain their justifiable pride in their island and their culture. With English spoken widely throughout the island to ask a Cretan a question is to invite them to sit with you, and with time measured differently here you are likely to be sitting for while! Long conversations will naturally require food and drink, and eating or taking coffee here are as much an art form as a necessity, with long leisurely meals often prepared from the café owner’s home grown produce accompanied by his own ‘village’ wine. Larger restaurants in the tourist resorts serve ‘international’ menus, but you came here to sample Crete didn’t you?

Of course, we have some wonderful beaches, pick the right place and you can have a cove nearly all to yourself even in August, and our crystal clear, turquoise sea is ideal for swimming, diving, and other water sports. (I often have the sneaking suspicion, still after all this time, that someone puts dye in the water to make it that blue!). Add to this pony trekking, rock climbing, para-gliding, and a round of gold on the 18 hole ‘desert’ golf course and your stay here can be as active or inactive as you like.

Many prospective visitors ask me about nightlife for gay people on Crete. The Greeks, of course, do not admit that they may have gay Greeks at all, for much of the time, although this is changing slowly (like everything in Greece). It is not that they ignore it as a way of life, they just seem to take no notice of it! In the busy tourist resorts little notice is likely to be taken of a noticeably gay couple, but it is advisable to be like the Greeks and be discrete, but then this applies most places, in the quieter villages you may well raise an eyebrow or two! We do have one bar which is now openly marketing itself as ‘gay’, and we do have a busy nudist beach, which is usually of interest, and yes, there are gay Greeks, believe me, I live here!

Having said that, there are excellent bars and clubs, which serve the ‘mixed population’ during the summer months and if your idea of a holiday is clubbing each night from 10pm until 5am, with your days spent recovering, then that is up to you, but I always suggest you try and get to visit Crete one day!

During the summer months transport links with northern Europe are excellent, with many flights each weeks coming direct to the island. Ferries to the mainland and other islands are frequent and make Crete an excellent choice for island hopping or as a long side trip on a general European itinerary. Many of my guests arrive on Crete via Santorini (which can be expensive!) and Mykonos (which they tell me is no longer the almost exclusively gay resort it used to be. I personally haven’t been there since the late 70’s!), and leave again by ferry for Athens. In the winter, ferries still sail as they are the supply chain to the islands. Flights can be a little more complicated as in most cases you will have to come via Athens. An out of season trip to Crete reveals the Cretan community as it really is, as there will be few tourists around and many attractions will be closed. On the other hand you will get to see the island clothed in a mantle of green, and the olive groves carpeted with wild flowers, particularly in March and November, rather than barren hills and red soil that summer visitors will see. The result of temperatures up to the mid 40’s Celsius and rarely any rain from May to September!

Trying to describe Crete, the birthplace of Zeus, the seat of Minoan civilisation, and home of olive tree culture, in 1500 words, is like trying to put a ship in a bottle, but much harder, but I hope this short article has given you some ideas and I look forward to seeing you on Crete, the island gem of the Mediterranean!
Some notes about me, the author. I was born in England and have travelled extensively in Europe including Eastern Europe and Russia when the ‘Iron Curtain’ still existed. In 1981 I went to Australia where I lived and worked in Perth and Kalgoorlie until I was deported, because they have no taste! Returning to Brighton, England, I worked in the electrical industry until I started my own catering business. In 2002 after many happy times on Crete on holiday, I decided the time was right to move here. With goods and chattels packed, and after a long drive across Europe and three ferry trips later, I arrived on Crete in February 2004, and bought ‘Villa Ralfa’ a few weeks later, opening it as a gay orientated guest house in September 2004. Since then I have had visitors from Australia, USA, New Caledonia (!), France, Italy, Holland, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and of course the UK. You can find my website at http://www.villaralfa.com/and if you need any suggestions for travel to Crete then you are welcome to contact me by email through the web site.

The Final Episode, The Arrival on Crete

We have got as far as Bologna, on the night of the biggest football match in Italy!



The drive from Bologna to Ancona really is not that exciting and you soon leave the heavy traffic for a 'country drive'.



After the ordiliness of Dover and Calais, the port at Ancona is an experience! After checking in for the ferry with our Internet printed vouchers, you get a proper ticket and a banner to hang off the rear view mirror and get directed to an unorderly 'group' of vehicles all clustered around the back of a ferry which is still unloading. And trucks still being searched, and illegal immigrants being arrested......As the time for departure looms closer and we are still waiting to be loaded, we begin to worry, and I set off across the tarmac to the loaders and point at the car, it looks distinctly lonely surrounded by 40 tonne trucks, there are few cars at this time of year.



'Yes, yes, we know you are there', but somehow I don't feel convinced, but finally we are loaded.



I can recommend this ferry trip, it takes 24 hours, which means you can party until the early hours and still have a lie in! A disco on board with Greek Techno music, fascinating!



The sea was so calm our wake stretched for miles behind us, without so much as a ripple to disturb it, and the following dawn we saw the coast of Greece, with mountains and snow, appear on the horizon as we made the brief stop at Igoumentsou.



It is now February 6th 2004, and later that day we dock at Patras, which is much the same as any port town, they always seem to be slightly jaded and disorganised places, just like Newhaven and Dieppe!



Disembarkation takes no time at all, and we try to get Customs to register our presence mainly because we want to re-register the car....They don't even want to look at our passports!

Petrol is 60 cents a litre......



The drive from Patras to Piraeus is easy, well fairly, the road is good, but what is missing is a sign actually directing you to the ferry port! We follow the signs for Piraeus and end up in the town (seedy again!). Finally we find the customs house and are directed along a 'track' that follows the water. Of course we have come off the main road at the wrong exit, but how are we to know that!



Chaos rains as I cue to get our boarding passes.....We get loaded on to the ferry quite early on, short on cash because we couldn't find a cash machine, once on the ferry and up high we can see the main road and at least four banks, but too late now of course!

Another pleasant voyage...these ferries are fun! The ferry from Ancona was nearly new, this one is older. but still the sheets are clean and crisp and the cabin staff are pleasant. The bar was good fun too!

We arrive at our destination, a chilly February morning soon after sunrise and as we arrive at Heraklion the sun catches Mount Ida, and the sun glints from the cap of snow it wears from November to June....Kazantzakis country at last!

Straight away my favourite quotation comes to mind.......


‘‘To my mind, this Cretan countryside resembled good prose, carefully ordered,
sober, free from superfluous ornament, powerful and restrained. It expressed all
that was necessary with the greatest economy. It had no flippancy, nor artifice
about it. It said what it had to say with a manly authority. But between the severe
lines one could discern an unexpected sensitiveness and tenderness; in the
sheltered hollows the lemon and orange trees perfumed the air, and from the
vastness of the sea emanated an inexhaustible poetry.

‘Crete.‘ I murmured. ’Crete...‘ and my heart beat fast.’‘ ’

Yes of course it comes from Zorba The Greek by the man himself.

And now nearly four years later, my heart does still beat fast, for like many who come to live here, Crete is in my heart.

On the way from Heraklion to Koutouloufari it poured with rain as only it can on Crete in February.

Having nowhere else to go we had arranged to stay with friends, for a little while, well about six seeks actually!

Now I had been to Crete before in February, but this was no preparation for what was to come, it was cold, it was wet, and then one morning I woke early and the first thing that struck me was the quality of the light coming through the gaps in the curtains.

Half awake I though to myself, that is just the sort of light you get in England when it has snowed......well of course it had! For the first time in many years Koutouloufari was wearing a comforter of snow, you couldn't call it a blanket, you certainly couldn't cal it a sprinkling either!

Snow balls in the street on Crete, snowmen in front yards? Yes we had them all, the amazing thing was the speed with which the snow was cleared so the roads were driveable. In Brighton our car used to get snowed in every year without fail, and there snow is expected!

As soon as possible we drove to Mochos, where people were digging their cars out of snowdrifts where the plough had thrown it over them, and finding a nearby olive grove we stopped to take a picture of the car and us surrounded by snow nearly a metre deep.....

But we were here and this is where we wanted to be......at last....home!

And what is the next thing we start to do??

Yes, start house hunting again!

The Search for a Home

OK so the house was for sale and following the estate agents word, that it would sell quickly, yes even I can be gullible, I came back out two months later to look for property, that is December 2002.

Flying into Heraklion was like coming home......The familiar landscape....the airport......the drive to Hersonissos where I was staying for a week.

The only thing that was missing? Tourists. Not a single one in sight. The main road through Hersonissos was like a ghost town with newspapers blowing along the street and any minute I expected a lump of tumblewood to follow, with the sound of a creaking swinging sign or saloon door in the background, and to hear someone whistling the theme to a Fistfull of Dollars!

Property searching was the same as anywhere else, a bitter disappointment followed by elation, followed by disappointment when I got to look at the inside. We wanted something traditional but this didn't mean that it couldn't have a roof surely?

I particularly liked the place in Vrachasi and I am sure that we could have got rid of the smell of goat eventually, oh and that nice place that was split in two halves (very common here), it would have done fine because we could have put visitors in the 'sleepout', it was just the sheer climb up to it that was the problem.

As is usual around here I was eventually introduced to someone, in a bar, who had a place for sale. Voila, not quite what was intended but it had a roof, four rooms, one of those bed platforms up a few steps, an amazing stone fireplace, the old wine press as feature (in the bedroom), and three original arches. Needed some work to let a bit of light in, and another floor on top but so what!

Back to the UK in time for Christmas armed with photographs and a rough floor plan. Other half approved but wanted to see for himself, so planned on coming back in February 2003.

Arrived back again with partner....froze to death in apartment block designed for summer use, reverse cycle air con is no substitute for central heating. The wooden window frames let in lots of air, which is fine in summer but no good on Crete in February. (Why do so many people think that Crete basks in eternal sunshine? Blame it on the movies I think).

Choice of house is fully approved, existing owner doubles price, partner is exceptionally polite and resists temptation to tell him to go forth etc.

Back to Vrahasi to look at second choice, the one divided in two, except it is now divided into three as you now have to go outside and round the corner to get from the bedroom floor down to the living area, something to do with the new reinforced concrete floor and the fact they forgot to put a hole in it for the staircase. Never mind it can be fixed. Second look at 'eau de goat' property, still smelt the same.

Rather put off when the agent informs us that 'a lot of British people live here', but never mind the house in three parts will be OK, nice view across the valley and huge roof area. Oh yes and the clincher, it has two vines (believe me when I tell you it was a selling point).

{Short break there to stir the bean stew and pour another retsina.}

Right, so Vrahasi it is.

Or rather it was until that evening. Eating out in winter here is an experience even now. Wear something warm because you will need it on even inside. The woodburning stove is glowing red hot, even the metal chimney from it will give you third degree burns, but sit more than 2 metres from it and forget about being warm ever again.

General conversation among the locals....two more mad English people moving here, translations courtesy of a Greek friend, (amazing how at that time how few people here spoke English during the winter).

Greek mother, 'Where are they looking at houses?'

Her son, 'Vrahasi.'

Mother, 'Oh they can't live there.'

Son, 'Why not?'

Mother, 'It's not a good area'

Greek snobbery? Now that's something new. That was it anyway, Vrahasi was off the list.

I suppose Steve was right, how could we live somewhere if it wasn't a good area?

Back to the drawing board and back to the UK where house has still not sold..........Who buys houses in February? Certainly no one that wanted ours!