"Astonishing. Blue sea, high mountains, excellent archaeological sites and historic monuments (Minoan, Roman, Venetian, etc.), traditional villages and churches, and good museums."
"The mass-tourism North and the wild, distinctive South are two different destinations."
"The north coast has been ruined—high rise, high density development that is totally out of character with the Cretan way of life. Plans to develop the unspoiled south side would be a complete travesty."
"The still-lively mountain villages, historic Chania, remote Orthodox monasteries stuffed with iconic treasures, forested canyons of birds and fascinating geology, and 2,000-meter-plus [6,562-foot]snow-capped mountains. A treat."
"One must look hard for the island's amazing past, which figures into crucial epochs that include the rise of civilization and the Second World War, beneath the Euro-vacation clutter."
