Meeting up with Miha in Athens after finishing her assignment in Cyprus, we flew together to Crete, where a car had been arranged through Manolis, Director of Sales at the new Gran Meliá Resort & Luxury Villas Daios Cove, just a little down the road from Agios Nikolaos, and brother of my co-worker in Florida. Arriving at the Gran Meliá, we were treated like royalty from beginning to end.
The resort is located in a quiet, picturesque secluded cove. Manolis and staff were spectacular, with no detail missed. Crete is a fairly large island, with ruins, historical sites, and places to visit scattered throughout. We stayed in Crete for 3-4 days, drove much of it, and did not even begin to see all of the locations, such as Zeus’s cave. From the main city of Heraklion, it is only a short 20-30 minute bus ride from the town circle to the ruins of Knossos, and well 
worth the trip. Tours are available, however a bus ride and personally paid entrance will get you there and back for much less than half the price. Downtown Heraklion boasts plenty of outdoor cafés in the town center, or you can dine along the water with a view of the old fortress and carouse the cobblestone streets. Travel stores are numerous and you can book your ferry to the next island from most of them. Almost all flights return first to Athens, and then depart for one of the islands. The ferrys are less expensive, and considering a would be lay over in Athens with the flights, no time is lost.
Images from Crete:
