isabel

I'm thinking of either Crete or Sardina for about a 12 day trip next July. Number of days is flexible. We would be OK with renting a car. We like historic, pleasant small cities/towns/villages. Hill towns are nice, harbour towns even better. We love looking at the coast and enjoy walking along the beach. I love boat rides, even short ferry rides. But we aren't looking for a vacation where we sit on the beach for days at a time. I'm a photographer.

So far from my initial research on Crete I'm interested in Chania, Rethymnon, the south coast from Matala to Paleochora. The beaches at Elafonisi and Gramvousa look amazing. Not at all interested in Heraklion and would only do Knossos if I could do it from somewhere other than Heraklion. Also not interested in hiking the Samaria Gorge (I know, the two things most people do in Crete). Would probably fly in and out of Chania.

For Sardinia the west coast looks more interesting than the east, definitely not at all interested in Costa Smeralda. Cagliari looks interesting, then we'd probably go to Carloforte, Oristano (Thamos, S'Architta), Bosa, Alghero, Castelsardo and Santa Teres Gallura (and over to Bonifacio in Corsica and back). Would probably fly into Calgliari out of Olbia or vise versa.

Either of these sound better for our purposes? How about the timing - is about 12 days give or take a few about right for either of these? Other suggestions?

Thanks

BritishCaicos

For Sardinia the west coast looks more interesting than the east, definitely not at all interested in Costa Smeralda"

You are missing out on what could be argued is the most stunning piece of coastline in Southern Europe. Definitely some of the best beaches in Europe.

We have had five trips to Santa Teresa and combined these stays with trips all over Sardinia, to The Maddalena islands and Bonifacio. There isn't a huge amount of historical interest and the local dining isn't the best in Europe but the seascapes are great.

There are many rental companies specialising in small boat hire from La Maddalena town. Just be careful the wind pick up quickly in the area and can be dangerous particularly in summer.

Personally I would rent a villa in Santa Teresa as it is central to the whole area.

12 days is a perfect time frame to cover the area at a relaxing pace.

travelerjan

Western Crete has so much scenery to glory in, that despite 5 Crete visits (of 5 days each) I've not made it farther east than the Palace of Malia.
In the west, there are at least 3 fascinating ways to get to S. coast & back. This map (click to enlarge) is GRRReat -- it clearly shows all roads AND terrain http://www.explorecrete.com/crete-ma.../Crete-eot.png

To respond to some options you mentioned:
• Friends I trust tell me that Elafonisi can be a ZOOO in high season, when u are going. Most convenient way to do Balos/Gramvousa is via group-trip from Chania. I suggest waiting to rent car until ready to leave Chania, then consider these great pix-worthy adventures:

• Imbros Gorge, I agree w. you that Samaria can be 8 hrs of single-file crowds under burning sun. But consider Imbros; we walked it in May and there were only a dozen other people in 4 hours so even in July, not bad, especially if u start at 8 am... leave car at top, walk down, picnic halfway, at a taverna at end u can get taxi up the rim road to your car. Back to North
• And/OR -- drive down gorge rim (30 switchbacks!) to Hora Sfakion.
Stay near FrangoKastello, then take a ferry from Hora-Sf to Loutro, and walk the clifftop goat-path back (really scarey but great Views!!)

• And/OR -- drive down Topolian Gorge rim (stop to climb up to stone-age cliffside Cave/St Sofia) turn west to Coast and all the way up to Falassarna -- stay at Hotel Petalida on bluff atop the beach, see wind-driven surf (the next land is SPAIN) .. fish boats dock w. dinner.

• Off North Shore near Panormos, the Melidoni cave, stunning beauty plus poignancy (scene of an Ottoman massacre of innocents)

• Drive S from Rethymnon to Spili; it has a 24-lion fountain gushing pure water from Mt Ida's snowpack. Then turn East to Gerakari then south on the WEST side of Amari Valley; a hidden vale of beauty whose tiny villages burned by Nazis for resistance. End up at Matala, to climb up to the beach-view caves where Joannie Mitchell & her hippie pals stayed. Nearby see Palace of Phaistos, Knossos-type palace fortunately not "restored"

That's for a start ...

isabel

BritishCaicos - thanks for the info. Are you suggesting that we stay in Santa Teresa the whole 12 days and do day trips? Or that 12 days would be a good amount of time to cover the area from Cagliari up to Santa Teresa?

Jan - thanks. Lots of possibilities to consider. You said you've done trips that were 5 days. Did you stay in one place and do day trips or travel around? I'm also considering doing the trip using bus to get around rather than renting a car. I'm wondering if that wouldn't take longer to see the same areas.

travelerjan

In order to experience much of Crete, It's a waste of time & energy to stay in one place -- a whole lot of backtracking!! No you need to keep moving, and you need to rent a car if you have only 5 days... if you have more time, you can do a lot via bus. The bus routes are good. It takes longer because you sometimes have to return to Chania and go somewhere else. And you prety much do one "sight" per day. However, given a bit more time, you certainly can see a lot.

One regular on this forum, my friend "Stanbr" and his wife have been to Western Crete as often as I have, and this past year, they mainly used busses. It helps if you travel light ... backpack instead of a rollaboard. With a backpack u could do the Imbros Gorge thing & not have to retrieve a car.
Also,you can bus from Chania South to PaleoChora and/or Sougia and then go East. With a car you cannot drive west to east on the South Coast -- there is NO road! Look at Map. BUT if you are carless, you can stay in Paleochora a night or 2, then hop the coastal ferry ... stop at Sougia if you wish, or go straight on to Hora Sfakion. The "stanbr" pair did this, and also another couple I helped plan a trip for.

pariswat

We did Crete years ago.
Renting a car and touring the island.
Samaria and Knossos and Aphrodite source or whatever were amongst our highlights.
Never been to Sardinia.

progol

Hi, isabel,
We loved Crete -- and it's so overwhelmingly photogenic, I'm sure you will enjoy it and find it a wonderful place to spend time. Chania ticks off all your boxes as a perfect harbor town. I'm posting a link to our photos from a 2011 Greece trip -- of course, as we are shooting for our personal use, there are many shots of us, but you can get a feeling about Crete from these pictures:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/130174933@N04/Na4dsi

I'm not good about titling the photos, so I'll also post a link to my travel report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tober-2011.cfm

We were on Crete for 6 nights; 4 in Chania (loved it), 1 in Matala, and 1 in Iraklion, where we took the ferry to Santorini (the Vodafone ferry in the photos).

From Chania, we took a day trip to Elafonissi (beautiful), stopping at St. Sofia in the cave, a large cave with a church in it, and on the way back, stopped at Falassarna, another lovely beach on the western coast.

Another day, we drove through the Akrotiri Peninsula - a wonderful surprise. We spent time at the beach where part of Zorba the Greek was filmed, and then drove to the Agia Triada monastery, one of several in the region. Very visual, beautiful setting.

Chania's port is also stunning, and the light was gorgeous. We were there in mid-September, so we didn't experience the summer crowds.

Hope this helps!

neckervd

Crete is much cheaper than Sardinia.

Both Islands have historical places:
Crete of the Minoan culture (Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Kato Zagros) and of the Middle Ages (Iraklio, Rhethymnon, Chania, Frangokastello),
Sardinian of the nuragus culture (museums at Caglliari and Sassari, nuragus at Barumini, Isili, Torralba), of the Middle Ages (sarazene towers).

Some of the best beaches of Sardinia are along the East coast:
Palau, Capriccioli, Don Diego/Pirata, San Teodoro, Baia Domizia, Cala Gonone - Cala Sisine - Cala Luna, Costa Rei, Villasimius.....

Once at Bonifacio, it might be easier to fly out of Figari.

mr_go

I've not been to Sardinia, so I can't speak for it. But we really loved Western Crete when we visited in early October last year. Especially Chania, which has all the charm, scenery and history that the hype would have you believe. We fell in love with the place.

Chania pictures:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/chania

That said...it might be a tad much during high season. I'm not fond of big tourist crowds, nor blazing hot weather. YMMV.

romeanditaly

sardinia forever,but if you have a low budget....crete!

BritishCaicos

Yes, I would suggest using Santa Teresa as a base for 12 days. Fly into Olbia and then it is around a 90 minute drive up the coast.

We have visited the whole of the Sardinia coast and basically many of the beaches are stunning by European standards.

There are many restaurants in the town which have good Southern European menus. There's also La Saltara which is a farm in the hills that offers a set menu for around e40s. I can't see how anyone can appreciate Sardinia without a visit, they offer around 8 courses of totally local cuisine with cheeses, hams and a main of suckling pig. It is an institution.

From Santa Teresta you could mix the following day trips with days relaxing around the town.

- Bonifacio by ferry (1 hour to Corsica) stunning cliff town town with an incredibly vibrant Marina and town centre. Quite a party feel. Take the ferry from ST, do t take the car as it is expensive.

- La Maddalena islands : car ferry from Palua (30 minutes drive) which is 30 minutes sail to La Madaalena town, visit Garibaldi's final residence which gives a great insight into the leader who bonded a nation. The beaches on the islands are stunning and very photogenic.

- Costa Smeralda - yes it is silly expensive but it has some of the best beaches in Europe. Our favourite are the three on Cala Di Volpe.

- Alghero : is along day trip but still doable if you set off early it's possible to take the coast road one way and come back through the hills. It may be worth spending a night as the culture in Alghero is very different to the rest of the island with a Catalan feel and there are worthy side trips to the cliffs at Capo Caccia and the coast at Stintino which has azure blue seas.

In terms of costs I have been to both Crete and Sardinia but only to Eastern Crete.


Both islands probably have a similar cost of living both offer budget options and both offer hotels at e1000 plus per night. ie both cater for visitors at all levels.

We usually stay in a small group of villas called Conca Verde just south of Santa Teresa. They have stunning views of La Maddalena islands, a good beach and villas of prices from e500 a week.

I'd say to efficiently enjoy Sardinia you need to hire a car, there are local bus services but many of the most stunning areas are well away from populated areas.

isabel

Thanks for all your information. It will all come in handy since whichever one we don't do next summer we will probably do within the next few years.

Right now we are leaning towards Crete. But since my husband is insisting on at least a few days in Italy we are probably going to to do 3-5 nights in Italy (maybe Venice since the Crete architecture is heavily Venetian it could be an interesting comparison - we have both been to Venice but it's been a few years, and he's only been once) so that would leave us with 9-10 days in Crete (not counting fly in/out days). But from what you've all said it sounds like a good amount of time.

Thanks again (and I'll be back with more questions).

travelerjan

Wooo if you try Venice in July, you'll need Crete, to recover!! LOL.

And yes, the Venetian control of Crete gave Greece the loveliness of Chania (alas WW II & bombings damaged Heraklion a lot & the rebuilding made it into a Concrete City). THe street in Chania where you find the most lodgings to choose from is a delightful no-cars flagstoned lane leading straight back from the park (and Free car-park) at the sea front) ... dozens of venetian houses converted into small pensions. My fave is in the block closest to the Sea ... Hotel Palazzo. Fortunately NOT a palace ... a 3 story 30 room restored Venetian house. http://www.palazzohotel.gr/main_eng.html V. Nice owner-manager, good breakfasts, Quiet, good beds, ask for balcony facing on street & sea. Modern rooms... but the key they give you to get into the front door after midnight is an old-timey biggie, goes "clank." But I digress...

progol

<<My fave is in the block closest to the Sea ... Hotel Palazzo. Fortunately NOT a palace ... a 3 story 30 room restored Venetian house. http://www.palazzohotel.gr/main_eng.html >>

We stayed at the Hotel Palazzo and loved it! We had a street-facing room with a balcony and thoroughly enjoyed the ambience of being on a pedestrian-only street. As Jan says, the owner-manager is lovely, and it's very comfortable and well-located.

The first 2 pictures in my photo album (see link above) are taken from the balcony. Further on, there's a shot in the room. Not luxurious, but comfy.

mr_go

I'll throw in a plug for Hanim Studios in Chania. Great place with really friendly people on a quiet pedestrian street in the old part of town.

http://www.chaniastudios.com/

I can personally vouch for the Lonicera Suite (and its splendid balcony).

isabel

Thanks guys. Both those hotels look great (though Chania Studios doesn't seem to have their availability up yet for next year). But I'm bookmarking them both.

Mr go and progol both your galleries of photos has me convinced.

Jan - I'm sure Venice is awful in July now. I have been there three times in July but not since 2008 so I'm sure it's even worse now. We'll probably plan to base there and do day trips during the day to other places in the Veneto to avoid the crowds. Yes, and then we can relax in Crete.

MyriamC

I'd go with Crete.
We have been to Sardinia this June and while nature was breathtaking, the island was a a bit of a disappointment to us. It's an island for sun-seekers, for hikers, but if you're looking for 'historic, pleasant small cities/towns/villages', that is exactly what we have missed. We covered the whole island by rental car during a three week trip. Cagliari was mainly chaotic (traffic), Alghero was nice, Castelsardo was nice, but not more than that.
Just my 2 cents.

isabel

Myriam - your'2 cents' is worth a lot more than that. It confirms what we were thinking so we'll leave Sardinia for some year when we can combine it with Corsica.

So we are pretty set on Crete. I was thinking of trying to do it by bus like stanb did, but given the places I am interested in it doesn’t seem like the best idea. So we’ll probably rent a car. How is parking in places like Rethymnon and Paleochora? I know drive times on google maps are overly optimistic but does the following sound doable? We have a total of just over two weeks, but since we "have" to do a few days in Italy, and then there's the getting there/back which is in addition to the actual time there.

Day 1 PU car Chania airport drive to Rethymnon (68k/1¼ hr) night Rethymnon
Day 2 day trip to Matala 1½ -2hr, stop on way back Ag Galini, Spili night Rethymnon
Day 3 day trip to Arkadhi Monastery (23k/ ½ hr) night Rethymnon
Day 4 drive Rethymon to Paleochora (128k,2¼hr) night Paleochora
Day 5 ferry boat trip along coast night Paleochora
Day 6 drive to Agia Triada Monastery, drop car at airport (90km/1½ hr), bus to Hania night Hania
Day 7 Hania
Day 8 boat trip to Balos/Gramvoussa night Hania
Day 9 depart

If we can get another day what would you do with it?

HappyTrvlr

From Chania, drive to Vamos and surrounding hill villages, slightly NE of Chania.
On the day you visit Arkadhi, stop by on Margrites, a pottery town. We brought several pieces home, Minoan designs.

neckervd

"Costa Smeralda - yes it is silly expensive". It depends on what you call silly expensive.

for example
Hotel Capriccioli (private beach) 130 EUR/pax HB
Hotel Nibaru, Cala di Volpe 55 EUR/pax BB
Hoel Piccolo Golf, Cala di Volpe 60 EUR/pax BB