Is now a good time to visit Crete?

People enjoy the sun at Matala beach during a Matala Hippie Reunion Festival, in the Island of Crete.

People enjoy the sun at Matala beach during a Matala Hippie Reunion Festival, in the Island of Crete.

Published Apr 7, 2016

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Question: I'm desperate for sunshine break. Is it a good time to book a holiday in Crete at the moment, with worries about the euro - or any other local issues?

 

Answer: April is an excellent time to travel to Crete, the southernmost Greek island and also the most interesting. Spring has arrived, and you can be fairly confident of sunny skies (although the Mediterranean will be chilly).

The last couple of years have been enlivened by the drama involving a possible Greek exit from the euro, but life has calmed down and I haven't seen any indication of another financial crisis emerging this summer.

The “local issues” that have concerned people in the Greek islands over the past year concern the flow of refugees. As far as I am aware, Crete is not on a people-trafficking route and is unlikely to become so. The islands most affected have been Kos, Lesbos and Rhodes.

A photo posted by Crete,island (@creteisland) on Jan 31, 2016 at 1:14am PST

 

Despite some tabloid newspaper stories to the contrary, tourism has continued as normal through this unfolding humanitarian crisis.

I am visiting Crete this month for 48 hours, in advance of the new British Airways flights to Chania. But the fare I have paid is around £180 (about R3 700) return, rather than more than I'd like. For not much more than that you should be able to find a week's basic package holiday, flying in either to Chania or to Heraklion.

 

 

Email your travel question to [email protected] or tweet @simoncalder

The Independent

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