Story of My Life in Geneva: Holiday in Crete, Greece

I have always wanted to visit Greece and living here made it much easier to fulfill that dream. We decided to take our summer European holiday to Crete, Greece, this past August. When researching where to stay in Greece, it was extremely overwhelming. So many beautiful islands to choose from that each have their own unique character. Since it was our first time, we decided to visit the largest island, Crete. There is so much to do and see in Crete, we could have easily spent two weeks exploring the island.

We arrived on a Tuesday evening and drove to a charming villa, Carme Villas, in Rethymno. It was in the hills surrounded by olive trees, a perfect place to settle in for a few days of relaxation.

Eliza found two babies that quickly made

their way up to our villa for the week!

The girls loved the pool!

So happy!

On Wednesday, we spent the morning along the Mediterranean Sea in Rethymno enjoying the waves and building sand castles. That afternoon, we spent time in our pool, which the kids absolutely loved. In the evening, we explored the old town of Rethymno and ate at a fabulous authentic restaurant, Pagonas Place.

This girl loves sandy beaches!!

Loved riding the waves!

Such a memorable meal-

How many restaurants give this many toys to kids??? Greeks LOVE kids!!

On Thursday, we ventured to the southern coast of Crete and spent time at a few beaches. The drive was absolutely stunning. That evening, we headed back to old town and took a bike ride along the coast.

The scenic drive...

The first beach we hiked down to- very secluded and beautiful.

Girls making sand creations-

Family bike ride!

Biking along the coast-

On Friday, we were hoping to get out on a boat, but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and it was too windy. Instead, we visited Chania, which is the second largest city of Crete. We spent a few hours walking along the harbour wall to the Venetian lighthouse, and winding our way through the narrow streets filled with restaurants and shops.

Venetian Harbour

The corn that caused Adalyn to lose a tooth!!!

Saturday, was our last day, and we needed to head to Heraklion for the airport, which gave us the perfect opportunity to visit the Palace of Knossos. Knossos is considered Europe's oldest city, dating back to 7,000 BC. There is evidence that this palace was inhabited by the Minoan people. The first palace was believed to have been built in 1900 BC, which was destroyed and rebuilt in 1700 BC. Between 1700-1450 BC, the city of Knossos had 100,000 citizens. It was amazing to tour the palace and appreciate the talent and skills these people had to create this architectural masterpiece.

Knossos Palace

After our tour, we drove to the old town of Heraklio and walked along the port. The waves were amazing that day, it was fun to see them towering over the port walls. For dinner, we visited a rooftop restaurant that was recommended to us from a friend. We could not have asked for a better farewell dinner overlooking the Sea.