Risk Assessment Trip to Heraklion and Aghios Nikoloas, Crete
Having not visited Crete (once a regular annual end of season decompression necessity) since before Lockdown, and with School Trips impending, we had to return!
We’ve known Manolis and Inga since running my own school trips way before the conception of Hellene School Travel and trust them implicitly in their choice of two new Hotels.
Nevertheless, we still had to visit personally, sleep in, meet personnel, experience breakfast and conduct Risk Assessments.
We’d been warned to expect huge changes but didn’t envisage the extent!
Heraklion itself is at the tail end of a huge refurb. New pedestrianised walkways, a street market clean up (in our opinion lessening the atmosphere – but we acknowledge great for the modern tourist), fancy new shops in Odos Daedalos the area once purely Taverna Alley (with lots of opportunity for Classics Brand name spotting) and lots of green space.
The Museum is still there obviously (yes, we lost a few hours), but now with a fabulous outside café (necessary for aching feet) selling pomegranate and fig smoothies. Venetian Loggia, Roman Fountain and Lion Fountain have all been spruced up and there is also now a branch of the Kotsanos Ancient Technology Museum a stone’s throw from the centre.
Our chosen Hotel in Heraklion is the one in which I first stayed with my mother nearly half a century ago! Now with café, restaurant and roof top pool bar (& lifeguard), security is paramount with key cards necessary for every floor.
The road to Aghios Nikoloas is still under construction, but only an hour’s transfer. Our favoured Hotels in this lovely working fishing port exist no more. Pre-Lockdown the town had hit a comfortable fusion of local residential meets fishing village meets tourism (in contrast to the slightly tatty ‘70/80s mass tourism holiday resort) – post Lockdown it’s seriously upgraded to a Boutique, Adults only, infinity pool, no kids, cruise ships welcome kind’a place!
If not for our friends’ connections, we would have been unable to secure a child friendly and welcoming Hotel, with great views.
The town still retains it’s slightly ‘old Crete’ charm when cruise ship habitues depart and it’s certainly a safe environment for school children to peruse the slightly more upmarket tourist souvenir shops.
Never a huge fan of European Hotel fayre, when possible, we prefer to use local tavernas with whom we have personal connections. School feedback is certainly positive!
“I wanted to say an enormous thank you to you and your team. The pupils had a wonderful time, and so did we. It was an excellent itinerary, and everyone was terrific. The Taverna manager was excellent and handled our varying numbers and our dietary requirements with aplomb. The hotel was terrific, and Assistant Manager Tamzeel did a great job offering us support when we had a few sick pupils. We’d thoroughly recommend this hotel for other groups! Crete was a great place to enrich our pupils’ understanding of the Greeks. Most useful for those studying Homer at GCSE/A level, but good to provide more of an overview to all pupils as well. Palekastro gave us some pomegranates – excellent xenia; glad we made it home despite eating the seeds!”
Two main changes (for now) re archaeological access is that after many years the Archaeological Museum of Aghios Nikolaos has reopened! Sadly, we had no time to visit.
We also discovered that access to the Diktaean Cave has been temporarily restricted as they install an ability friendly lift.
Inga and Manolis came up trumps with possible alternatives.
We suggested an alternative visit to the Trapeza / Kronos Cave on Lasithi. Their feedback with photos was fab. Behind Karfi there was a celebration at the little church of St. Ariadne.
The cave itself although with spectacular views and geological formations, with minimal lighting, handrails and steps, needs careful planning and is maybe best reserved for geologists.
After much discussion, we decided the best alternative would be Mokhlos. It was a hit with both staff and students alike for archaeology, a fishing boat transfer (with life jackets), hand rung bell to summon return fleet and picturesque cafes and tavernas!
Our return flight was hugely delayed because of storms and French air traffic industrial action. Thank goodness for the amazing easyJet crew who could have scuppered our return as they were so close to max hours… but didn’t!
Time to resume those end of season recuperative visits, we think!