< Previous60 PHO T OGR APHS: NICK K ONT O S T A VLAKIS F OR GL OBE & TR O TTER This page: The Royal Senses Resort & Spa looks onto the north coast of Crete Facing page: the soothing spirit of the Royal Senses Resort & Spa extends to its interiors Venture outside of the city and you’ll find a more rugged and untouched Crete. West of Chania is The Royal Senses Resort &Spa, a new genus of retreat focused on engaging with locals. As Fragiskos Dandoulakis, Executive Chef at the property states, “There’s something magical when you prepare dishes for people using ingredients from your own land, that you planted yourself and saw grow. Our farm-to-table approach is an ongoing process; we’re constantly looking to work with small producers and explore how to best use and highlight all these elements of Cretan cuisine that make it so rich”. The southern parts of the island, however, remain more serene. Here older men with thick moustaches still wear baggy trousers, tall black boots and black-fringed turbans, as was the ancient custom. Meander through the small villages and you will undoubtedly find friendly tavernas like Piperia Tavern at Pefki village or Stravodoxari Taverna at Stavrochori village where locals engage in their favourite pastime, playing backgammon while sipping thick Greek coffee. Language is no barrier here; residents are eager to communicate, be it through broken English or even simple gestures, sharing both tales of Cretan strength and a glass of something. Cretan hospitality is perhaps best summed up by Nikos Kazantzakis, Cretan author of Zorba the Greek, who said, “I knew that no matter what door you knock on in a Cretan village, it will be opened for you. A meal will be served in your honour, and you will sleep 616263 between the best sheets in the house. In Crete, the stranger is still the unknown god. Before him, all doors and all hearts are opened.” Crete’s language of love is food, and Cretans pride themselves on an uncomplicated diet bursting with intense Mediterranean flavours. Capitalising on the cornucopia of local produce, agrotourism is slowly taking shape in southern Crete. A day trip to the Skoutari olive press offers a window into traditional methods of olive cultivation on family- owned farms while a visit to Karalakis greenhouses shows the bounties of the fertile Cretan soil. Leaving the likes of Zuma and Nammos to the more hedonistic islands like Mykonos, in Crete family-run restaurants thrive on centuries-old recipes which have been passed down through generations. Grab a seat at any of the cosy seaside restaurants to tuck into local favourites like fresh grilled fish drizzled with Crete’s fabled olive oil and flaky filo pastry pies oozing salty cheese. Adventure is abundant in this region characterised by its rugged wilderness and veneration for the mountains is deeply rooted in the culture: the backdrop for the myths and legends which have shaped the island’s rich history. For centuries the indigenous population has foraged the ranges for herbs and teas to cure various ailments and as offerings to the gods. Fresh air enthusiasts will enjoy searching for secret gorges such as Sarakina – the perfect antidote to the hot summer sun. This natural dewy oasis lies between gigantic boulders, where jumping into the refreshing plunge pool or standing under a waterfall is akin to indulging in a spa experience. For a true immersion into countryside life, head to the Selakano forest. The pine forest is Crete’s most productive PHO T OGR APHS: NICK K ONT O S T A VLAKIS F OR GL OBE & TR O TTER Facing page: Numo Iperapetra represents a new generation of hotels in Crete This page: An off -the-beaten path was deliberately chosen as the location for Numo Iperapetra apiculture spot, where bees buzz around you as goats and sheep roam free. Hiking through the peaks of the Dikti mountains, glimpses of the Lybian sea are visible from the head-spinning heights of the forest. Sunseekers will delight in the proximity to hidden beaches and unexplored small coves like Mazida Ammos Beach and Argilos Beach at Xerokambos. For a truly unique experience, an hour-long sail from Ierapetra will land you at the shores of Chrissi Island, a tiny, exotic little island dusted in golden sand and lapped by cerulean waters. For those willing to venture further inland by car, among the impressive southern mountains lies the ancient Psychro cave claimed by mythology as Zeus’ birthplace. Couple this with a stop at Lake Voulismeni, a small circular lake surrounded by tavernas where legend says the Goddesses Athena and Artemis would bathe. From here the laid-back town of Elounda with its fishing villages, uninhabited islands and glittering bays beckons. In the sea beneath the town lies the sunken city of Olous which sank below the waves after an earthquake in the second century AD. A snorkel trip to this site is an eerie window into Crete’s past. A short boat ride from Elounda lies the former leprosy colony of Spinalonga, its story told in Victoria Hislop’s novel, The Island. After these sombre trips, raise your spirits with a jaunt to the bustling shop-lined streets of Agios Nikolaos – Lasithi’s cosmopolitan capital. While Numo Ierapetra is a first of its kind in opening the gates to the southern region of Crete, it is only a matter of time until the world discovers the understated charms that lie within. You may just want to beat them to it. 6465 WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY YIORGOS KORDAKIS th e real dea l66 Thirty years ago I started going to Mykonos, as part of a group of Athenian teenagers who would spend long, slow summers there. We’d be on the beach until sunset, then have a nap before moving on to Astra, a classic nightclub in an Aegean cottage designed by renowned Greek jeweller Minas. There we would dance until the sun came up. The island was different then – no beach clubs, no decadence. There were a few party spots in the Chora, the main town, but it was a typical, go- slow Cycladic island, all whitewash-and-blue cottages and spicy kopanisti cheese eaten in little tavernas. It was a place for swimming on quiet beaches. For us kids from Athens, Mykonos meant freedom and party time, but not the hedonism of today. Towards the end of the 1990s I noticed the island changing. The economy was booming and Greeks started buying up villas and land. But it wasn’t until the financial crash that things really shifted. A lot of that first wave of owners ended up in debt and had to sell. After that international buyers arrived on the scene, bringing with them a different crowd who wanted the kind of services they were used to in St Tropez, Ibiza or St Barth’s, with concierges, drivers and chefs – all things that had never been part of the island. I’ve seen it all over the years, but I’ve noticed also that this place has never lost its old, Cycladic soul. Underneath it all, this is still the Mykonos I first experienced as a teenager. A few years ago I picked up a camera and started to document both sides of the island that I love: the traditional villas and family tavernas, as well as its more stylish, jet-set side. I wanted to celebrate the fact that here you can have the best of both worlds – that sense of rustic timelessness, but also parties, energy and change. My book is a love letter to the place I grew up visiting; those long hot summers when anything seemed possible. It’s a reminder that the real Mykonos is still there, and it always has been – it’s just that you need to look a bit harder to find it these days. Mykonos by Yiorgos Kordakis is out now (ode-studio.com) Previous page: terrace at Tigani House This page, from top: Bedroom at Mykonos Beach House; mezze at Scorpios Facing page: a traditional pigeon loft MY BOOK IS A LOVE LETTER TO THE PLACE I GREW UP VISITING; THOSE LONG HOT SUMMERS WHEN ANYTHING SEEMED POSSIBLE676869 This page, from top: cactus garden at a private residence; Tigani House Facing page, clockwise from top: view from Tigani House; Caprice Bar; signage WHERE TO STAY I always recommend people stay in villas to really feel the soul of the island. I love Papyrella, a beautiful six-bedroom place with views across the harbour from its aquamarine pool and balconies bedecked with hammocks. While it’s highly sophisticated and coolly contemporary, it also has a real respect for tradition with its terrazzo floors, rustic carved doors and simple colour scheme of textured white walls and soft blues. Tigani House, meanwhile, is a combination of traditional and modern, with amazing views out to the Aegean Sea. The five-bedroomed Big Blue Beach Villa is sharper in some ways, with an infinity pool on its own beach, but it’s also a cool mix of rustic stone and clean white interiors, surrounded by terraced gardens of olive trees and scented clusters of rosemary and lavender. Another favourite is the Myrsini Beach House, set in a secluded bay with a very special, freewheeling Seventies vibe. This unique villa is comprised of a series of cube-like constructions that, from a distance, resemble a small village by the beach. papyrella.com, @house_in_tigani, myprivatevillas.com, @mykonos_beachouse WHERE TO EAT The Fokos taverna is one of my favourite local restaurants – a beautiful whitewashed villa with an indoor-outdoor terrace overlooking the chilled and beautiful Fokos beach – which serves great grilled fish and meat. The unique Kiki’s Tavern is just up the hill among the trees, with views of Agios Sostis, another lovely beach. There’s usually a queue but the simple grilled food – fresh fish, octopus and stuff ed chicken – is worth it. Other favourites are Nikolas Taverna on Agia Anna beach, where the same family has served some of the island’s best seafood since 1967; and the family-owned Rizes, on a typically Mykonian chorio (farmhouse) in the undeveloped Maou area, with a riding stable and honest, earthy food straight from the land. nikolas-tavern.com, rizesmykonos.com I WANTED TO CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT HERE YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDSNext >