BETIS TRAVEL , Greek Tour Operator,Greece hotel,holidays,Greek hotel,island,travel,tour,vacation,accommodation, Villa greece, Greek cruise,Honeymoons In Greece,Weddings,Agios Nikolaos,Crete,Knossos Palace,Spinalonga,Elounda Bay

Knossos Palace:
Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands. It is also the home of the great Minoan Civilization and the mythological home of Zeus. Taking the National Road along the North coast we get to Heraklion. The tour will arrive at the Knossos excavations. Here, Sir Arthur Evan's archaeological discoveries revealed a civilization dating back to 4000 B.C., when a great empire flourished on the island of Crete. Based on the wealth of artefacts that were found, Evans theorized that this was the site of the ancient Minoan Kingdom. These findings will be viewed in detail, as your guide will lead you on a journey of discovery to learn of the sophisticated culture that flourished thousands of years ago on this island. The Palace, decorated with frescoes and shields houses the Hall of the Royal Guard, the Hall of the Double Axes, the King's Chamber with the alabaster throne, the Queen's Apartment, beautiful courtyards and shrines.
After the visit of Knossos Palace, the tour will go back to Ag. Nikolaos to embark your ship and continue the trip in the Aegean Sea.
REMARKS: Walking in the archaeological site of Knossos will be on uneven gravel surfaces.
Passengers may not be allowed to enter the site with big bags/rucksacks.
Please note that the journey from Agios Nikolaos to Heraklion is approx. 1 hour.

A taste of Crete:
Leaving Agios Nikolaos, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere your bus will drive you to Elounda, located in a gorgeous natural bay. Elounda is famous not only on the island of Crete but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishment in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea is something you will never forget! Driving to Kritsa, you will enjoy a wonderful view of both Mirabelo and Elounda Bay. Free time will be given at Kritsa to browse in the streets with the splendid displays of blooming flowers, fruit trees and plants in the yards, terraces and balconies of the houses. Kritsa is a delightful mixture of sights, sounds, and smells. Your tour continues to a local Olive Oil Farm. In a marvellously designed space of 2,000 m², the facility has endeavoured to embrace traditional Cretan everyday life in its entirety. The production of olive oil, wine & raki takes place using the most traditional methods and giving you the opportunity to experience Cretan life in the early 20th century. On arrival you will be welcomed with a Raki, the traditional drink of Crete and "meze". Here you will have the chance also to enjoy Cretan traditional music and dance with local performers. After visiting the Farm you continue your journey to Ag. Nikolaos. The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. According to the mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the bank. Here you will be given free time to browse in this beautiful town before returning to your ship.
REMARKS: In April and October, the refreshment (raki and "meze") and the traditional Cretan dances will take place at a local tavern in Kritsa.

Spinalonga:
Leaving St. Nicholas, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere you will drive north and enjoy a wonderful view of both Mirabelo and Elounda Bay. Elounda is the most renowned cosmopolitan location, not only in the island of Crete, but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishments in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea is something you will never forget! At the Northwest entrance of Elounda Bay lies the island of Spinalonga, impressive for its well preserved Venetian Fortress yet tragic due to its past role as a leper colony. It is notable for being one of the last active leper colonies in Europe, existing for this purpose until 1957. It is truly amazing to imagine the presence of an entire community hidden within the imposing fortification and isolated from the rest of the world. After visiting Spinalonga, you will continue your journey to St. Nicholas. The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. According to mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the waterfront. Here you will be given free time to browse in this beautiful town before you return to the ship.

Region	Town	Type	Class



AGIOS NIKOLAOS - CRETE
Knossos Palace: Crete is the largest and the most rugged of the Greek islands. It is also the home of the great Minoan Civilization and the mythological home of Zeus. Taking the National Road along the North coast we get to Heraklion. The tour will arrive at the Knossos excavations. Here, Sir Arthur Evan's archaeological discoveries revealed a civilization dating back to 4000 B.C., when a great empire flourished on the island of Crete. Based on the wealth of artefacts that were found, Evans theorized that this was the site of the ancient Minoan Kingdom. These findings will be viewed in detail, as your guide will lead you on a journey of discovery to learn of the sophisticated culture that flourished thousands of years ago on this island. The Palace, decorated with frescoes and shields houses the Hall of the Royal Guard, the Hall of the Double Axes, the King's Chamber with the alabaster throne, the Queen's Apartment, beautiful courtyards and shrines. After the visit of Knossos Palace, the tour will go back to Ag. Nikolaos to embark your ship and continue the trip in the Aegean Sea. REMARKS: Walking in the archaeological site of Knossos will be on uneven gravel surfaces. Passengers may not be allowed to enter the site with big bags/rucksacks. Please note that the journey from Agios Nikolaos to Heraklion is approx. 1 hour. A taste of Crete: Leaving Agios Nikolaos, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere your bus will drive you to Elounda, located in a gorgeous natural bay. Elounda is famous not only on the island of Crete but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishment in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea is something you will never forget! Driving to Kritsa, you will enjoy a wonderful view of both Mirabelo and Elounda Bay. Free time will be given at Kritsa to browse in the streets with the splendid displays of blooming flowers, fruit trees and plants in the yards, terraces and balconies of the houses. Kritsa is a delightful mixture of sights, sounds, and smells. Your tour continues to a local Olive Oil Farm. In a marvellously designed space of 2,000 m², the facility has endeavoured to embrace traditional Cretan everyday life in its entirety. The production of olive oil, wine & raki takes place using the most traditional methods and giving you the opportunity to experience Cretan life in the early 20th century. On arrival you will be welcomed with a Raki, the traditional drink of Crete and "meze". Here you will have the chance also to enjoy Cretan traditional music and dance with local performers. After visiting the Farm you continue your journey to Ag. Nikolaos. The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. According to the mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the bank. Here you will be given free time to browse in this beautiful town before returning to your ship. REMARKS: In April and October, the refreshment (raki and "meze") and the traditional Cretan dances will take place at a local tavern in Kritsa. Spinalonga: Leaving St. Nicholas, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere you will drive north and enjoy a wonderful view of both Mirabelo and Elounda Bay. Elounda is the most renowned cosmopolitan location, not only in the island of Crete, but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishments in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea is something you will never forget! At the Northwest entrance of Elounda Bay lies the island of Spinalonga, impressive for its well preserved Venetian Fortress yet tragic due to its past role as a leper colony. It is notable for being one of the last active leper colonies in Europe, existing for this purpose until 1957. It is truly amazing to imagine the presence of an entire community hidden within the imposing fortification and isolated from the rest of the world. After visiting Spinalonga, you will continue your journey to St. Nicholas. The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. According to mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the waterfront. Here you will be given free time to browse in this beautiful town before you return to the ship.

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