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And it is almost Alpine-like in the winter with beautiful snow-covered peaks visible from practically everywhere on Crete. Our highest mountain peaks are over 7,800 feet above sea level. There are several excellent websites with many interesting photos of Crete … here are just a few: www.geocities.com/~minico/index.html
What is life like on Crete? Many adjectives come to mind … peaceful, stress-free, laid-back, natural, exhilarating, healthy, and on and on. The traditional Cretan diet is famous worldwide for longevity. For nine months of the year, Crete is not a tourist haven and it is these months we Cretans treasure most. The weather is pleasant, the skies are most always clear, the sea and the mountains beckon, and of course all the best tavernas remain open year-round! If you have never visited Crete and are thinking of coming here to live, we suggest April/May or October/November for your holiday. And if you can, also plan to come during our brief winter (usually from the end of January to the end of March). Our summers are warm and clear with daytime highs of 28-32 C and sometimes reaching 35 C but with generally cool nights. August brings cooler nights and by October a light jacket is needed in the evenings but the daytime temperatures are in the mid-20s. We usually have a spate of summer-like weather in the middle of January but then the rains come in February and March. The mountains start accumulating snow in late November and the last vestiges melt away by late May. Our beaches are fine for swimming year-round. Being an island,
Crete is extremely safe and crime is virtually non-existent. We grow most
of our own fruits and vegetables and raise our own goats and sheep and
pigs and of course our olives so our food is healthy and inexpensive. And
we do dance to a different drummer … we’re very content to be relaxed and
laid-back. Our watches, if we wear them at all, always seem to run slow.
A hectic pace of life is something we see no need for … things will always
work out here in Crete; it’s simply a matter of time.
Another adjective we consider to be true of our lifestyle here in Crete is “free.” We Cretans are generally skeptical about rules and regulations and generally act accordingly! This is not to say there is no law and order … quite the opposite! It’s just that there is no senseless law and order here in Crete. We generally avoid government interference wherever we can. But with our sincere hospitality and stress on family values, it is a very wonderful place to live. Is Crete expensive? Not at all. I suppose if one insisted on having Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Maxwell House coffee and other name-brands in the cupboard then one might consider it costly. But our local fruits and vegetables and meats and cheeses and breads are excellent, healthful, and very reasonably priced. Petrol (gasoline) is presently 1 Euro per liter. It is about 1.03 Euro per liter today, which translates to approximately 3.06 US Dollars per gallon. Not cheap but then we have small cars here and we don’t have to drive far (if at all) to get to our village markets and tavernas. Local taxes are minimal (about 150 Euro per year pays the equivalent of state tax for police, garbage collection, street maintenance, etc) and water and electricity and Internet connections are very reasonable. Housing? Well, here too we can speak with some authority and my husband and I along with another couple have a small real estate office. Prices are generally quite stable and land, especially in the villages not right on the beaches, is very reasonable. You can see details on our website (www.kritiko-ethos.com) but good village land ranges from 25,000 to 70,000 Euro per acre while new homes (traditional stone or conventional concrete frame) run about 115 Euro per square foot, less if you do it smartly! And generally our homes are typically European meaning smaller and more space-efficient. A typical three-bedroom home here is about 1,300 square feet that would cost in the neighbourhood of 150,000 Euro. And this includes solar panels, winter heating unit, built-in wardrobes, fully-fitted kitchen, etc, etc. So, what’s the catch? None really. There is a Greek law that allows those with adequate financial resources to reside in Greece. If you are seriously interested in living in Crete, please e-mail me and I will send you full details. There is of course no cost for this information by the way! This is our way of extending our Cretan hospitality to you. We look forward to welcoming you to Crete! To email Niki Click Here If you
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