Crete is one of those places which you must visit before you die. It is that welcoming and with so much history that you must see it. It is the most southern point of Europe and is an Island of 8,336 Kilometer square and is part of Greece. It is the meeting point of different populations, by ancient and disparate cultures of centuries.
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The Minoan civilization which started on the Island under king Minos is located outside of the capital city Iraklion, and is called Knossos. Their is also a second site which is called Phaistos, bouth of these places are rich in history, but the Island is more than just history. Is actually the people who give the island that come back again feeling.
Crete is divided in to four prefecture, Lasithi, Iraklio, Rethymno and Chania. Each prefecture holds it's own beauty. Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. Fifteen percent of all arrivals in Greece come through the city of Iraklion (port and airport), while charter journeys to Iraklion last year made up 20% of all charter flights in Greece. Overall, more than two million tourists visited Crete last year, and this increase in tourism is reflected on the number of hotel beds, rising by 53% in the period between 1986 to 1991, when the rest of Greece saw increases of only 25%. Today, the island's tourism infrastructure caters to all tastes, including a very wide range of accommodation; the island's facilities take in large luxury hotels with their complete facilities, swimming pools, sports and recreation, smaller family-owned apartments, camping facilities and others. Visitors reach the island via two international airports in Iraklion and Chania, or by boat to the main ports of Iraklion, Chania, Rethimno and Agios Nikolaos.
Crete's mild climate is attracting growing interest from Northern Europeans to have a holiday home or residence on the island. EU citizens have the right to freely buy property and reside with little formality. A growing number of real estate companies cater to mainly British expatriates, followed by German, Dutch, Scandinavian and other European nationalities wishing to own a home in Crete.
The British expatriates are concentrated in the western prefectures of Chania and Rethymno and to a lesser extent in Heraklion and Lasithi. Some 40% of Britons in late 2006 said they were planning to live outside the United Kingdom or retire abroad due to socio-economic changes in the country. One in ten Britons do so already.
So what are you waiting for, take the Plain or the Train and the Ship, depends on your budget, but do not forget, that you must see Crete.