The resort of Aghia Pelagia is on the north coast of Crete, twenty kilometres west of Heraklion and has a transfer time of thirty minutes. It is built like an amphitheatre around the deep bay, surrounded by hills which provide protection from winds. Its sandy beach is long and narrow and there are a number of shingle coves. Its natural beauty and the modern facilities that are available to its visitors make it a very popular resort.
If you are looking for a relaxing holiday with guaranteed sunshine, sandy beaches and invitingly blue seas, you can stop searching. An Aghia Pelagia holiday fills these criteria and offers much more. The people are friendly and welcoming, the range and quality of food is good and there are many interesting sightseeing opportunities.
An Aghia Pelagia holiday attracts a wide range of people. Families and couples of all ages can enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of its shores, its sandy beaches with safe bathing and its shingle beaches and coves. Those with mobility problems may find the gradients in the resort a little difficult.
The most popular time to visit Aghia Pelagia is in the summer. The season extends from Easter to October when the temperature range is from twenty to thirty degrees.
Development began in Aghia Pelagia about thirty years ago and it is now a very popular holiday destination. Lying on the north coast of Crete, west of the capital, Aghia Pelagia is a picturesque resort rising up the hills from the bay. Its sandy beach and calm waters attract Cretans from the capital as well as many European holidaymakers. The bay is deep, with a fairly narrow mouth, offering protection to the beach from winds and the water rarely has a ripple. The conditions in the bay are ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling.
With numerous tavernas along the waterfront, sun bathers are never far from refreshments. Wander around the white-washed houses in the village and enjoy the sights and the smells of the colourful flowers and shrubs that decorate every corner. The surrounding area has many visitor attractions including the ruins at the Monastery of the Sebbathians, the Gerontospilios cave near Melidoni.
An Aghia Pelagia holiday offers daylong sunshine, in a pretty resort with a relaxed atmosphere where the locals are friendly and welcoming.
Nightlife in Aghia Pelagia is fairly peaceful. It is not the place to go if you are a late night party animal. There are a good number of bars, pubs restaurants and tavernas where you can spend a pleasant evening overlooking the bay. Because Aghia Pelagia has developed along the contours of the hills surrounding the bay, every hotel and restaurant has magnificent sea views.
Aghia Pelagia has a number of supermarkets providing holiday essentials. There is a range of shops including those selling fine silver and gold jewellery. Souvenir and gift shops abound, providing the usual leather goods, ceramics and embroidered linens. There is also an internet café for those who are unable to leave their technology behind.
Aghia Pelagia has many restaurants catering for most tastes. Their menus are varied, from traditional to international cuisine. The waterfront has many tavernas serving inexpensive traditional food using fresh local produce. If you feel peckish between lunch and dinner try a plate of meze, a Greek equivalent of the Spanish tapas, with such things as deep fried fish, pickles, olives and halloumi.
Eating out in Greece is a pleasure that should be enjoyed in a leisurely fashion. Don’t mistake the lack of haste for tardy service as you are simply being given the time to fully enjoy each course. Children are warmly welcomed in restaurants and their tastes and portion size are usually accommodated.
