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One visit to Crete is never enough, so we have been twice, spending
a week in each of Agios Nikolaos (north-east coast), Rethimnon and Chania
(both north-west coast), and Plakias (south coast). Crete is justly famous
for its wealth of springtime flowers, many of which are "endemic", i.e.
found nowhere else (below right, Aristolochia cretica). Wild orchids
abound, members of the Bee Orchid family being particularly notable for
their weird and wonderful structures (e.g. Ophrys heldreichii, left).
The huge northern peninsula of Akrotiri (top left) proved an excellent
hunting ground, with spectacular monasteries, rugged coast, and vast areas
of scrubland full of fascinating plants. Citinus ruber, a parasitic
plant living on the roots of pink-flowered Cistus bushes, is always
a treat to discover, especially when it is alongside the endemic Cretan
Bee Orchid. Green Tree Frogs (top right) are more often heard than seen
in many parts of the island.
No trip to Crete is complete without a visit to the Lasithi Plateau,
although in April the Samaria Gorge is usually still closed to walkers.
However, the flowers around the plateau are most rewarding, particularly
the local variety of Crocus sieberi which carpets the rocky mountainsides.
Finally Plakias (bottom left), with its beautiful scenery and spectacular
gorges, is an excellent centre for visiting many central and southern locations.
Among the best of these is the Gious Kambos plateau above Spili, where
the hillocks abound with orchids and fritillaries, and the fields turn
scarlet with millions of wild Tulipa doerfleri (bottom right).
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