Vritomartis, Crete

• Hotel accommodation with half board included, family resort • Quiet location set in lush and peaceful gardens • Occasional entertainment, including Cretan/Greek evenings • Range of excursions – Samaria, Imbros and Aradena Gorges and other hikes, Chania, Frangokastello and full-day nude boat trips • Hotel shuttle bus to Chora Sfakion several times a day • Particularly attractive in May and September/October •


HOTEL VRITOMARTIS is a colourful oasis in a rocky wilderness. The gardens are an abundance of colour, particularly in May, with geraniums, oleander, bougainvillea and mulberry, pine, eucalyptus, olive and palm trees. With Europe’s southernmost point being on Crete, the weather here is ideal even for early and late season holidays. Hotel Vritomartis (‘sweet virgin’) is named after the Minoan goddess of hunting. It opened in 1989 and has a total of 85 rooms.

LOCATION Situated on the south-west coast of the island, Chora Sfakion (pop. 200, also known as Sfakia) is the nearest village to Hotel Vritomartis. It used to be a quiet fishing village, but is now a port for the ferries to the remote beaches/villages of Loutro and Agia Roumeli and a transit point for many tourists. There are several restaurants, souvenir shops, supermarkets, a post office and a cash dispenser.

ACCOMMODATION There is the 3-storey hotel building with a lift, and 2-storey pavilions with garden rooms. In the main hotel are singles and twins with mountain view and standard twins or doubles with side sea view or direct sea view. In the pavilions are twins or doubles with garden or direct sea view. Rooms for three or four people are available – with direct sea view only. All rooms are air-conditioned and have shower and wc, balcony or terrace, radio and telephone. There is daily maid service: towels are changed daily, bed linen twice a week.

NATURISM Naturism is usual in the grounds, around the glorious pool and on the beach, but not inside the main building or anywhere between sunset and sunrise.

FACILITIES The multi-lingual reception and information desk changes money, calls taxis, orders newspapers and medicines and loans out table games. Safe deposit boxes and small fridges are available for rent. Extras bills may be settled with credit cards. There is a games/reading room with satellite tv and a large bar/lounge with open-air terrace. The dining room is normally used only for breakfast whilst buffet dinners are served on the open-air terrace.

The (nude) poolside taverna/snack bar serves a good choice of lunchtime meals and drinks, including beer in German-size steins. The (textile) mini-market stocks beach articles, toiletries, books, souvenirs, cigarettes, sweets and snacks. Other facilities are a small children’s playground, a floodlit tennis court, table tennis, boules and garden chess.

THE POOL & BEACH The large pool is the centre-piece of the hotel, together with a small paddling pool. They are surrounded by well-kept lawns with lush vegetation and an ample supply of sun beds (no need to reserve!), umbrellas and several cold showers.
The private naturist pebble Filaki Beach is just 900 yards away: if you do not feel like a walk, the hotel’s free shuttle bus operates several times a day. There is a charge for sun beds and umbrellas. The beach bar serves snack meals at lunchtime.

ENTERTAINMENT A trio plays dancing music on the bar terrace three nights a week. There is also a Cretan/Greek dance evening every fortnight.

EXCURSIONS Crete is an island with a most fascinating history, culture and scenery. Civilisation began here 4,000 years ago and was then wiped out by some sort of holocaust. It is the birthplace of Zeus, king of the gods. The south-west corner is particularly scenic with tall mountains, gorges of great beauty and rich plains thick with vegetation. Car hire is highly recommended.

Hiking Many visitors go hiking in the mountains (bring a small rucksack to carry drinking water and other provisions) to admire the wide variety of flowers and wildlife, especially birds of prey. Crete is a photographer’s paradise.

The Samaria Gorge is the largest gorge in Europe, displaying awesome beauty, magnificent scenery and unique colours. The 12-mile route down it takes approximately five hours and lets you admire the ‘Iron Gates’, the narrowest passage of which is only about 10ft wide, with sides rising to 1,800ft. Bring strong walking shoes!

Frangokastello The well-preserved and impressive Frangokastello (‘Castle of the Franks’) was built by the Venetians in 1371 as a defence against pirates and Cretan rebels.

Chania is the former capital of the island. It has a picturesque Venetian harbour surrounded by excellent fish tavernas, bars, cafes and restaurants and a maze of alleys. Plentiful shopping opportunities include a traditional craft and busy indoor market.

Rethymnon is Crete’s third largest town. It is built around a splendid sandy beach, lined by restaurants and bars. Monuments from its varied past give it great charm: Venetian palaces, Turkish houses with wooden balconies, mosques and the Venetian acropolis dominating the harbour.

Plakias is the nearest larger village on the south coast, some 30 miles to the east. It used to be a huge sandy bay where the locals from the nearby mountains came to fish. Now it is a fully fledged holiday resort with tavernas, hotels, souvenir shops, supermarkets, a chemist’s and a fairly lively nightlife. Nearby is Palm Beach, a beautiful sandy beach, fringed by palm trees and set against a scenic mountain background.

Nude boat trips The first takes in Palm Beach for sightseeing and hiking, continues to Souda Bay for swimming and lunch, then to Plakias for sightseeing and shopping. The other, cruises to St Paul Beach for sightseeing and on to Domata Beach, accessible by sea only, for lunch. Stop at Sweetwater Bay and wash off the salt in sweet-water holes.

WHAT OUR VRITOMARTIS HOLIDAY PRICES INCLUDE

• Return charter flight from Gatwick or Manchester to Chania.
• Transfers between Chania Airport and Vritomartis, approximately 75 minutes each way.
• Airport taxes and security charges.
• Air-conditioned accommodation in a twin-bedded room with mountain view.
• Daily maid service with towel change; linen changed twice a week.
• Local taxes.
• Half Board i.e. breakfast and dinner.
• Complimentary personal holiday insurance.