Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

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Manuel began his journey as a lifeguard on Sant Sebastià Beach and later worked as a barista—two roles that deepened his love for coastal life and local stories. Now based part-time in Crete, he brings a Mediterranean spirit to his writing and is currently exploring Spain’s surf beaches for a book project that blends adventure, culture, and coastline.

Helmet Use Is Not Optional in Crete

2026-01-27 by Manuel Santos

helmet checks

Police in Crete have stepped up helmet checks for scooters, motorbikes, and e-scooters, issuing hundreds of fines in one week. Tourists are not exempt.

Hotels Granted New Water Use and Drilling Permits in Crete, Lesvos, and Naxos

2026-01-27 by Manuel Santos

Water Permits

New water-use and drilling permits have been granted to hotels in Crete because of ongoing pressure on the island’s water resources.

Crete Will Now Pay Fishermen to Catch the Toxic Silver-cheeked Toadfish

2026-01-19 by Manuel Santos

Silver-cheeked Toadfish Compensation Plan

Crete will compensate fishermen at €6.50/kg for invasive Sennin-fugu starting in February 2026, but additional costs may offset the benefit.

Advantage, Youth Brings a Charity Tennis Tournament to Rethymno on March 1

2026-01-18 by Manuel Santos

Advantage, Youth

Advantage, Youth hosts a free charity tennis tournament for children in Rethymno on March 1 at Baseline Sports Club, with prizes, meals, and training support.

Travel Guide to Movie Romance Locations That Will Ruin Your Vacation

2026-01-18 by Manuel Santos

movie romance hero image

From bathrooms and steam rooms to beaches and parks, Manuel explains why “movie romance” locations are unsafe, dirty, and overrated.

Kerkini Bird Observatory Planned at Mandraki Through Interreg Greece–Bulgaria

2026-01-18 by Manuel Santos

Kerkini Bird Observatory

Sintiki Municipality approved land for a new bird observatory at Mandraki, Lake Kerkini, under the Birdway Interreg Greece–Bulgaria 2021–2027 program.

Europe Ski Costs Compared: Cheapest Ski Rental and Skipass Destinations Revealed

2026-01-15 by Manuel Santos

skiing in Europe AI illustration

Winter sports may still be sold as wholesome, healthy, family tradition — but the price tag is starting to tell a different story. A new cost comparison by the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE) shows that skiing in Europe is quietly splitting into two worlds: those who can still afford the “classic Alps […]

Crete Keeps Begging for Winter Tourists but Hides Its Best Winter Secret

2026-01-14 by Manuel Santos

Crete Winter Tourism Strategy

Crete loves to talk about extending the season. Every year, the same press releases march out like disciplined soldiers: diversification, four-season destination, sustainability, authentic experiences, year-round tourism… And then the brochures show the same beach, the same cocktail, the same sunset. Meanwhile, on the actual mountain spine of the island, Crete quietly hosts something that […]

Ionian Sea Ferry Routes Suspended Due to Adverse Weather

2026-01-05 by Manuel Santos

Ferry Routes Suspended

Several ferry services in the Ionian Sea were cancelled due to adverse weather, affecting routes between Sami, Ithaca, Patras, Zakynthos, and Kyllini.

FITUR 4all 2026 and the Art of Selling Accessibility

2025-12-30 by Manuel Santos

FITUR 4all 2026

FITUR 4all 2026 returns to Madrid wrapped in buzzwords, panels and promises, turning accessible tourism into everything—except something concrete.

Crete Plans €2 Million in Culture and Sports as Infrastructure Falls Behind

2025-12-29 by Manuel Santos

Crete culture

Crete announces a €2.06 million cultural and sports programme for 2026, even as water shortages, infrastructure strain, and airport delays raise hard questions.

When the Water Runs Out, the Illusion Runs With It

2025-12-29 by Manuel Santos

Crete water crisis hotel Plaka

An official document confirms what many feared: water and sewage capacity in Crete cannot support new large hotel developments.

Thessaloniki Documentary Festival Goes Shopping for 4-Star Beds

2025-12-29 by Manuel Santos

Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival Olympion Building

The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival is securing up to 200 hotel rooms per night for March 2026, with a €107,120 accommodation budget.

Why Cretans Start the Year in the Sea

2025-12-28 by Manuel Santos

Crete New Year's Dive

Why Cretans welcome the New Year in the sea. A look at the New Year’s Dive tradition in Crete, where it happens, and how to take part safely.

A Tragic Winter Ascent: Four Hikers Dead in the Vardousia Mountains

2025-12-27 by Manuel Santos

Vardousia Mountains four hikers dead

Four experienced mountaineers were found buried under an avalanche in the Vardousia Mountains after a Christmas Day ascent.

When an Octopus Decides to Swim With You

2025-12-26 by Manuel Santos

Crete Octopus Encounter winter swim

A winter swimmer in Chania emerged from the sea with an octopus wrapped around his leg. How bathers should react calmly and safely in Crete’s waters.

Heraklion’s Final Cultural Events of the Year Bring Music and Community to the City

2025-12-26 by Manuel Santos

Plateia Eleftherias stage

How Heraklion Closes the Year: With Music, Stories, and Shared Space As the year draws to a close, Heraklion chooses to mark its final days not with spectacle alone, but with a steady unfolding of culture in public space—events that invite residents and visitors to slow down, gather, and move through the city together. The […]

Hersonissos Takes Weather Seriously

2025-12-25 by Manuel Santos

Hersonissos 2030 climate resilience meeting

Hersonissos launches the Hersonissos 2030 project, installing eight weather stations and a real-time platform to improve climate resilience.

Echoes of Blue — A Love Letter to the Cretan Coastline

2025-12-25 by Manuel Santos

Echoes of Blue

Echoes of Blue by Alexandros E. Roniotis is a 600-page bilingual photographic guide to the beaches, coastline, and hidden shores of Crete.

A Winter Hike in Crete Turns Fatal

2025-12-23 by Manuel Santos

Stelios Papadogiannakis waterfall

The death of experienced mountaineer Stelios Papadogiannakis is a stark reminder that hiking and climbing in Crete during winter can be fatal, regardless of skill.

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Stories of Interest

Ierapetra Port Expansion Plan

New Infrastructure Planned for Fishing and Tourist Boats in Ierapetra

2026-03-11 By Arthur Butler

A new study for the Ierapetra port expansion plan promotes new infrastructure and more space for tourist and fishing boats.

Smart solar bus stops

New Smart Bus Stops in Heraklion Offer Charging and Solar Power

2026-03-11 By Kostas Raptis

The Municipality of Heraklion has installed 12 new smart, energy-independent bus stops in key locations across the city as part of the “Heraklion Smart City” project, aimed at improving daily life for residents and visitors. The new stops are powered entirely by solar energy and allow users to charge mobile devices, use lighting, and access modern […]

antiwar rally Chania March 12

Anti-war Rally Announced in Chania on March 12 at 19:00

2026-03-11 By Arthur Butler

Anti-war rally in Chania on March 12 at Municipal Market Square. Protests planned in Heraklion and Rethymno amid concerns over Souda Base.

Chania Firka Fortress Recreated Digitally

Firka Fortress Rebuilt Digitally to Show Venetian-Era Chania

2026-03-11 By Kostas Raptis

HMU researchers created a 3D reconstruction of Firka Fortress in Chania using 17th century maps, revealing the monument as it looked during Venetian rule.

Crete Hotel Bookings Freeze resilience

Crete Shows Resilience While Everyone Watches Oil Prices

2026-03-10 By Mihaela Lica Butler

Crete tourism remains stable despite Middle East tensions, says Chania Chamber of Commerce, as bookings slow and officials prepare an action plan for a possible crisis in 2026.

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