If you’re scanning Instagram for photos and atmosphere from here on Crete island, you’ll find that many of the shares are from hotels, resorts, restaurants, and businesses both large and small. This is a good thing, since choosing the best places to stay, relax, explore, and play can make a difference in your vacation experience in paradise. With this in mind, we thought we’d share some true island Instagram vibes from the world’s most popular photo-sharing app.
Folia Apartments in Agia Marina just outside Old Town Chania has a crap website, but who cares? Nobody needs to be able to read horrible English texts on a Greek website anyhow. What matters is that this family-owned operation clings to tradition for dear life, while at the same time understanding the power of social media. Okay, maybe these do not rock at social media, but they really make the effort. What’s important to remember is, on an island where becoming Cretan for a lifetime or a little while matters, old school Crete hospitality is where it’s at.
Apartment hotels like this one still dot the vacation landscape here, and trust me, they are the best value on the island. If you want a holiday in paradise, skip the mega-all-inclusive trend and relax like in the old days. From this traditional apartment hotel, you can explore some of Crete’s most amazing attractions including Chania’s Venetian Port, the fabulous Balos Lagoon near Kissamos, the Archaeological Museum of Chania, Samaria Gorge, Elafonisi Beach, Falasarna Beach, Seitan Limania Beach, and dozens more incredible experiences. Check Tripadvisor for more and for booking choices.
Vassilis Kallimoukos is a private chef in Chania who, unlike many Crete entrepreneurs, does understand the value of social media, presentation, imagery, branding, and the conveyance of excellence. You now owe me a perfectly cooked Caprico, with fava, local horta, and a bottle of Alexandra Manousakis’ best dry wine Vassilis! Seriously, Vassilis knows the business because he was educated in mass media and communications, but turned to his true love of cooking. And no, his website does not suck, and his last Facebook post was 12 hours ago. He has nothing but glowing five-star reviews on Google, and five stars from me on his social media outreach. And if he can cook Caprico anything like my friend Chef Grigoris, he’ll get rave reviews from me too! Half kidding Vassilis, nice Insta shares. Oh, I forgot, Vassilis is here because it is always important to look the part you are playing in life.
Okay, here we go again. Manos Papadomanolakis is one of the most talented wedding photographers in the world, clearly. But his personal website sucks even worse than our traditional Greek hotel friends up top. It is just not functional. But then again, who cares? Manos’ Explore Crete Instagram community are tippy tops for inspirational imagery of paradise on Crete. Oh, and his business website is just fine too, so there. Huh? We even have 25 mutual friends on Facebook including Nikos Gavalas! I had better add him. Check out Manos’ Crete.
If someone headed to Crete asks me; “Where is the best place to stay for family fun and sun?” There are instantly two places that come to mind. Both are constantly on my little boy’s mind when we think about staying at the beach. One of these, Fodele Beach Hotel is a family Nirvana. Set in a stunning location, with tons of island atmosphere, and fun stuff to do galore, this is really the best family resort in Greece. The waterslides and pools running along the mountainside are just killer and the service and amenities best of the best. No Grigoris, we are not looking for a free stay! Stelios’ hotels are just perfection because as anyone knows, genius is all about who you work with. Fodele has the sweetest staff anywhere. Hey, I am not alone in my admiration, almost 600 people on Tripadvisor say this resort is excellent as well. Oh, and the management at the resort “gets it” when it comes to social media. Heck, they have more
Ein Beitrag geteilt von Fodele Beach Holiday Resort (@fodele_beach_hotel)
“>subscribers than me!DayNight.gr is really making me jealous. I wish I had the resources to transform our small media company into an English version of this media company. They even stole hundreds of my followers on Facebook! Okay, maybe my followers just like the news the company brings? Anyhow, for what’s going on in Greece this is one of the most progressive outlets in the country. I love the articles on Crete too. Let me see if I can redo a bunch of them for Argophilia Travel News! The Instagram below is an example of their taste in presenting Greece to outsiders. Can anyone identify where this is?
Hmm, arrivato exceptional holiday properties eh? This is one of those ‘lookie what I found moments’ where you think about all the times people asked you where to stay on Crete. Okay, their website is cookie-cutter, but it’s effective at showing off some stunning Crete villas. This share of Sitia’s magnificent port promenade got me on Instagram, but their Agrilos sea view house in Mirsini Village is one I’d recommend because of the otherworldly magic of this region of Crete. So few travelers to Crete realize the unique diversity one can find along the main road from Agios Nikolaos, through Sitia, and on to Itanos in the far east of the island. And these guys have some stunning stays in the region. I am pretty sure this is a new outfit on Crete. If so, it looks like they’ve got a good start online, on Facebook, via Instagram, and elsewhere. I cannot find out the owners of the business on short notice, but for fun maybe I’ll do a feature on them. Anyhow, visit Sitia and Lassithi when you come to Crete.
It’s funny, in social media you never know what is behind the names people chose for their accounts. For instance, how can anyone know that eliaandthyme (Elia & Thyme) is a classy seafront Greek restaurant just from the name? Okay, oil and herbs are a clue, I guess. But one look at their Instagram shares tells you there’s something special about this account and this place. My wife and I have never dined here, but now we want to. So much for Instagram marketing value, huh? In fact, we’ve never been to Almyrida beach yet either. So it will be fun to see if the beach and the restaurant are as good as one of our favorite tavernas in nearby Kalyves. As for their digital awareness, their last Facebook post was four years ago. Are they closed? Nope, the Insta share was yesterday. Whew, so there Instagram vibe is still alive.
Last, but not least, Vritomartis naturist resort has so much going for it. Situated in a mythic place between the Libyan Sea and the cliffs at the end of the famous Samaria Gorge, the enclave sits on the ruins of ancient Tara. In ancient times there was a healing center and a temple to Apollo where Agia Roumeli now stands. On the downside, whoever is running public relations and/or marketing for the resort needs to hone up on watermarking or branding images, and how people seldom share desecrated photographs. Doing this to imagery is like what dogs do to fire hydrants. I mean, these guys “Got it going on.” Good website? Check. Covered in social media? Check. Instagram vibe in tact? check. Tripadvisor aware epic? Check. Blog? Okay, the blog sucks guys, contact me wife the queen of internet content for advice on that one. But putting a uniform on your photographs when you are famous for being a nudist nirvana! Come on. LOL.