Airline passenger news and views

A couple of years ago I got the opportunity to visit the truly magical place of Elounda on the Greek Island of Crete.

Elounda lies at a distance of about 7 km from Agios Nikolaos. It was a small fishing village before the tourists discovered it, but it stills retains a unique charm. Nestled on the famed coast of Elounda, the luxury beachfront Blue Palace Resort is where we stayed. The hotel offers the most spectacular views to the relics of Spinalonga Island lying at the entrance of Elounda bay.

Dating back in time to 1579. the Venetians built a mighty fortress there and it remained under their rule even after the Ottoman occupation of Crete in 1669. In 1903, by law of the Cretan government, it was appointed as the place of stay for the lepers of Crete. This in itself creates a lot of fascination and in turn was the subject of a wonderful book by Victoria Hislop titled ‘The Island’.  Having Spinalonga as a backdrop whilst reading it, lying on a luxurious sun lounger has to be for me, one of my best memories.

The hotel itself was both luxurious and relaxing and had the most wonderful spa. The Elounda Spa and Thalassotherapy, is a place of absolute tranquillity created by the breathtaking natural beauty surrounding it. The treatments were easily the best I have ever experienced, the rooms themselves feature  soothing water sounds and diffused calming lighting. You could not help but relax in an environment like that, and all your worries seems to just evapourate!

The food, rooms and hotel service were second to none, and just taking in the spectacular views made this holiday stand out as exceptional.