Crete is a haven for nature lovers and those combining adventure and fun on their holiday. The island offers a variety of activities and opportunities for exploring nature and promises a unique and unforgettable experience for those who decide to explore it.
With its magnificent nature and constant changing landscape, Crete never gets boring. A first visit to Crete is usually followed by a second, as visitors are enchanted by the beauty of the island.
There are many activities for guests to choose from depending on their interests. This place is a real paradise, especially for nature lovers.
Hiking, canyoning, climbing, scuba diving, horse riding, caving, trekking, skiing, mountain climbing, parasailing, windsurfing, and kite surf are some of the activities that Crete offers.
Snorkelling
The local beaches provide lots of opportunities for snorkelling and viewing fish around rocky outcrops.
Golf
There are two golf courses near Villa Carolina:
Crete International 18 hole Pro Golf Club
This 18 hole course is approximately a 40 minute drive from Villa Carolina.
Following the extensive upgrade which got under way in August 2014, the fully upgraded “Crete Golf Club” reopened in October 2015 and is more than ready to become the next hot European golfing destination.
Combining three key-elements, scenery, climate and facilities, the club is proves irresistible to golfers. Its ultra-modern facilities are accompanied by the unrivalled beauty of the Mediterranean landscape. Furthermore, the Cretan weather is perfect for golfing 365 days a year since, beyond the summer months, weather conditions during spring, autumn and winter are more than appropriate for golfing.
Elounda 9 Hole Golf Course
This luxury course is approximately 20 minute drive from Villa Carolina.
The porto elounda GOLF CLUB hosts a Golf Academy with a PGA professional team, offering the opportunity of either learning to play golf during one’s holiday, or of boosting one’s golf techniques. Especially for beginners, classes are arranged in such a way as to maximise the knowledge acquired, even during a short stay at the resort. The Pro-Shop, situated in the shopping center of the hotel, can provide all the necessary equipment and souvenirs. And for the 19th hole, or even just for a pause between holes, there are quite a few options: the Beach Bar next to the seaside pool or the Odysseus restaurant on the waterfront are two very enticing alternatives.
- 9-hole par-3 course
- 2 playing options for each hole
- pro shop
- 54 handicap required
- PGA pro on site
Off Roading
The rugged terrain of Crete is a paradise for lovers of off-road exploration. Driving in dirt tracks, on the edge of steep slopes with breathtaking sea views, is a unique experience. The island is home to an increasing number of companies offering four-wheel drive excursions in the most amazing places of the island. Crossing mountains on motorbikes is also a very popular activity of local motor clubs.
Hiking
The best way to explore Crete is to walk off the beaten track, beyond the places reached by car, follow ancient paths, explore the magnificent scents of herbs in the canyons, climb on the tops of the highest mountains and enjoy the view to the deep blue Cretan and Libyan Sea on the horizon. A large part of trails runs through areas which have been declared protected.
Cycling
The rugged terrain of Crete is a paradise for lovers of off-road exploration. Cycling in dirt tracks, on the edge of steep slopes with breathtaking sea views, is a unique experience. Cycling, either off-road or on asphalt-paved roads, is a wonderful way to explore the island. Many companies and cycling clubs operate in this sector. The Cycling Tour of Crete is one of the most famous cycling events and attracts many visitors from all over the globe.
Photography
The backdrop of the Thripti mountains make good opportunities for stunning landscape and astro photography from the Villa.
There is no shortage of opportunities for great landscape and seascape photos around Crete.
Crete is not only beautiful by day but also by night. One aspect of its beauty is its neglected night sky. Very little has been written on the beauty of the night sky on Crete, with its bright stars, clear constellations and the streaming Milky Way.
When you see the Cretan night sky for the first time, its beauty will immediately impress you. The vast number of stars you can see here, compared to the night skies of Northern Europe, is breathtaking. A big advantage is the location of Crete, situated far south, at 35° latitude.
Skinakas Observatory
The Skinakas Observatory is a research facility operated jointly by the Foundation of Research and Technology – Hellas (F.O.R.T.H.), the University of Crete and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics of Germany. The Observatory location, at Skinakas peak on the Psiloritis mountain at an altitude of 1750m, offers excellent conditions for high quality astronomical observations of in the area of the Mediterranean. It is equipped with a variety of instruments, which qualify it as one of the world’s best equipped telescopes, at least relatively to its size
High quality research on very interesting objects like Active Galactic Nuclei requires coordinated observations at all wavelengths. Of special interest are simultaneous observations in the X-rays and in the Optical wavelengths. In Skinakas Observatory a significant portion of the observational time is used for simoultaneous observations with orbital X-ray telescopes, like RXTE, XMM–Newton and Chandra.
Skinakas Observatory offers a number of open days each year in order to make the general public familiar with recent advances in science and technology. You can check open days at their website:
http://skinakas.physics.uoc.gr/en/
Caving
The existence of numerous caves is inextricably linked to the rugged topography of Crete. Crete has more than 4.500 mapped caves and sinkholes, available to each experienced speleologist who wants to enjoy their rich decoration and fauna. The geological importance of Crete is indicated by the numerous international caving missions for the discovery of unexplored caves and sinkholes.
Canyoning
In the rugged terrain of Crete, rivers meet large faults and steep descents during their course through the canyons, forming hundreds of small and high waterfalls. Crossing gorges of Crete with high waterfalls is possible only by using technical equipment. Appropriate training in canyoneering techniques can be offered by specialist companies on the island. The most popular technical canyons of Crete include the imposing gorge Ha, Tsoutsouras, Kalami, the gorge of Arvi (which after an 80m high fall turns into a dark underground river) and many more.
Air Sports
The island of Icarus and Daedalus is home to several companies and clubs that organize contests or offer lessons and equipment for air sports. Crete is full of steep slopes, ideal for mountain sports associated with the wind, such as paragliding or paramotor. The area of Avdou by Hersonissos is one of the most popular paragliding spots.
Rock Climbing
Several clubs and certified instructors deal with climbing. Every weekend numerous athletes combine an excursion in nature with practicing their favourite sport. Some well-known climbing sites are Agiofarago, Voulismeno Aloni, Therisso, Kalathas Stavros, Plakias, Malia, Kria Vrissi, Latzimas, Kofinas, Agios Nikolaos and more.
Bird watching
In the spring and autumn, Crete is a favourite resting place for a vast number of migratory birds. Many observation huts and towers have been installed in wetlands where bird watchers can watch a great variety of birds. Apart from wetlands, watch towers have been placed in several gorges and mountains that are home to a large number of birds of prey.
Sport Tourism
Visitors of Crete can practice some of their favorite sports or be introduced to new ones. Every year, sailing clubs organise open-sea sailing races such as J24, Regatta and Laser. Moreover, modern basketball and soccer courts host international matches. Associations of martial arts host world class events. Athletics, marathon and trail running are also very common. Apart from common sports, for which facilities are available all over the island, there are less known sports to practice. Paintball is very popular in major cities. Similarly, there are shooting, archery and fencing clubs. Towns and some hotels house bowling centers that organise national and international tournaments. There are also many tracks for kart and unmanned vehicles. A 18-hole course operates at Hersonissos and a 9-hole golf course at Elounda.
Book Tickets and Tours
Book tickets for museums, venues, archaeological sites, guided tours and visits are available at Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Istron.