Agia pelagia holidays - Crete

A quieter crete resort

For a relaxing self-catering holiday, package holiday or all-inclusive holiday in Crete, see what the resort of Agia Pelagia has to offer from The Co-operative Travel.

A mysterious entrepreneur sowed the seeds for the resort’s success when, in the mid-1960s, he offered the local people a set fee for each 1,000 square metres of their land. Soon, another buyer started to offer double this original investor’s offers, and its tourism boom was born.

Agia Pelagia, west of the Cretan capital of Heraklion, is an attractive town of white buildings, which contrast beautifully with the bluish-green of the Mediterranean Sea. The town is in a large, deep cove, and it is around its fringe that most development has taken place.

While the modern town has been purpose-built for tourism, the land on which it lies used to house an ancient Greek city, which records show was inhabited as long ago as 2000BC, but was destroyed by fire in around 1200BC.

The modern town is wonderfully quiet in comparison to other seaside resorts making for a more relaxed holiday experience.

Agia Pelagia – beaches

The main sandy beach of Agia Pelagia is a popular base for diving and a range of water sports, including diving and snorkelling. The main beach is in a large, deep bay to the east of the town, with a small boulevard, populated by restaurants, cocktail bars and a supermarket.

Agia Pelagia has a friendly atmosphere, and is a very lush, green place with palm trees and flowers. West of the main beach there are three other, quieter beaches with fewer facilities.

The area around the beach also has a number of tavernas which are great for spending a relaxing evening enjoying a traditional Greek meal accompanied by the sound of the sea.

So for Crete holiday deals at a resort where life is a little more relaxed, try an Agia Pelagia holiday from The Co-operative Travel.