Also after the tourist season it is interesting to visit Crete and "spend the winter". The rental rates are remarkably low and temperatures are among the best in Europe. The Greek island of Crete is the warmest you can find. Often there are sunny days with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius (not every day because of course there are also days when it's raining and windy). Until the end of November you can still easily swim in the sea because the water temperatures are still good. Many West Europeans who have the possibility, take the opportunity to leave and go to a sunnier place for a long period of time. They walk along deserted beaches, read a book in the sunshine and enjoy the peace and quiet.

In winter the landscape of Crete changes. Some of the trees lose their leaves and the snow appears on the mountain peaks. It still remains a pretty green place. Crete has a subtropical climate and in the winter it enjoys sunny days with sometimes a short tropical rain, that brings the much needed water to the soil, so it can recover from the heat of the summer. In spring you can find fields with flowers and at this time nature is really at its best. The snow on the mountains provides the spring water that keeps the island so green during the summer.

Besides enjoying nature, it is also possible to explore the Greek culture in a more active way, for example by participating in a Greek language course, or take a course in Greek dancing or Greek cooking.

Of course christmas is also celebrated in Kissamos. The town is enlivened with decorations and there is a christmas stable with real sheep, donkeys and a cow. People hang christmas balls in the trees and outside their houses, the shop windows get a christmas theme and there is live music in the village.

Kastania Lodge is a small complex consisting of one house, one apartment and one studio. It is situated just above the town of Kastelli Kissamos, in the north west of Crete. It is situated on a very quiet spot in the country side and it looks out over the town of Kissamos and the sea on one side and on the other side the mountains and the olive groves. The Kastania Lodge is a small and intimate complex which is run by my friend Arianne. The studio, the apartment and the house have internet connection, heating and tv. Kastania Lodge also rents out during the wintertime at low prices (300 - 375 euro a month in 2010 / 2011).

Tel. 0030 6973370957 - Send an e-mail to Kastania Lodge.
More information and pictures of each room you can find on - this page.