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Livadia Holidays

A tiny hamlet on the very western tip of Crete, Livadia has a small harbour surrounded by welcoming traditional tavernas.

Livadia's harbour is good for swimming and snorkelling but there is little else here in the way of commercial amenities, making it a joy for visitors who prefer an authentic Cretan atmosphere. There are three tavernas on the waterfront, two of which are run by local fishermen, although the popular highly spicy pork dishes used more in Crete than anywhere else in Greece are sure to be on the menu.

A twenty-five minute drive will take you to the nearest beach and island of Elafonisi where the long crescent of white sand is tinged with pink by coral fragments at the waters edge. You can wade across the shallow blue lagoon to the perfect peace and quiet of a deserted island with spectacular sand dunes and rock formations.

A further twenty-five minute drive from Livadia in the opposite direction leads to the village of Kefali with its profusely flowering balconies and small church that contains some of the best Byzantine frescoes in the area. The surrounding countryside in Kefali is a great place for walking in the early summer when the hillsides are covered in yellow and purple wild plants. With more than 1,500 species of wild plants, Crete is a riot of colour - they certainly know how to say it with flowers.

You're thinking, '…far from the madding crowd'. You're saying things like away-from-it-all, a breath of fresh air. You may not know it yet, but you're describing holidays in Livadia.

The beautiful bay of Livadia basks on the sunset side of Crete, lining a landscape that's wonderfully wild - verdant green in flower-filled spring, baked to a sun-scorched terracotta in the heat of summer. Holidays to Livadia are an introduction to a different world, a world where dressing for dinner means wearing flip-flops rather than going barefoot … where the nearest thing to a rush-hour is when the local small boats come in, landing the catch of fresh fish which could become your supper … where a wristwatch serves no useful purpose and alarm clocks are - well, just alarming.

At the heart of the bay is Livadia itself, a tiny village whose sleepy harbour is lined with traditional tavernas. Around the village and out along the bay are a spaciously scattered handful of stone houses. Of these, a select few are holiday homes complete with private pool and contemporary comfort - bringing a new dimension to self-catering holidays. In Livadia, wherever you are, you're an easy drive from legendary Elafonissi - a tiny lagoon islet, hemmed by sugar sands and reached by wading through the shallows. Not to be missed.

Livadia holidays are for families and couples who want to wind-down, loosen-up and explore. If that's you, don't wait till the last minute. Holidays to Livadia are limited to a lucky few.