The Mail Travel — The view swung it. We had not been sure about choosing Crete, and my Scottish, sun-averse husband had made gloomy forebodings about how it was going to be unbearably hot.
But when our 13-year-old daughter Jess ran into our room on our first morning and asked excitedly if we had looked out of the window, our spirits soared.
We could see the sea, a cloudless sky and, in the middle of it all, the small island of Spinalonga shimmering off the north-eastern tip of our own beautiful island.
Of course, it helped that the hotel appeared to have been set up to appeal to each member of our family. Domes of Elounda — made up of suites, villas and private residences — is not just for those who want to lie in the sun.
There’s a children’s club, delicious food and drink, and a range of activities from spa treatments to tennis. It even suited Jess, whose favourite holiday destination would be Laptopland — if only it existed.
Robert, ten, was enraptured by the spot. He’s the one who loves the heat and was happy to explore the private sandy beach beyond an olive grove and to paddle in the sea.
Yet he also wanted to ‘do stuff’, and after trying out waterskiing, he decided that canoeing was next on his list after persuading my husband Brian to join him. It sounded safe enough, except that the two of them had never been in a canoe before.
They were given strict instructions not to venture beyond a line of red buoys and to stay near the shore to avoid getting caught in rip tides.
We watched them paddle off, my husband at the back working hard, my son at the front, enjoying the scenery and smiling. They returned half an hour later.
Robert was full of enthusiasm, but Brian seemed flustered and had worked up quite a sweat.
Thinking he knew best, he had decided to ignore the instructor’s wise advice and, when the canoe was carried further and further away from shore, had to paddle ferociously to make it back again.
Another must-see is Knossos, the capital of Minoan Crete.
#
Our hotel, set on the side of a hill, is named after the nearby former fishing village of Elounda.
Guests are given a number of choices of accommodation (suites or luxury villas, near the beach or the pool) and four restaurants, including Anthos, which is run by Philippe Geneletti, a Michelin-starred chef.
It was tempting not to venture far from the hotel, but we didn’t want to pass up the chance to visit Spinalonga, which featured in Victoria Hislop’s best-seller, The Island.
This former leper colony is a tourist attraction that’s easily reached by boat. The graveyard was moving, with not one plot marked by a name.
Another must-see is Knossos, the capital of Minoan Crete.
Overall, this was a terrific family holiday. Not cheap, but it was a joy to see such natural beauty and know the children were happy.
When we got back to rainy Britain, even my husband missed the sun.
