Scuba diving, seafood and sheltering from the wind in northern Crete

Agia Pelagia by delightso.me, on Flickr
Agia Pelagia by delightso.me, on Flickr

The small tourist resort of Agia Pelagia may be a little bit off the beaten track compared to others on the north coast of Crete, but that’s one of the reasons I wanted to go there, along with the good scuba diving.

It has a long history going back to Minoan times when, in about 2000 BC, it was an ancient town called Apollonia, which traded goods, and cultural ideas, with the famed Minoan palaces of Knossos and Phaistos.

The area was important for its harbour, and boats set off from this point and sailed all over the Aegean Sea, and perhaps even further.  There was even a university in the town at the time. Its history is simply fascinating.

Nowadays Agia Pelagia looks a little different. It has developed from a small fishing village in the 1960s to a laid back resort, but one which is not too big and not too touristy. This is no holiday destination for the Malia/Hersonissos clubbing and drinking late night crowd, and that’s just the way I like it.

The town, or even village, if you like, is built like a Greek amphitheatre, up and around the small hill surrounding the main beach of Agia Pelagia. This is where you will find most of the tavernas and bars and, especially on the weekends, it gets quite busy. Crete is quite a windy island, but when the north winds blow, most of the beaches here are sheltered, which makes it popular with the Greeks coming from Heraklion for a Sunday outing.

Quieter beaches can be found to the left and right of the main beach, but unless you don’t mind walking, a car or motorbike would be a good idea – especially if you want to explore. Following the windy, sometimes hilly, roads to the Blue Bay Resort and Spa takes you to one of Crete’s most beautiful bays, Mononaftis. This is a pebble beach, famous for its green water. Mononaftis means ‘one sailor’ and the story goes that there was a shipwreck here many years ago, from which there was only one survivor. The name is given to a big rock which is visible about 50 metres from the shore.

Agia Pelagia is very popular with scuba divers, one of my main reasons for wanting to come here.  The bay of Mononaftis is famous for the many species of fish you can see, including one-metre long groupers and schools of barracuda. There are a few caves – safe for divers – to explore and there is even a night dive. The reefs, colours and visibility are amazing. On one dive, called the Big Anchor, after the 400-year-old anchor lying 27 metres down on the sea floor, we even saw parts of broken amphorae, or two-handled jugs used by the Minoans to carry oil and wine. It just added to feeling that so many thousands of years ago this place was a thriving port.

At night, Agia Pelagia is a beauty to behold. As the lights come on one by one around the bay, the atmosphere is something special, intimate if you like. The sound of the water is a natural backdrop to eating and drinking, and the sound of clinking glasses and cutlery on plates is accompanied by laughter and chat. It’s all so laid back and peaceful and far away from life’s woes. Being lovers of fish, we dined to our hearts’ content on fresh calamari, grilled sardines and prawn saganaki, which is prawns in a rich tomato and feta sauce. Add a glass or two (or three…) of crisp white wine, and we had the perfect end to our trip.

Katie is a travel loving foodie from the UK. She writes over at delightso.me and is currently planning her next adventure.