While spring is already here and Easter is coming up fast, many of us have been making plans for the first holiday of the year for quite some time. In the mountains or by the sea? A touch of seclusion or full-on relaxation in a fully equipped, authentic resort?

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Located in Crete and specifically in Hersonissos, the most famous resort of Heraklion, right on the crystal blue beach of Limanakia, a magical, family-run hotel has been our little private paradise for years. Our children have created some of the most unforgettable memories of their lives there. This is because Creta Maris Beach Resort is much more than a five-star hotel. We could describe it as a neat, charming “simulation” of a real village by the sea, a place of absolute tranquillity, safety and relaxation. A place where one may find everything one’s mind can put together.

The resort is ideal for the days of Easter. The piety of the Holy Week is diffused in the lush gardens of the Creta Maris Beach Resort, in the picturesque stone chapel where the Epitaph (the Bier of Jesus Christ) is decorated on Holy Friday with beautiful spring flowers that have been collected by the guests themselves and, of course, in the moving procession that fills the small alleys of the resort that remind of a traditional village with a sense of catharsis and the eternal hope of resurrection.

Moreover, you will wholeheartedly enjoy the traditional Easter customs. Your little ones will get the opportunity to make cookies with their own hands, knead tsourekia (Greek Easter bread resembling brioche or challah bread), dye Easter eggs and enjoy to the fullest the authentic Cretan hospitality.

On the night of Holy Saturday you will experience the warm, solemn custom of commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and become one with the pilgrims who stand in the Holy Trinity Chapel with their candles lit to listen to the chants of the Divine Liturgy. Afterwards, you can enjoy traditional Greek Easter soup and other delicacies – given that you have chosen the Easter package.

If you want, on Easter Sunday you can participate in the traditional custom of lamb spit-roasting on the beach.

Perhaps the best thing of all, however, is that at Creta Maris Beach Resort children will never get bored – and this applies to any time you choose to visit the hotel. At the Asterias Kids Club, an extensive programme for children from 4 to 11 years old will keep them busy and provide them with knowledge, recreation, fun and lots of new friendships. And all this while you relax and unwind as part of an adult activity or enjoy facial and upper limb treatments from the spa’s beauty consultants.

In fact, Easter Monday is a day dedicated to wellness, making it the ideal time to bring your stay to a close.

Wandering through the alleys of Creta Maris Beach Resort, which resemble the picturesque cobbled streets of a traditional village, observing the blue doors of the bungalows and the pink bougainvilleas that lean over the arches and the entrances of the rooms, the only sure thing is that you will feel like you’ve been transported to another world, in a dreamy environment out of a cinematic setting.

The fact that the dining and entertainment options here are endless makes life in this bright, luxurious resort even more idyllic. In the hotel’s 6 restaurants, 9 bars and 3 snack points you’ll enjoy a plethora of local dishes, Mediterranean cuisine and international offerings, while the All Inclusive food plan includes not only an all-day buffet for younger guests, but also all alcoholic beverages.

As far as the rooms are concerned, it is the white, pure colour that dominates almost every room in the hotel, which makes the environment seem even more “quiet”, even brighter, even happier. Shades of blue, wooden details and tones of beige and grey are also present, giving a sense of subtle refinement and elegance to every corner of the Creta Maris Beach Resort.

Creta Maris Beach Resort

Hersonissos 70014 Crete

tel: +30 28970 27000

email: reservation@cretamaris.gr

www.cretamaris.gr