cruising Crete

Spending two weeks in Greece is a dream, no matter what you chose to do for fun. Without sounding bougie, I have to admit, one of my favorite days, was spent cruising around the east end of Crete in our own private boat. Complete with a fancy captain & crew, magic hour coastline views, and canapes with champagne, what's not to like?

The evening started just before dusk where we met the captain and crew and were escorted aboard. The first half of the ride was a history lesson on Spinalonga Island and some fun facts about the Island of Crete. Spinalonga is a small island off Crete, in the Gulf of Elounda, that was used as a leper colony in the first half of the 1900s. Now it's uninhabited but became a tourist attraction due to the fortress and black pebble beaches. We never actually set foot on Spinalonga, but our hotel overlooked the island so almost every sea view photo will feature it prominently in the background.

After cruising around Spinalonga we headed west to explore the Elounda coastline. The captain retreated back to the cabin and we were left with our canapes and champagne and the feeling of being #blessed!

After spending most of our time at the top of the mountains looking down, we enjoyed the new perspective from sea level. The homes that adorned the coast were painted white to contrast the deep blue water and vibrant blue sky. We even spotted a few celebrity houses and had to admit that we were feeling pretty VIP ourselves.

After docking back at The Blue Palace, we roamed the deserted beach, taking photos of the sunset and watching all the ocean creatures surface at twilight. I'll admit that drinking a bottle of champagne may have cast a golden glow over the evening, but this was definitely one of my best days yet!