Dreaming of Daios Cove
Sorry about this - an Exmoor Lockdown Diary in which I escape Exmoor, but in dreams only… I had a dream about staying in this remarkable place - a hotel in Crete which i visited a couple of years ago…
Most readers will have seen a lot of changes in their lives, some of the worst, many for the better. The things we do in our leisure time certainly fit into the latter category - perhaps the art of holiday-making wins one of the top prizes for the way things have improved.
Take the classic Mediterranean holiday as an example… Where once we Brits were herded into very basic concrete-built accommodation along the Spanish costas and fed dismal mass-produced paella, we now see a great increase in designer holidays spent in comfortable, tastefully designed, resorts in beautiful locations where chefs chase Michelin stars.
The total and utter transformation of the Mediterranean holiday scene struck me recently as I swam across the plunge pool at the front of an architect-designed Cretan villa and gazed out across an azure sea at a distant town whose history stretched back more than 4000 years.
There are many posh and glitzy hotels and resorts spread around the Mediterranean nowadays, but perhaps Daios Cove is an exemplar.
The luxury resort and its uniquely-designed stone villas nestles on a hillside on the northern coast of Crete. As the blurb says. “From every angle, the views are sublime: the calm turquoise sea in a quiet cove, spectacular verdant slopes, lush terraced gardens, a yellow crescent of private beach and a wide expanse of azure sky.”
Journalists who do a lot of travel writing get used to applying a pinch of salt to such marketing-speak, but in the case of Daios Cove I’d say that not a word is exaggerated or out of place. So I’ll go on quoting for just a minute…
“Daios Cove is minimalist, modern, chic and sumptuous with a carefully created designer style - and its elegant and sophisticated architecture has been crafted from the natural environment. Sculpted out of the hillside rock, every stone has been traditionally hand-carved and reclaimed. As a result, Daios Cove blends beautifully into its picturesque rural surroundings.”
I am more fussy than most about the way things look and am certainly not afraid to write criticism when I see some concrete hotel horror wrecking a Mediterranean mountainside or a ghastly caravan park (why can’t they make caravans look more attractive?) despoiling a Cornish cove. But credit where credit is due - although it’s big and totally dominates its wild and natural Cretan inlet, I have to say that the owners have designed Daios Cove beautifully.
The place has something of the James Bond villain’s lair about it - and I mean that in a positive way. While its natural stone villas blend in with the bare rock of the steep coastal hillsides, there are all manner if high-tech things going on - like not one but two funicular railways which take guests effortlessly up and down the contours, underground spa treatment centres, golf-buggy transport services which speed silently around the hidden tunnels and roadways of the resort.
It’s all very plush indeed and the villa interiors reflect the well-designed theme. The large example I stayed in was right at the top of resort so, as I swam in my plunge pool, I could enjoy vistas of the north Crete coast stretching beyond the ancient port of Aghios Nikolaos.
This is the nearest town and is built around the picturesque Lake Voulismeni - a kind of inner harbour situated under vertical cliffs right in the middle of the community. Aghios Nikolaos is a lively shopping and dining destination by day that turns into a buzzing entertainment centre by night. With its cafés, tavernas and restaurants, it’s always popular with tourists.
Crete is the biggest of all the Greek isles and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. It was the centre of Minoan civilisation, and you’ll find ancient frescoes, imposing fortresses and fascinating Greek mythology everywhere among its pretty fishing harbours and mountain villages.
The friendly staff at the Daios resort can arrange trips to such places and also boat excursions to various locations along the coast. The best known of these is the island fortress of Spinalonga, which we reached aboard a big sailing catamaran that came to pick us up at the resort.
Built in 1579 during Venetian occupation, Spinalonga has been the setting for various film and TV productions, and as the location for the best-selling novel The Island, by Victoria Hislop. Its history is intriguing: it was turned into a fortress by Venetians, has been used as a refuge by the Ottomans and was one of the last active leper colonies in Europe.
We also enjoyed a short trip up to the mountain village of Kritsa, where the Panagia Kera church boasts Byzantine frescoes. It’s a touristy little community clinging to the steep slops of the mountains, but a quick turn around its narrow streets on a Sunday morning was a refreshing local tonic after a few days living the high life at Daios Cove.
We’d been indulging ourselves on gourmet cuisine at the resort’s four exquisite restaurants, as well as enjoying light snacks at the beach bar. The food was exceptional in all the resort’s eateries - there was plenty of fantastic local seafood, as well as Greek tapas and Cretan specialties.
Crete’s seasons can roughly be split into two - there’s a dry and hot summer from May to October, which is perfect for sun-worshippers. In the high season — July and August — it’s not unusual for temperatures to reach between 30°C and 35°C. Then there is a milder winter, from November to April, which can be rainy at times and cooler at night. Even in November, however, temperatures can climb to 20°C.
I’d be happy to visit Daios Cove in either season, especially now that in usual times there are daily direct flights to Crete from Bristol Airport. It’s an extremely well thought out resort that pulls off the trick of feeling both homely and exotic at the same time. As I say, it is a prime example of how modern Mediterranean tourism has come of age and shaken off that old fashioned package holiday experience. The place is first class - which is why people like Saudi princes and well known footballers holiday there. But it is also affordable - and it’s hard to beat a combination like that anywhere…
FACT FILE
For further details and to book visit www.daioscove.com or call +44 20 3036 0257.
Residents’ Club details for Suite & Villa guests can be found at https://www.daioscovecrete.com/residents-club
