Maheri

Looking at travelogues of the Grecian village of Maheri is like perusing the pages of a history book: It’s hard to believe that any place in today’s world can exhibit such quaint charm and unspoiled character! Maheri, in northeastern Crete, is unbelievably beautiful. On its western side is a gigantic perpendicular rock, with the village located at its base. Maheri seems to just hang onto a hillside! The hills around this village are lush with olive trees and teeming, colorful flowers. Maheri faces out over a valley and also enjoys a spectacular bay view. Houses are lovely restorations of their original Venetian structures, frequently made of stone, and many whitewashed to a brilliant glow. However, some are painted soft pastel colors, and others sport brightly painted doors, gates, balconies, awnings, and fences. Alleys are not always paved, and do not seem wide enough to accommodate cars. Actually, seeing a car in such a setting is somewhat incongruent! The numerous tables and chairs set outside seem much more appropriate, for it is customary to take afternoon breaks under the shade trees, and to drink raki while gazing over the crystalline turquoise bay. If there is any word to describe the overall architecture and lifestyle of Maheri, it would be “traditional”, since it has been fairly unchanged since the early 1900’s. Maheri natives spend a good bit of time farming, and live a simple life; they enjoy visitors and display friendliness and hospitality to all. The Maheri village is part of the area offering green vegetation near the base of the White Mountains, but still displaying wide sandy beaches, rock-covered shores, and several gorges. A traveler to Maheri and the surrounding area will not get bored while touring its varied sights, unless one is expecting man-made fantasy parks or big-city skyscrapers. That is not what Maheri wishes to be, and that is not what makes it an incomparable get-away. Children will have fun swimming and hiking, but a stay in Maheri is a trip back in time to a much simpler life. Visitors usually stay in 1-2 bedroom apartments in village houses, and the rate often includes car rental and a few meals. (Made, of course, in authentic Greek style and using the freshest, home grown ingredients!) Guest residences also offer swimming pools, private balconies or patios, and common hotel amenities. These accommodations are approximately an hour from the airport, 20 minutes from a beach, and 10 minutes from the restaurants and shops in the nearby village of Armeni. Tourists can find facilities to meet any possible need, and will find banks, grocery stores, post offices, etc. along the coastal area as well. Prices for some of these accommodations can be found for less than 600 Eurodollars, (about $800 U.S.), for 6 nights. Cretan music can be enjoyed in an amphitheater built right into the Maheri hillside, and a stone theater (that can seat 500) presents summer cultural events in the village square. While strolling around the village, guests will often come upon remnants of past civilizations, such as columns, troughs, and carvings, which are a reminder of Mahia’s rich history. Realizing that this area probably appeared much the same way to the artists of long ago is quite awesome, as is the miracle that Maheri has avoided the commercialism seen over the world. Visiting Maheri is to experience the ultimate in relaxation, and to revisit a time and place from long ago. It is to connect with a people who have their priorities in order, and to appreciate nature in its abundant forms. Maheri is the definition of paradise!