Travelling on Crete during the pandemic

It’s peak season, the summer holidays, usually the worst time to travel. However, corona virus has messed up the normal and because of it I find paradise on Crete in July. I thought it best to go soon after the borders open in case there is a second wave and they decide to close again or travel warnings are put into place.

I’m not the only one. A lot of people have found their way to Crete, especially the French. But where you’d usually be able to touch your neighbor on the beach, there is now plenty of space for social distancing. And therefore it’s also better for taking nice photos and enjoying the attractions. In Rethymno I found out that the hotels usually have an occupancy of 95% in July, whereas this year it was only 25-35%. The pandemic is a real problem for locals working in tourism, but it’s a unique chance for the avid traveler.

It’s a bit strange. The waiters all wear plastic masks that go up from their chin to their mouth. Hostel rules have tightened and not everything is allowed. In the archeological museum they are very strict with the number of people per room. Due to the lack of tourists the bus timetable is minimal and it’s harder to get around. Some hotels and restaurants have decided not to open at all this summer. But in general things are running and there is nothing that will stop you from having a great vacation. There are enough bright red sunburned tourists left.

Arrival in Greece by plane

I arrived in Chania, one of the bigger cities with a small airport. Before coming to Greece I had to fill out an online form, after which I received a QR-code. This was meant to be scanned and then people would be told if they needed to get a corona test. The flight was pretty ordinary, besides wearing a mask and exiting row by row. As we entered the airport building the Greek staff tried to tell people to keep a distance, but really in vain. We prepared our QR-codes and I zoomed into the code for easy scanning. Turns out the man checking didn’t have a scanner! Instead he glanced at your phone for 5 seconds and nodded to let you pass. I could have shown anything.

But not everyone was so lucky. I’ve heard stories about planes from other countries that went through a stricter check. People that didn’t arrive with the QR-code had to pay fines of 500 euro. In a plane from Belgium almost everyone got tested. But I didn’t meet anyone who had heard anything after the test. Some were thinking they don’t check the tests for everyone. Although they do say that they only contact those that are tested positive.

Travelling during COVID-19 is travelling in a world of contrasts.

Rules are there for a reason, but as with most places, people are getting sick and tired of the rules. Just like in Germany, Greece also requires you to wear a mask on public transportation and in shops. In reality a lot of people don’t bother or wear their mask wrong. One tourist sat on the bus without a mask for 15 minutes before he pulled it out of his bag and attached it to his chin. Why bother then? On the boat to Balos Beach we all entered with a mask and filled out a form declaring we hadn’t had contact with corona patients, but everyone pretty much took their mask off as soon as they sat down.

In my first hostel they were very strict, measuring my temperature when I arrived, closing their kitchen, allowing only 3 people in the bathroom at the same time and instructing me to have as little contact as possible with the staff and to avoid socializing. They’d created a what’s app group to ask questions, but by doing this they’d also ruined hostelling and killed the whole atmosphere in their accommodation. In my second hostel I seemed to be in the opposite world. My temperature did get checked, but I was allowed to use all the facilities without restrictions. In the evenings everyone would sit together at the outdoor terrace and socialize, including the staff. We even went out for drinks.

Before going to Greece I’d read that the bars and clubs were closed, but that had changed by the time I’d arrived. Music was pumping through the speakers at the beach bars, terraces of popular places were full in the evening. One difference was that the majority of people were locals. The locals finally had a summer where they could enjoy their beautiful island. Everywhere around me I heard Greek spoken, which was very refreshing.

I’m so glad I came to Crete when I did. It may have been slightly harder to get around and during my first week I did feel pretty lonely. However, I got to enjoy some of the island’s prettiest places without the major crowds. I made bookings before I left home, but found out I didn’t even have to. I could decide to do things last minute and didn’t have to worry about things being sold out. I really hope I’m lucky enough to visit this island another time!