TERTSA. Tertsa is a small village in south-eastern Crete. This picturesque village has a wide sand-pebble beach with small bays. For shopping you can go to Mirtos which is only five kilometres away. Tertsa has such ideal conditions in terms of climate that bananas and tomatoes are grown in the open.From Tertsa you can make beautiful walks and you can rest on one of the four beaches. The tiny town has a kafeneion, a taverna and a mini market. If you like peace and quiet then Tertsa is a wonderful vacation spot. Protected by the Dikti Mountains and some lower mountains and hills is the small valley of the village of Tertsa. You can even call this valley a garden. Even better: a big garden. In the garden grow tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas, oranges and lemons. A vegetable garden but there also grow and prosper all kinds of flowers and herbs. In the back of the garden is a tiny Orthodox church under a giant palm. And if you walk through the beautiful garden, back to front, from the hills to the coast, you will eventually reach the buildings on the beach and the sea. The totally unique subtropical climate is what makes Tertsa unique. Banana trees in the open air with a tasty harvest. In winter, most of the 42 people just stay outside. They work in the "backyard" of Tertsa or around their little houses. As if time stood still. Just beautiful.
Text: Yorgos and Wendy Nikolidakis - Revised by Maxine van Hoften Gee
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