At Pure Crete, we are committed to encouraging sustainable and responsible tourism. We have restored stone-built Cretan houses and villas and have helped to protect endangered species in Crete. This means that you, our customers, can enjoy the tranquillity of traditional Cretan homes with the assurance that your holidays are helping to conserve Crete’s natural environment.

Pure Crete assist in financing the installation of solar panels in the houses we rent. We work with local communities to protect and enhance the environment of our holiday locations. Currently, we are working on a recycling project in our villas by providing recycling bins and laying out instructions for proper rubbish disposal for our customers.

Crete caters to more that 3.5 million international tourists a year, which contributes to factors such as water, air and noise pollution, environmental hazards and improper waste disposal. With that in mind, it’s important that holiday-goers take an active role in trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Here are some ways you can have an eco-friendly holiday:

Pack Light

Believe it or not, your luggage can have a big impact when flying. The more the plane weighs, the more carbon emissions it will produced. Make sure to only pack what you need. Not only will this be more convenient when dragging your bag around the airport, but it’ll create a more fuel-efficient flight. Thus, you’ll be doing your part to start your travels off in an environmentally conscious way.

Eat Locally

An important part of any trip is experiencing the local cuisine. Crete has some truly wonderful delicacies and traditional dishes for you to sink your teeth into. There are ways for you to experience this whilst also reducing your carbon footprint. Firstly, try to seek out restaurants that are local, and not touristy. These little gems will be hidden everywhere, and you’ll also get a more authentic Cretan experience.

When staying in a Pure Crete villa, you’ll be able to prepare your own meals from scratch. You can get fresh, locally sourced ingredients from food markets, or locally caught fish from the coast. This guarantees your food will be delicious, and that you’ll be supporting the local community, too.

Treat Your Villa as Your Home

When you’re in a Pure Crete villa, you’ll have everything you need to make yourself feel at home. But you shouldn’t limit this to just a feeling; let this inform the way you live in the villa. Just as you wouldn’t leave the lights on constantly at home, or leave the water running or over-use appliances when not necessary, you should continue these energy-conscious habits whilst on holiday.

It might seem tempting to take a blasé attitude to electricity and water use when away, given that you’ve already paid for it. But you should remember how bad over-consumption of energy is for the environment and stick to your regular routine.

On your next holiday, make sure you keep the environment in mind. Always recycle where possible, try to avoid bringing plastic bags with you and treat the environment you’re in with the respect you would pay your own home. If you’re looking for villas in Greece, book your next stay with Pure Crete today.