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Tatler,

Elounda Mare, Crete

The vibe Crete is terribly, terribly old and gave Greece its first myths. It has a dramatic grandeur and can be hot from early spring till the end of October. This hotel is an old-fashioned, blue-blooded haven. Who comes here? Big hitters like Gorby and, curiously, Colonel Gaddafi. Jimmy Goldsmith used to come for a month. It's all Greek to me... Pasiphae, the Queen of Crete, became obsessed with bulls; she gave birth to the Minotaur, which had the body of a man and the head of a bull. The lowdown The Mare looks wonderfully Seventies even though it was built in 1984; you half expect to bump into David Niven drinking Harvey Wallbangers in the bar. Its sister hotel around the bay, the Peninsula, may be young and thrusting but you just can't beat the Mare's class. The pool is quiet, the private beach feels like a hidden cove and the gardens are full of carob trees and little nooks with benches - perfect for looking out to sea. The bungalows with private pools and cool, retro low-livel beds built into the walls are the only option. If old school is the new school, the Mare has it licked.  Bungalow, from £270 a night.

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