“For tax reasons, it was wise to invest my pension in foreign real estate. Because I have been traveling to Greece several times a year for 30 years, the choice for Greece was obvious,” says Albert.
"We had never been to Plakias before, but when we saw the bay area for the first time, we immediately fell in love with the beautiful surroundings. Plakias is a nice place that is not too crowded. Everything you could wish for is there, or close by. The only thing missing is mass tourism, and we don't mind that at all,” he says.
Few spots in Greece provide what Plakias does. Some people even call it Crete's best-kept secret.
Plakias, Preveli, and Asomatos are spots along the southern coast that feature among the best natural beauty that Greece has to offer, just over 30 minutes from the beautiful port city of Rethymno. In Plakias Bay, beaches provide splendid swimming waters that even many Greeks are not aware of, while the traditional villages in the surrounding hills offer a combination of picturesque scenery, hospitality, and tavernas serving some of the best food you will taste in the country. Albert's villa is located in the village of Mariou, just above Plakias. The number of homes for sale in Plakias and Mariou is limited due to construction limits kept in place by the Greek government to avoid overdevelopment of coasts from taking place, as seen in other Mediterranean countries. However, well-priced beachside villas and homes for sale can still be spotted in the area, which is surrounded by mountains to the north. Plakias' blue-flagged sandy beach is one of the longest in Crete and offers a variety of facilities such as ramp access to the water for people in wheelchairs.
Positioned among olive groves and the rugged mountains of Crete, Mariou is a far cry from the lush green flat meadows in the municipality of Sittard, just north of Maastricht, where the village the couple lives in is located. The cultural gap separating the two countries was also evident when they made the investment at a time when the pandemic was spreading across Europe. But Albert and Ine decided to look beyond the differences and focus on what connects them with Crete and its people. “The fact that we have our own language where we come from shows we are quite different from the rest of the Netherlands. Our character is closer to southern countries. So, we see a lot of us in the Greeks,” says Albert. “There are, of course, many differences. Things are less well organized; there is a better infrastructure in the Netherlands, among other things. But that's actually a lot of fun. If it's the same everywhere, then we would stay at home and not go on holiday anymore.”
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