Michalis Klontzas is Elounda’s Multi-Talented Most Enthusiastic Ambassador!

The Cretan president of the Lassithi Dental Association, Mr. Michalis Klontzas, is also a singer as well as boat business owner who has made Agios Nikolaos his home and you could say its biggest proponent.

How does this place affect your life?

Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and Istron are magical places! They embrace you, give you the opportunities to work and succeed. They are destinations where people smile and give you their very best resulting in the best hospitality in the world! Then there’s the temperate, dry and cool Mediterranean climate! This place where I live and work inspires and energizes me. It gives me so much. I feel blessed that I was born and live in Crete, in Agios Nikolaos!

Has your view of where you live and work changed over the years? How have Agios Nikolaos, as well as the wider area of Lassithi, evolved?

Agios Nikolaos and Elounda are picturesque areas of the Lasithi Prefecture, which have always attracted visitors; today, they are among the best vacation destinations in the world! Visitors can enjoy absolutely everything here; there’s Mirabello Bay known for its excellent beaches and unique seabed, the magical golden-yellow sunrise and the sound of the cicadas, then of course, there’s traditional Cretan cuisine, with its freshly caught delicious fish, its unique dishes and the herbs that grow in the island’s soil!

Asides from your dental practice, you also run a boat business, you’re a captain, but you also sing. How does singing affect your daily life?

I’m a multi-faceted person and I’m so happy that my son George is also particularly multi-faceted. I’m a dentist, captain and singer and he’s a law student, captain and singer! Singing is so fulfilling, it brings the very best of you to the surface, calms you, gives you the strength for the next day, and ultimately gives you joy in the knowledge that you are also providing joy to others. I sing with my son! When we’re out on our boats, we try to provide our clients with the very best vacation memories. We try to show them what it means to be hospitable, what Greece, love and respect mean! They’re so happy that when they return to their home countries they whisper: SUMMERS IN GREECE REALLY ARE UNIQUE!

Is there a particular destination on the island of Crete where you would love to sing?

On the island of Spinalonga, actually I have already sung on the island! When you sing there, it’s truly unique – you experience moments of sadness as well as happiness while you sing…. It’s an island that opens your mind! And when you’re a captain and singer yourself, Odysseus’ sirens seem to give you a helping hand, making your singing even more fascinating.

Which is your favourite boat excursion around the island that you would most strongly recommend to visitors?

That’s like asking me to choose my favourite diamond from a pile of them! Every part is beautiful and so special to me! The route from Agios Nikolaos to Spinalonga is especially beautiful – as you can enter small caves, swim in crystal clear waters and experience pristine small beaches. The island of Spinalonga is unique, especially in the late afternoon. When you take a walk on the island, you become one with the stone, with the culture, with hope itself – you feel the value of living every day with a smile! If you climb up to the turrets, you’ll feel the presence of the Venetian soldiers, smell gunpowder as well as see the sun caressing the domes of the hospitable and unique Domes of Elounda!