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Everything you need to know about Crete, Greece’s largest island, including the best things to do, the top restaurants and hotels, plus a few things to avoid.
When I first arrived in Crete, Greece, I imagined I’d have ”done” it in a few weeks. But 15 years later, I still haven’t experienced everything there is to see on this wonderfully diverse island, which was the birthplace of the god Zeus, and the Zorba the Greek author, Nikos Kazantzakis.
Dubbed the megalo nisi, “the big island,” by Greeks, it takes seven hours to drive from the western tip to the eastern toe of Crete, and several hours to cross this mountainous atoll at its widest point. In between you’ll find an almost overwhelming amount of things to see and do: whether you’re keen to get off the beaten track and chow down on local specialities, want to mosey around fascinating museums and jaw dropping archaeological sites, long to try extreme sports ranging from rock climbing to bungee jumping or just laze on paradisiacal beaches with only the gulls for company, Crete has you covered.
I’ve compiled the best things to do in Crete, plus a few things you should avoid.
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Elafonisi Beach
WHERE: Kissamos
It’s easy to see why Elafonisi’s pink sands, which are washed by waters the color of peacock feathers, are a magnet for tourists (but don’t believe the hype: the sands are blush pink, not flamingo scarlet). The main beach, with its Caribbean-white sands, is littered with sun loungers and scattered with snack bars, but if you wade across a shallow lagoon you’ll reach a tiny, dune-studded islet spiked with endemic cedar trees and sweet-scented sea daffodils where (except in overcrowded summer months) you’re sure to find a secluded cove. Boats leave from Chania’s old port to visit Elafonisi, along with its glitzy sister beach, Balos. Since they all arrive and leave at the same time, it’s better to make the long drive from Chania and get there in early morning or mid-afternoon, when it will be (far) less crowded.
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Knossos Palace
WHERE: Knossos
Even if you’re not a big fan of history, a visit to the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the legendary home of King Minos and the bloodcurdling Minotaur, is a must. The jury’s still out on British archaeologist Arthur Evans’s whimsical restoration work, but his colourful recreations, including copies of those famous frescoes, are certainly evocative. Visit the city’s newly renovated archaeological museum afterwards to see the original frescoes–including the famous leaping dolphins–along with the gold bee pendant from Malia, and the yet-to-be-deciphered Phaistos disc (you can buy one ticket for both attractions). Hungry after all that sightseeing? Pull up a wobbly caned chair at traditional Kafenion O Lakkos close by and order some of their home-cooked meze snacks.
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Arkadi Monastery
WHERE: Arkadi
From Preveli Monastery, with its statue of a monk holding a rifle, to the village of Anogeia, where the local priest gives lessons on handling a gun, here in Crete, revolutionary spirit and religion go hand in hand. From 1866-1869, during the Kritiki Anastasia (Cretan Revolution) against Ottoman rule, Arkadi Monastery became a symbol of the island’s revolutionary soul when local families and monks hiding in the monastery chose to blow themselves up with gunpowder, rather than surrender to Ottoman troops. The seven monks who still live in the 17th-century monastery hidden behind high stone walls are generally eager to show you around: explain the icons in the 16th-century church, point out their monastic cells, and answer questions. Play your cards right and they might even offer you a thimble of raki. Don’t miss the very spooky ossuary just outside the monastery walls, where some of the victims’ skulls are conserved.
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Chania Old Town
WHERE: Chania
Although I wouldn’t recommend visiting Crete’s second city during the summer months, out of season, it’s difficult to resist the scenic allure of Chania’s picture-perfect harbor hedged in by pastel-coloured Venetian houses–many repurposed as boutique hotels and waterfront tavernas–surrounded by an atmospheric labyrinth of cobbled alleys lined with stores selling everything from herbs and spices to handcrafted jewellery and ceramics. If you’re seeking authentic appeal, however, turn your back on overpriced tavernas near the harbour and make a beeline for The Splanzia District, where small kafenions serve crunchy dakos rusks drizzled with tomato and mizythra cheese, xochli (snails) swimming in a rich garlicky sauce, and other typical meze snacks. Alternatively, seek out Halepa, home of the city’s gleaming new archaeological museum, where you’ll find a handful of traditional kafenions, and even a small beach.
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Sitia Geopark
WHERE: Lasithi
From Agios Nikolaos, a narrow road that corkscrews alongside steep ravines and jagged cliffs leads to The Sitia Geopark, a rarely visited region stretching from Cape Sidero’s 19th-century lighthouse to the Minoan palace of Zakros: pristine landscapes, lost-in-the-past villages, and serene sand strewn beaches abound. Here you can laze on the palm-fringed sands of Vai, the paradise beach that starred in 1970s Bounty adverts, or seek out the secret coves and golden sands of Xerocambos near the traditional mountain village of Armenoi. Back in the region’s capital, Sitia, be sure to take in panoramic views from the city’s 13th-century hilltop Kazarma fortress, before lapping up glorious sunset views from one of the rustic tavernas surrounding the city’s fishing harbour bobbing with traditional kaiki fishing boats.
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Spinalonga
WHERE: Elounda
Despite the hype around the novel The Island, Spinalonga, the atoll that inspired Victoria Hislop’s best seller, has maintained its unique atmosphere. Leaving from the seaside resort town of Elounda, a traditional trehandri fishing boat whisks you across the shimmering waters of Mirabello Bay to this arid islet where Greece’s lepers were kept in quarantine right up until 1957. Instead of exploring this tiny island’s Venetian forts, small stone houses, and secret tunnels on your own, hire one of the local island guides, whose spine-chilling tales of life on this island (spina longa means “long thorn” in Italian) will bring your visit to life.
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Rethymno Old Town
WHERE: Rethymno
With its Venetian harbour and paved shopping streets, Rethymno is like a smaller version of Chania, only with fewer crowds and more sandy beaches. A magnet for locals who go there to listen to live Cretan music in waterfront bars or enjoy raki and meze in traditional rakadikos, Rethymno’s Venetian harbor buzzes with life. Behind the harbor, a web of cobbled alleys spreading out from the city’s ornate Rimini fountain are packed with shops: from sweet-scented spice stands and souvenir stores to vintage clothes boutiques and shops selling antiques. At sunset, climb cobbled streets to Rethymno’s Venetian Fortezza Castle or seek out one of the city’s seaside tavernas, where you should order the traditional dish, clay pot-baked tsigaristo lamb, to accompany those stunning views.
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Lasithi Plateau
WHERE: Lasithi
Rarely on tourists’ radar, this far-flung plateau, which is one of the Mediterranean’s highest inhabited island zones, was named for the drainage ditches, or lasctiti, dug by the Venetians. Nowadays, the crops that are still grown on this fertile plain an hour’s drive from Agios Nikolaos are watered by dozens of windmills, whose white sails flutter in the wind like flags. There are several lost-in-the-past villages here, including the main town, Tzermiadon, where shops sell vivid handwoven items that have been made in local looms for centuries. Bring a torch to explore Dikteon Andron, the narrow cave where legend says that Zeus was born.
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Chryssi Island
Would-be Robinson Crusoes will love this tiny atoll an hour’s boat ride from the southern town of Ierapetra, with its endless swathes of blond sand beaches studded with rolling dunes and ancient forests of juniper trees, known to Greeks as the ”golden isle” (chrysos means “gold”). There are sunbeds, parasols, and a snack bar on the island, but prices are outrageously high, so pack your own food and drink, and bring plenty of suntan cream (there isn’t much shade). Also, be aware that boats can’t dock on the island, so you’ll have to swim the last 50 meters (165 feet) to shore (which adds to the desert island appeal).
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Local Festivals
If you like Irish music, you’ll love Crete’s traditional sounds, which combine the violin-like lyra that’s held on one knee and played upright, with the big-bellied laouto and the bagpipe-like askamadoura. Look out for groups playing in local tavernas, or look for posters advertising glendis, the festivals that are held all over the island during the summer months when locals gather at long trestle tables to eat and drink, before dancing to live Cretan music until dawn. Musicians like Manolis Kontaros, Nikos Zoidiakis, Giorgos Zervakis, or Vassilis Skoulas are favorites with the older generation, while Mixalis Tsouganakis and the Stratakis brothers are popular with a younger crowd.
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Wine Trails
WHERE: Heraklion
Once perceived as rough and rustic brews, Cretan wines have had a mega makeover in recent years, with younger vintners introducing new methods of production. A whopping 70% of Crete’s wines come from the Heraklion region, and the best way to sample them is to follow Heraklion’s well-marked wine trail. Looping along narrow roads lined with tousled vines to visit several of the region’s most iconic winemakers Route 5, the Skalani Trail is ideal for off the beaten track exploration, while the Dafnes Trail, which winds through rolling countryside with stop offs at half a dozen wineries, is best for lots of sipping along with scenic views.
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Adrenaline Activities
From hiking the Samaria Gorge, Europe’s longest canyon in the west of the island, to windsurfing and parasailing from beaches along the breeze-swept South Coast, or exploring dirt tracks in a four-wheel drive, adrenaline activity fans will find plenty to thrill them in Crete. All across the island, you’ll find companies offering jeep safari tours where you’ll go off-piste as you follow ancient trails, explore remote villages, or swim from hidden coves. With more than 350 dizzying canyons, 60 summits that are over 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) high, and more than 2,000 bolted routes, Crete is also a paradise for rock climbers. Adventure seekers with a head for heights can also soar above the sea in a hot air balloon or bungee jump from Aradaina Bridge, which is the second highest in Europe.
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Things to Avoid: Malia
Notorious inspiration for the coming-of-age movie The Inbetweeners, Malia, a town an hour’s drive from Heraklion, is peaceful for most of the year. As the summer heats up, however, and clubs, pubs, and bars open along this tiny seaside resort’s nightlife strip, it morphs to a manic playground for teens, who come here to have fun as they celebrate finishing their finals. In the daytime, the streets are packed with rowdy gangs roaring up and down the one main street on quad bikes or lazing on the resort’s sandy beach. At night, however, when the bars serve a cheap and lethal mix of alcohol (known as a fishbowl cocktail) and the clubs open their doors, this resort is best avoided unless you want to party.
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Things to Avoid: Quad Bikes
It might seem thrilling to hire one of those noisy, all-terrain vehicles that Greeks call gourounis (pigs), but unless you’re exploring a tranquil area or planning to go off-piste, however, you’d be wiser to give it a miss–especially during the summer months when there are more road accidents in Crete than anywhere else in Greece. Notoriously unstable and slow, quad bikes tend to incur the wrath of local drivers who force slower vehicles onto the hard shoulder to get past or overtake on blind bends in a bid to get past.
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Must-Try Restaurants: Dounias
WHERE: Nerokouros
When Stelios Trilirakis took over his parents’ farm high in the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) several years ago, he created one of the island’s most innovative restaurants. Opening a sustainable taverna where everything is sourced from his own smallholding or from neighbours close by, Stelios, who refuses to use electricity, prepares his delicious dishes in the traditional way: cooked over an open fire in big-bellied clay pots. The setting might be simple, but dishes like Stelios’ velvety slow-cooked rabbit casserole are good enough to merit a Michelin star.
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Must-Try Restaurants: Agreco Farm
WHERE: Adele
Built to resemble a 17th-century Venetian village, complete with its own copper still to make white spirit raki and a small farm with clucking hens and bleating goats, this rustic restaurant near Rethymno belongs to the Cretan family-owned Grecotel luxury resort chain. Proud of the island’s food heritage, the resort aims to showcase the best of Cretan cuisine in a traditional setting, serving a sumptuous set menu made with food from the farm on long wooden tables. Expect tender antikristo lamb grilled on upright stakes around an open fire, delicate zucchini flowers stuffed with rice, vegetables, and herbs, and other delicious local specialities.
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Must-Try Restaurants: Peskesi
WHERE: Heraklion
Billing yourself to be a purveyor of authentic Cretan cuisine might be a big boast on an island where authentic food oozes from every pore. Luckily, Peskesi’s farm-to-table restaurant, housed in an ancient mansion in the centre of Heraklion, lives up to its boast. Lovingly prepared using ingredients sourced from the owner’s organic farm, dishes ranging from goat slow-roasted in a wood-fired oven and served with foraged wild greens, to crispy batter-fried zucchini flowers stuffed with rice and mizythra cheese, are packed with flavour. A handpicked range of Cretan wines and locally made beers is the icing on this gourmet cake.
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The Best Budget Hotel: Porto Venziano
WHERE: Chania
This affordable three-star haven sitting bang on the waterfront near Chania’s Venetian harbor, Egyptian lighthouse, and warren of shopping streets is one of the best value hotels in town. Rooms and suites are on the small side, but clever use of space means they don’t feel cramped, while plump Coco Mat mattresses, spacious bathrooms, organic Korres toiletries, and balconies gazing out over Chania’s glorious Venetian harbor ensure five-star comfort. Served on a sea view terrace, breakfast is copious with plenty of cooked goodies, but also a selection of cheeses and cold cuts, and plenty of local treats including homemade jams and Chania’s iconic Sfakian pies made with white mizythra cheese and drizzled with honey from the surrounding hills.
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The Best Boutique Hotel: Kapsaliana Village
WHERE: Arkadi
Staying in this carefully renovated Cretan complex, which is housed in a huddle of stone buildings that once belonged to the neighboring Arkadi Monastery, is like stepping back in time. Architect-owner Myron Toupogianis, who has been slowly buying up these village houses since the 1970s, has kept the original olive groves and orchards, so it’s like staying in a real Cretan village, only with plenty of modern comforts. Each of the 22 rooms is different–in one room, the writing desk is made from an olive press; another room has a glass floor with ancient artifacts underneath. The resort centers on its sparkling pool surrounded by olive groves, and a farm-style restaurant where they serve a feast of traditional local food.
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Best Luxury Hotel: Abaton Island
WHERE: Hersonissos
Break out the white wear for this hyper-chic beach resort near the seaside town of Hersonissos. Housed in low white buildings dotted across carefully tended lawns, and surrounded by lagoon-like water features, the rooms and suites–some with private pools–are linked by paths that lead to a vast glass-walled reception which gazes out onto a glittering infinity pool surrounded by cabanas and rocking chairs. With a sandy beach linked to the sea via a long wooden pier, a bijou Elemis spa, and five restaurants serving everything from sushi and sashimi to steak and Cretan lamb, there’s no real reason to leave.
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Things to Know
Apart from the island’s main towns, where you can use hop-on hop-off red buses, it’s not always easy to get around in Crete. Car hire is generally fairly cheap, however, and there are dozens of companies near Heraklion Airport where you can hire a vehicle once you arrive. July and August are busy almost everywhere in Crete, so if you’re seeking peace and quiet, it’s best to travel outside the summer months when the weather is generally slightly cooler, and beaches and sights are less crowded. The east of the island has a shorter season, with hotels and tavernas generally opening in May and closing in late September, while tourist businesses in the west of the island generally open in April and can remain open until December (some are open all year round).