Crete Travel Guide

Fans of history will know that Crete has many treasures, such as the unmissable Heraklion archeological museum, one of the most significant museums in Greece (and that's saying something!). It's home to extraordinary exhibits covering a period of 5,500 years, from the Neolithic to the Roman Era, including its unmissable Minoan collection, comprising jewels, clay tablets, jars...

Anyone who enjoys frescos will love Crete's ancient sites, a window into the bygone days of the legendary king Minos, with the palace of Knossos and its famous fresco, the prince of the lilies.

Romantic coves, magnificent shorelines, exotic lagoons, long sandy stretches beside an emerald sea...Crete, with its 150 kilometres of coastline, is a paradise!

At Vaï, you'll be able to admire the largest natural palm grove in Europe and the beautiful beach, with its warm, golden sand. At Balos, it would be easy to imagine yourself in the tropics, with the turquoise-coloured lake. And let's not forget Preveli's beaches, with their grotto-studded cliffs, Falassarna, with its rocky coves and Agios Pavlos, with its vast dunes: there's a brief description of Crete's most beautiful beaches!

Crete is the ideal destination for hiking fans thanks to its many gorges and valleys, such as the Samaria gorges: an unmissable hike in Crete! Hollowed out by an ancient watercourse, the Samaria gorges are strewn with wildflowers and covered in lush vegetation: it's a beautiful site, one you'll share with the native wild goats and eye-catching birds.

The people of Crete are the most welcoming. In small villages and large towns alike, you'll be able to make the acquaintance of charming and sometimes colourful individuals in taverns in fishing villages, such as Mohlos: a village known for its friendly atmosphere, where simplicity and zest for life are the order of the day. During religious festivals, the good humour is contagious and you'll enjoy getting to know the locals around the traditional large open-air meals of Orthodox Easter.

Crete is renowned for its healthy cuisine: just think of the famous Crete diet! There's goat and mutton, local sheep's cheeses, grilled fish garnished with a dash of olive oil flavoured with aromatic herbs. Not to mention the kadaifi (nut and honey pastries). You'll have a chance to savour delicious Crete cuisine everywhere: the famous moussaka, Greek salads (choriatiki) with tomatoes, green peppers, cucumber, garlic and mint, the spanakopites (spinach turnovers), dakos (barley bread galettes topped with grated tomato and olive oil), souvlakia (pork or beef kebabs) and much more.