By air
Heraklion (HER) or Chania (CHQ), east and west of the island
Europe · Greece
Crete, Greece
Gorges, beaches and the Minoan past
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to June and September to October — warm, calmer
Don't miss
Knossos
Chania's Venetian harbour
The Samaria Gorge
Balos Lagoon
Things to do
Hiking the Samaria Gorge
Knossos
Chania's old harbour
The beaches
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Michael Brys · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Hiking shoes, swimwear
A quieter corner
Elafonisi's pink-tinged sand
Questions travellers ask
Which airport should I fly into for Crete?
Heraklion (HER) in the east or Chania (CHQ) in the west. Choose the one nearer the part of the island you'll explore.
When's the best time for Crete?
May to June or September to October — warm, but calmer. Pack hiking shoes and swimwear.
What are the must-dos on Crete?
Hike the Samaria Gorge, see Knossos and stroll Chania's Venetian harbour, then head for Balos Lagoon. For something different, seek out Elafonisi's pink-tinged sand.
Which Cretan foods should I try?
Dakos, Cretan cheeses and a glass of raki.
About Crete
- Island
- Mountains
Where it is
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands and the fifth-largest in the Mediterranean, lying at the southern edge of the Aegean Sea, Greece; mountain ranges such as the White Mountains and Mount Ida run along its length, and Heraklion is its capital.
History
Crete was the centre of the Minoans, Europe's first advanced civilisation, whose palace at Knossos flourished in the Bronze Age. Mycenaean Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and an Arab emirate followed, then more than four centuries of Venetian rule until the Ottomans took Candia, now Heraklion, in 1669 after a long siege; Crete became an autonomous state in 1898, joined Greece in 1913 and saw the Battle of Crete in 1941.
People
Cretans speak Greek, many in the island's own dialect, and keep a strong musical tradition: mantinades, improvised rhyming couplets, are sung to the Cretan lyra and lute at weddings and village festivals. Shepherding, olive oil and tsikoudia, a grape spirit, are central to rural life.
Known for
- The Minoan palace of Knossos
- The Samaria Gorge
- Chania's Venetian harbour
- Balos Lagoon and Elafonisi beach
- Olive oil, dakos and raki (tsikoudia)
Did you know?
The painter El Greco, born Domenikos Theotokopoulos on Venetian-ruled Crete, trained here as an icon painter before moving to Venice, Rome and finally Toledo in Spain.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.