Holidays in Crete

 

If there was a beauty pageant in which all 6000+ Greek Islands were participating, Crete would certainly win the contest. With 260x60 kilometers, Crete is the greatest of the Greek Islands in size, and also the southernmost island, located south of the Peloponnese, between the Libyan Sea and the Sea of Crete. Over 370 kilometers far from Athens, Crete is not often included in the itineraries of those who go island hopping and mostly prefer to visit the popular Mykonos and Santorini, closer to the mainland.

 

Crete is, nevertheless, easily reachable from the Piraeus port in Athens, taking an overnight ferry for 8,5 hours and arriving in Heraklion, one of the big cities in the northern central coast. Alternatively, the island is served by domestic and international flights, arriving also in Heraklion. From there you can take a KTEL bus to another city or town in Crete. If you are island hopping in Greece and decide to spend part of your holidays to crete, you can also reach it with ferries arriving in the other three ports of the island: Chania, Sitia and Rethymnon.

 

Roughly 650,000 people live in the island, but many more choose to spend their holidays in Crete, enjoying the sun, the beach, the history, the culture and the landscapes.  The coast is rather green and fertile, but there are big mountains and a drier landscape as you step into the mainland. In average, there is only 60 annual days of rain, with a Mediterranean weather that allows for dry and hot summers, and mild winters with little rain. You can therefore choose to spend summer holidays or winter holidays in Crete, a destination for year-round tourism.

 

From 2700 to 1420 BC, Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization, which built the first palaces in Europe. Do not miss your chance to visit the Palace of Knossos, which was the major city of the Minoans 4000 years ago and is now an Archeological Site.  If you prefer nature, visit the Gorge of Samaria and, if the weather is not too hot, walk down form the Omalos plateau to the coastal village of Agia Roumeli. From there you can sail to the small harbor of Hora Sfakion and then return to Chania in a coach bus. The hike takes 4-7 hours but the views and the boat ride next to the coast are amazing and worth it!

 

Take your time to discover Crete, not just in the main big cities but in the small towns and natural areas as well. You will not regret it! Have a great trip!