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“It takes a lifetime for someone to discover Greece, but it only takes an instant to fall in love with her.” Henry Miller

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Crete is renowned for its beaches, wild natural beauty, exquisite cuisine, hospitable people and thousands of years of culture and history.  This beautiful island captures the spirit of Greece perfectly and it’s a fantastic inspiration for a summer holiday.

Here is a list of places you must see while in Crete.

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Elafonisi Beach

A truly magical place that has to be seen to be believed.

The soft white and pink sand, turquoise water and azure sky makes you feel like you have been transported to one of the Caribbean islands. When you add the views to Crete’s mountainous southwest coast you’ve got a small patch of paradise.

Did you know that Elafonisi is often cited as one of the most uniquely beautiful beaches in the world?

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Based in the South-West of Crete – Elafonisi is actually an island, separated from the southwest coast of Crete, by a shallow, warm lagoon and a sandbar that is submerged under about one meter of water at most during high tide.

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It’s not a bad idea to plan a day out in Elafonisi especially if your travel is quite lengthy. The beach on the mainland and on the part of the sandbar that is never submerged is populated by hundreds of beach chairs and umbrellas. There are a couple of beach bars providing drinks and snacks, a few shops, toilets (you ned to pay), showers and a few changing cabins.

Tips

• Elafonisi gets super busy (no surprise here) so make sure you get there early to take some lovely photos and get yourself an umbrella with the a sea-front view. Another option is of course to visit out of season from late October to April.
• If the day is windy you may consider reschedulling the trip to the beach as this will prevent you from enjoying your swim.
• Make sure you have some change to use the toilets.
• The popular pink and red sand is produced by the large amount of red and pink shells that get ground up by sea. Unfortunately it’s not allowed to take the pink sand due to its rare consistency of seashells.

Rethymno

Rethymno Town

The third-largest city in Crete is everything a Greek town should be and more. If you get an opportunity to pop into the town make sure you see the walled Venetian fortress built in 1573, the Venetian Harbour lined with fish restaurants, waterside tavernas and cafés, and of course the Rethymno Old Town.

Food & Drinks

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While in Rethymno I also recommend having a meal in one of the charming restaurants such as CAVO Rethymno which is located at the edge of the town overlooking Fortezza castle and the Mediterranean Sea.

The delicious imaginative food and drinks combined with the most captivating instagrammable view was a perfect end to a very long day driving alongside the north coast of Crete.

Chania

Chania is a small, picturesque town worth a visit while in Crete. You’ll almost certainly stay longer than you intended, enjoying tasty food, the wonderful harbour, old buildings, great architecture and much more.

Explore the old city of Chania, walk along the narrow streets, see the old buildings, and browse through the small shops with leather goods and ceramics. Visit the main market and buy some honey, herbs, raki, cheese, olive oil. 

Chania’s Venetian Harbour

You can’t miss out on visiting the Chania’s glorious harbour originally built by the Venetians between 1320 and 1356 AD.

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This busy harbour includes a restored lighthouse, shops & endless eateries.

The lighthouse

The lighthouse is a distinctive feature of the harbour. It was also built by the Venetians at the harbour entrance and restored in its present form by the Egyptians (1830-1840).

Food & drinks

While in Chania I also recommend having a meal in one of the charming restaurants overlooking the harbour waters. There are certainly many restaurants and also cafes to choose from. We ate at the Amphora restaurant and the food including Cretan specialties was super delicious.

Balos Lagoon

A fabulous beach rival to Elafonisi, Balos is an unmissable experience whether you’re visiting the east or west side of Crete.

The lagoon is wedged between two capes, Gramvousa and Tigani, trapping a pool of shallow, turquoise water as beautiful as it is safe.

Heraklion

Heraklion is the largest city and the administrative capital of Crete. The Venetian port of Heraklion is super lively filled with sights, museums, restaurants, bars and hotels. 

Minoan Palace of Knossos

On Crete, you’ll find some of the most significant attractions in Greece including two of the most important monuments: Knossos Palace and Phaistos Palace.

Venetian Harbour of Heraklion

The Venetian harbour of Heraklion is at the end of 25th of August Street, the pedestrian street leading from the town centre to the Koules fortress.

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This is the old harbour of Heraklion, now used by fishing boats and yachts, and its history is as ancient as that of the city itself.

Old Town

And then there is the beautiful Old Town where you can easily spend a whole day strolling around, seeing the sites and soaking up the atmosphere. Heraklion grew up around the sea, and still today, the old town focuses on the harbour.

In the Old Town pedestrian-only streets are lined by aristocratic buildings, churches and close to 1,000 boutiques.

Located amongst the narrow streets and alleys, you’ll find lovely restaurants, hidden patios, and busy cafés literally everywhere. Just pick a street and start walking, take random turns, and you’ll be amazed at what you discover.

If you are on the hunt for the perfect souvenir from Crete, head to the pedestrian-only 1866 Street, known as the Central Market full of sellers. The street name refers to one of the most important Cretan risings to overthrow the Turkish yoke, and is lined with shops selling souvenirs, cheap clothes and shoes, fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, cheese and meat, as well as small cafés and tavernas.

Don’t forget to visit one of the fountains of Heraklion such as Morosini Fountain, situated at the center of the most busy square – Eleftherios Venizelos sq. The fountain dates back to 1628 and features an octagonal pedestal mounted by 4 lions.

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Food & drinks

While in Heraklion I also recommend having a meal in NTORE – a rooftop restaurant with an amazing view of the city center and the port of Heraklion.

This restaurant is a prime destination for epicures. 

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Koules Fortress

The most notable monument is an impressive Venetian structure near the entrance of Heraklion Port dating back to the early 16th century.

An easy and scenic walk from the shoreline along a breakwater takes you to the main entrance located on the right-hand side. You can climb to the top of Rocca a Mare Fortress for impressive views of Heraklion and the Aegean Sea.

Safari Tour

What a fantastic experience we had with The Safari Club!

If you are looking for a more authentic experience than just sunbathing by a swimming pool, the Cretan Safari is the way! The company offers a number of routes across Crete with pickups.

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We did the Minoan Route across the central part of Crete with its mythology, flora, fauna and lots of fun and interesting information about Crete and the local life.

And when I say lots of information I really mean it! Our tour guide was without a doubt the most knowledgeable person I have ever come across and has done a lot of excursions across the world. I learnt a lot about Crete and also experienced quite a few glimpses of true Cretan life outside of fancy resorts. I really recommend the experience.

Have you been to Crete or maybe planning a trip?

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