Crete: a first-timer's guide to Greece's biggest island

Why go

Crete is more than two hundred and fifty kilometres long, with high mountains running down its spine, a busy north coast and a wild, quieter south coast. It was home to the Minoan civilisation, one of Europe's first, and later to Venetians and Ottomans who left harbours, fortresses and mosques. It suits travellers who want more than a beach, though the beaches are superb.

Chania

**Chania** in the west is the island's most beautiful town, with a Venetian harbour, a lighthouse, narrow lanes of old houses and the **Municipal Market**, a cross shaped covered hall. Stroll the old quarter of **Splantzia**, eat by the harbour and use the town as a base for the west's beaches and gorges.

Heraklion and Knossos

**Heraklion**, the capital, is busier and less pretty, but its **Archaeological Museum** holds the great Minoan treasures, from frescoes to the Phaistos Disc. Just outside town, the **Palace of Knossos** is the legendary home of King Minos and the Minotaur. Go early, and visit the museum on the same day to make sense of it. The Venetian walls and **Koules fortress** guard the old harbour.

Rethymno and the east

**Rethymno**, between the two, has a fine Venetian old town and the huge **Fortezza**. In the east, **Agios Nikolaos** sits on a lake by the sea, and a boat crosses to **Spinalonga**, the island fortress that was once a leper colony. The **Lasithi Plateau** with its windmills and the Dikteon Cave, said to be the birthplace of Zeus, are close by.

Gorges and beaches

The **Samaria Gorge** is a famous day hike of around sixteen kilometres through the White Mountains down to the sea at Agia Roumeli, where a ferry takes you on along the coast. It opens roughly from May to October, depending on weather, and closes on very hot or windy days. **Imbros Gorge** is a shorter alternative. **Balos Lagoon** and **Elafonisi**, with its pink tinged sand, are Crete's most famous beaches; both are protected areas, so follow the rules on access and parking. **Preveli**, with its palm forest and river, and the south coast villages of **Loutro** and **Plakias** are quieter.

Food

Cretan food is a pillar of the Mediterranean diet: dakos (barley rusk with tomato and cheese), kalitsounia cheese pies, snails, slow cooked lamb, staka, wild greens and raki served free at the end of many meals.

A sample week

Start with three nights in Chania: one day in the old town and market, one day on the Samaria Gorge, and one day at Balos or Elafonisi. Move to Rethymno for a night and its Fortezza, then on to Heraklion for Knossos and the Archaeological Museum. Finish with two nights in Agios Nikolaos or Elounda for a boat to Spinalonga and a swim in calm bays. With more time, slow down on the south coast in Loutro or Plakias, where evenings are quiet and the water is crystal clear.

Getting around

KTEL buses link Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos frequently, and reach many beaches and gorge trailheads. Tours run to Balos, Elafonisi, Samaria and Spinalonga. Mountain roads are winding, so allow more time than the map suggests.

Tips

Pick one or two bases rather than trying to see the whole island: the west from Chania, the centre from Heraklion or Rethymno, and the east from Agios Nikolaos. Summer heat inland is strong, so hike early and carry plenty of water.