Best time
May - October
How long
7-10 days
Best for
Beach weeks, road trips, food
Perfect for
Beach / Road Trips / Food / Families
Why go to Crete
Crete is 250 kilometres long, which catches people out. You cannot see it in a week, and trying to is the main mistake first time visitors make. Pick one end, stay there, and do day trips. The west around Chania is the most scenic; the east is drier, quieter and cheaper.
The food alone justifies the trip. Cretan cooking is simple and generous: greens, cheese, slow cooked lamb, tomatoes that taste like something. Village tavernas away from the coast road are consistently better and cheaper than anything on the seafront.
What to do
Wander Chania old town
A Venetian harbour with Ottoman layers on top. Best in the early evening once the day trippers leave.
See Balos or Elafonissi
Two of the most photographed beaches in Greece. Go at opening time, or skip the high season entirely.
Walk the Samaria gorge
Sixteen kilometres downhill through a national park. Serious but not technical, and a full day.
Eat in a mountain village
Drive twenty minutes inland and prices halve while quality goes up. This is not an exaggeration.
Visit Knossos with context
The Bronze Age palace makes far more sense with a guide or an audio tour. Otherwise it is a lot of stone.
Find a beach without a name
The south coast has dozens. A rough track and a ten minute walk is usually all that separates you from an empty bay.
Where to stay
Chania
The most attractive base, with beaches west of the city and the best old town on the island.
Rethymno
Central, smaller, with a long sandy beach and a compact Venetian core. Good compromise location.
South coast, Plakias or Paleochora
Quieter and slower, with the wildest scenery. Requires a car and a willingness to drive mountain roads.
Getting there and around
- Chania (CHQ) serves the west, Heraklion (HER) the centre and east. Choose the airport nearest your base, the drive between them is over two hours.
- Direct summer flights operate from most of Europe; outside the season you will usually connect via Athens.
- Overnight ferries run from Piraeus, which can be a good option combined with a few days in Athens.
Rent a car. Buses along the north coast are decent, but everything interesting is off that road. Fuel is reasonable and distances are longer than they appear.
What it costs
Budget: Studios with kitchenettes, taverna lunches and free beaches. One of the better value Mediterranean weeks.
Mid range: Small hotel or apartment near Chania, a car for the week, dinners out.
Higher end: Coastal resorts on the north coast and boutique villas inland. Wide availability, particularly in the east.
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