Category Archives: Crete Attractions & Tips
July 5, 2026
West Crete: Attractions, Landmarks, Travel Guide and Car Rental
West Crete - the Chania and western Rethymno regions - is widely considered the most spectacular part of the island. It holds Europe's longest gorge (Samaria, [distance km="16"]), Crete's most famous beaches (Balos lagoon, Elafonisi's pink sands, and Falassarna), two of the Mediterranean's finest Venetian harbour towns, and the dramatic Lefka Ori (White Mountains) that divide its north and south coasts. Seven to ten days based in Chania, with a hire car, gives you access to all of it. The region stretches from the Akrotiri Peninsula in the north to the Libyan Sea in the south. The origin of West Crete can be traced back to the Minoan civilisation, one of the earliest civilisations in Europe, which flourished on the island from around 2700 BC to 1450 BC. The Minoans established several notable settlements in West Crete, including the sites of Phalasarna, Polyrrhenia, and Lissos, where valuable archaeological evidence, such as pottery, frescoes, and architectural remains, has been uncovered, providing insights into the daily life, trade, and religious practices of this ancient civilisation. Read article
July 5, 2026
East Crete: Things to do, Landmarks, Travel Guide and Car Rental
East Crete - officially the Lasithi regional unit - is the island's easternmost and quietest third, framed by the Dikti Mountains and stretching to the far coast near Zakros. Centred on Agios Nikolaos and Mirabello Bay (about a 90-minute drive east of Heraklion), it pairs luxury resorts and Spinalonga's haunting history with the iconic Vai palm beach, Minoan palace ruins, and gorges that tumble down to the sea - making it Crete's best region for travellers who want history, archaeology, and rugged beaches without the western crowds. This region has a rich history dating back to the Minoan civilisation, one of the earliest advanced civilisations in Europe, which flourished from 2700 BC to 1420 BC. The Minoans were an advanced civilisation that developed an urban culture centred around major palace complexes like those found at Knossos, Malia, Zakros, and Palaikastro in eastern Crete. Their daily lives revolved around these palace centres, which served as administrative hubs, religious sanctuaries, and craft production centres. Read article
July 5, 2026
South Crete Travel Guide: Beaches, Things to Do & Car Rental
South Crete is the wild, rugged southern coast of Greece's largest island - a stretch of dramatic gorges, hidden pebble beaches on the Libyan Sea, and Minoan palace ruins largely untouched by the mass tourism of the north coast. Unlike Crete's busier northern resorts, South Crete rewards slow travel: car-free villages like Loutro, accessible only by ferry; the palm-fringed Preveli Beach at the mouth of a river gorge; and the pink lagoon of Elafonisi in the island's southwest corner. A rental car unlocks the full coastline - many of the south's best spots have no bus service. Read article
June 28, 2026
Best Time to Visit Crete: Season-by-Season Guide for 2026
The best time to visit Crete is late May, June, or September. These shoulder-season months combine warm sunshine (26–28 °C), a swimmable sea (22–25 °C), open restaurants and tours, and 30–50% fewer crowds than the July–August peak. If you need beach heat above all else, book July or August and plan to arrive at major sites before 9am.
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June 19, 2026
The Ports of Crete ⚓: What Do You Need to Know?
Crete has 6 main passenger ferry ports: Heraklion (the largest), Chania (Souda Bay), Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, and Kissamos. Heraklion is Crete's major port, with daily overnight ferries to Piraeus (Athens) taking approximately 9 hours. The island also has smaller coastal ports - Ierapetra, Makry Gialos, Tympaki, Sfakia (Chora Sfakion), and Paleochora - used mainly for fishing and day-trip excursions, bringing the total to 11 well-known ports. Read article
June 19, 2026
Transportation Guide in Crete: Every Way to Get Around the Island!
Crete offers six main ways to get around: KTEL buses on the north-coast corridor, taxis for door-to-door trips, rental cars for rural exploration, south-coast Anendyk ferries between coastal villages, cycling in towns, and organised transfers from the airports. Each mode suits a different budget, itinerary and comfort level - and you do not necessarily need a rental car to have a complete Crete holiday.
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June 18, 2026
Heraklion Airport Guide (HER) ✈️: All You Need to Know Before Arriving
Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" (IATA: HER, ICAO: LGIR) is Greece's second busiest airport (after Athens International), located about [distance km="5"] east of Heraklion near Nea Alikarnassos. It operates 24 hours a day, year-round, handles around 9–10 million passengers annually, and is the main gateway to central and eastern Crete. A new airport at Kasteli is set to replace it, with test flights expected to begin in 2027. Read article
June 18, 2026
Chania Airport Guide ✈️: All You Need to Know!
Chania International Airport "Ioannis Daskalogiannis" (IATA: CHQ, ICAO: LGSA) sits on the Akrotiri peninsula about [distance km="14"] from Chania city, near Souda Bay. Operated by Fraport Greece, it is Crete's second-largest airport and the main gateway to western Crete, handling close to 4 million passengers a year. This guide covers the airlines that fly here, transport to the city and resorts, terminal facilities, car hire rates, arrival timing, and what to do in Chania. Read article
June 18, 2026
Sitia Airport (JSH) ✈️: Complete Guide for Visitors to Eastern Crete
Sitia Airport (IATA: JSH, ICAO: LGST), officially Sitia Public Airport "Vitsentzos Kornaros", is a small domestic airport on the crest of Bonda hill, about [distance km="1"] north-northwest of Sitia town in eastern Crete. It serves only Greek domestic routes - mainly via SKY express to Athens and a few regional islands - so UK and other international visitors must connect through Athens, or fly to Heraklion/Chania and drive east. This guide covers the airport's facts, airlines and destinations, how to reach Sitia from the UK, services, transport, car hire, and what to do in the area. Read article
June 18, 2026
Crete Airports: Heraklion vs Chania – Which One Should You Choose?
Crete has two international airports: Heraklion (HER), about [distance km="5"] from the capital, and Chania (CHQ), [distance km="14"] east of Chania city. They are [distance km="150"] apart. The simple rule: fly into Heraklion for central or eastern Crete; fly into Chania for the west. A third airport, Sitia (JSH), handles only domestic routes. Direct flights from the UK run approximately April to November; outside that window, most routes connect through Athens.
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June 11, 2026
Stavros Beach: Complete Guide – Location, Activities & How to Get There
Stavros Beach is a sheltered circular lagoon on Crete's Akrotiri Peninsula, [distance km="15.4"] northeast of Chania, internationally known as the filming location for the 1964 sirtaki dance scene in Zorba the Greek. The beach offers calm, shallow turquoise water beneath the camel-shaped Mount Vardies - ideal for families, swimmers, and snorkellers. Stavros Beach connects easily to Chania by car (25 min), taxi, or public bus - making it one of the most accessible day trips from the city. Read article
June 11, 2026
Spilies Beach: Everything You Need to Know (Local Guide)
Spilies Beach is a sheltered pebble cove [distance km="15"] east of Rethymno, known for crystal-clear deep water, sea caves that shelter the Mediterranean monk seal, and one of Crete's most scenic rock arches - Kamara - reachable in 10 minutes on foot. A true hidden gem among the Rethymno beaches, it sits two minutes off the E75 coastal highway yet stays remarkably uncrowded. As locals who have watched Spilies through the seasons, we can tell you: visit on a calm morning in June and the water is so clear you can see the square rock slabs on the sea floor from the surface. Read article
June 6, 2026
Kourtaliotiko Gorge & Waterfalls: Hike, Map, Opening Hours and Car Hire Guide (2026)
Kourtaliotiko Gorge is a [distance km="7"] protected canyon in southwest Crete, open year-round ([amount euro="5"]/day entry since 2025), best hiked in spring or autumn with a rental car. Kourtaliotiko Gorge took 5–10 million years to form between the Kouroupa and Xiron mountains, with limestone cliffs reaching 600 metres and a 40-metre waterfall near the chapel of Agios Nikolaos. Kourtaliotiko Gorge shelters Natura 2000-protected wildlife, including cliff-nesting raptors such as the Lammergeier (bearded vulture). Kourtaliotiko Gorge charges [amount euro="5"]/day or [amount euro="15"]/year for entry (since 2025), managed by OFYPEKA to fund conservation. Read article
June 6, 2026
Anogia Village, Crete: Complete Travel Guide (What to See, How to Get There, Where to Stay)
Anogia is a mountain village at 750 metres on Mount Psiloritis in Crete's Rethymno regional unit, recognised across Greece for its WWII resistance history, Cretan lyra music tradition, and traditional weaving workshops. Anogia sits [distance km="39.9"] from Heraklion Airport and [distance km="122"] from Chania Airport. With a population of 2,240 (2021 census), it is the largest mountain village in Crete and a base for visiting the Ideon Cave, Nida Plateau, and Skinakas Observatory. Read article
May 15, 2026
Heraklion Nightlife: The Complete Guide to Going Out in Crete’s Capital
Heraklion is Crete's top city for nightlife, offering three distinct scenes: atmospheric bars in the old town, modern clubs along the coastal strip, and the legendary party resorts of Malia and Hersonissos just 30 minutes away. Whether you want bouzouki with raki at midnight or a beach club rave until sunrise, here is your complete guide - venue names, addresses, opening hours, and how to get home. Read article
May 10, 2026
Dia Island: Uninhabited Natura 2000 Reserve off Heraklion – Day Trip Guide
Dia Island is an uninhabited Natura 2000 protected island located [distance km="7"] north of Heraklion, Crete. Reachable by a 30-minute boat trip from Heraklion, Gouves, or Hersonissos, the island is open to day visitors for snorkelling, birdwatching and hiking - but no overnight stays, no camping, and no cars are permitted. Dia shelters the Kri-Kri wild goat and 300–400 pairs of Eleonora's Falcon, and the seabed off its south coast holds the Cyclopean Walls - the remains of an ancient port discovered by Jacques Cousteau in 1976. Read article
May 10, 2026
Gavdos: Europe’s Southernmost Island – History, Beaches, and How to Visit
Gavdos is a small Greek island in the Libyan Sea, approximately [distance km="45"] south of Crete - the southernmost inhabited point of Greece and of Europe. Visitors reach it by ferry from Sfakia (Chora Sfakion) in southwest Crete (~2.5–3 hours) or via the longer ANENDYK coastal service from Paleochora (~4 hours including stops at Sougia and Agia Roumeli). The island spans 27 km², has a year-round population of around 50–100 (rising to several thousand in summer), and is famous for its isolated beaches, Natura 2000-protected juniper forests, and its biblical identity as Cauda - the islet where St Paul's storm-tossed ship took shelter (Acts 27:16). Greek mythology identifies Gavdos as Calypso's island in Homer's Odyssey. Read article
May 4, 2026
The 6 Most Unique Churches in Crete (And the Oldest One You Must See)
Crete has more than 5,000 churches, chapels, and monasteries - a density shaped by 1,600 years of Greek Orthodox faith, Byzantine imperial rule, Venetian occupation (1211–1647), and Ottoman domination. Among them, six stand out for their historical significance, Byzantine frescoes, and unique locations: from Panagia Kera near Kritsa - widely considered the oldest church in Crete still preserving its original Byzantine fabric - to the Agios Nikolaos chapel in Georgioupoli, which rises from the sea at the end of a stone pier. Read article
May 4, 2026
Mosques and Minarets in Crete: A Complete Visitor Guide to Ottoman Heritage
Crete preserves more than a dozen former Ottoman mosques, concentrated in the old towns of Chania and Rethymnon. The Ottoman Empire ruled the island for nearly 250 years - from 1646 until Crete gained autonomy in 1898 - during which the Turks converted most Venetian churches into mosques. When Ottoman rule ended, the buildings were repurposed again: as churches, museums, conservatories, and cultural centres. Today, these structures remain some of the most distinctive architectural landmarks on the island. Read article
April 26, 2026
Kalyves, Crete: The Complete Local Guide (What It’s Like, What to Do & How to Get There)
Kalyves is a quiet, family-friendly seaside village in the Apokoronas region of northwest Crete - known for its Blue Flag beach, authentic Cretan tavernas, and easy access to the ancient city of Aptera. Kalyves occupies a sheltered position on the southern shore of Souda Bay, 21.5 km (13.4 miles) east of Chania and 27.6 km from Chania International Airport (CHQ). The village is divided by the Kyliaris River (also called Xydas River), with the old town on the west bank and the modern village on the east bank. Read article
