CreteTravel Guide

The largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and legendary home of the Minotaur's labyrinth — the centre of Europe's oldest known civilisation, the Minoans.

A Venetian harbour town with a lighthouse, waterfront restaurants, and a covered market — widely considered Crete's most beautiful town.

A remote lagoon beach with pink-tinted sand (from crushed shells) and shallow, warm turquoise water — one of the most photographed beaches in Greece.

One of Europe's longest gorges at 16km, a full-day hike through a national park ending at the Libyan Sea — a genuinely demanding but rewarding trek.

A striking lagoon of white sand and turquoise-to-deep-blue water, reachable by boat or a rough dirt road — the view from the approaching hill is legendary.

A Venetian-Ottoman old town with a well-preserved fortress (Fortezza) and a long sandy beach right at the edge of the historic centre.

One of Greece's most important museums, holding the world's finest collection of Minoan artefacts, including frescoes recovered from Knossos itself.

A remote beach where a freshwater river meets the sea beneath one of Europe's few natural palm forests — reachable by boat or a hike down from the monastery above.

A former Venetian fortress that later served as a leprosy colony until 1957 — a boat trip from Elounda or Plaka combines history with dramatic island scenery.

A picturesque harbour town built around a small, deep lake connected to the sea by a narrow canal — a relaxed base for exploring eastern Crete.