Located in the Mediterranean Sea southeast of Greece mainland, Crete is the largest Greek island. It offers a wide range of activities from exploring ancient Minoan ruins to hiking up and in between the mountains to lounging by the beach and swimming in its clear blue-green waters.
Table of Contents
- General Information/Random Facts
- Map
- From West to East
- The West: Chania, Samaria Gorge
- The Middle: Rethymno, Heraklion, Mount Ida, Hersonissos
- The East: Elounda, Spinolonga Peninsula
- The Beaches
- Food & Drink
General Information
Currency
- Like most of Europe, currency is the Euro. As of now, 1.17 USD = 1 Euro.
- Almost all places take credit card, but it is still good to have €100-200 for some smaller stands and tips. Prices are also often cheaper when paid for in cash.
- When withdrawing cash, do not do so at the airport, out of the Euronet or similar ATMs, as they will charge a 15% fee. Instead use one of the main Greek banks, such as Piraeus Bank, Eurobank, Ethniki Trapeza,Pankreta Bank (Crete), etc. which will only charge around 4-5% in fees.
Language
- The vast majority of people speak Greek, but many people also speak English, though it is often very limited. In more touristy areas, signs, menus, etc. are in both English and Greek.
- Note that some words in spelled in English as “ch” in Greek are typically pronounced only as “h.” Chania/Hania is pronounced as Hania, “Efcharistó,” or thank you, is pronounced “Ef-ha-ri-STOH.”
- Of note, Heraklion is pronounced without the H or N.
Plastic bottles
- Similar to many other areas of Europe, the bottle caps do not come completely off like in the US, to help to prevent littering.
Toilet paper
- The plumbing is Greece is very old, and cannot tolerate toilet paper so there are trashcans in the restrooms to discard your toilet paper in.
Transportation
Ferries
- If traveling from Athens, depart from the Piraeus Port. The main ferry ports on Crete from other islands are in Heraklion and Chania. Ferry time varies depending on route, but ours took about 9 hours. We booked an overnight ferry, and for around €100 we were able to book a sleeper cabin which had 4 twin sized beds. Prices vary a lot depending on when you go. If you want to book a sleeper cabin I would recommend doing it far in advance, as these do sell out on night ferries.
Flights
- The Heraklion International Airport, followed by the Chania International Airport are the two busiest airports. There is also an airport in Sitia in Eastern Crete which is much smaller and only used for domestic flights. Flying between Crete and Athens takes less than an hour. We flew out of the Heraklion Airport, and it was very quick to get through security. The gates themselves are super crowded, with most people standing waiting for their flights.
Getting around the Island
- Once on the island, it is easiest to get around by rental car as there is limited public transportation between towns. You do not need an international driver’s license if coming from the US, though it is recommended, and some rental car companies do require it supposedly (ours did not). There are some areas where it makes more sense to take buses, as in the Samaria Gorge below.
From West to East
The West
Chania/Hania
Hania is Crete’s second largest town, has both an airport and ferry port, and is very popular with tourists. We stayed in the heart of Old Town (Airbnb Old Town Chania) which spans around the Venetian Harbor, and is composed of a network of narrow streets filled with restaurants, bars, gift shops, and other shops.
The inner Harbor includes ancient sights such as the lighthouse and Yali Tzami, a multi-domed mosque, the oldest Ottoman building on the island. There are many surrounding beaches, with the most well-known being Iguana Beach, which is also very crowded. The further the beaches are from Chania, the less crowded they tend to be. It is also the most common place to stay if planning a trip to Samaria Gorge, which is only about an hour away (see below).
Samaria Gorge
The Samaria Gorge in Crete is the longest gorge in Europe, with the trail spanning 10 miles from start to finish. You start at the top of the gorge, where there is a small gift shop and café with sandwiches, snacks, and coffee. You then slowly hike down towards the bottom of the gorge on a zig-zag path. The stones on the path are rather slippery, so it would be much better hiked with hiking shoes or at least tennis shoes with a good grip. There are also several rest stops (I think there were 7-8 in total) along the way with picnic benches, restrooms, and running water. Some people drink the running water, but it didn’t look super clean so we just drank from the water we brought.
Fire Safety
Higher up in the trail, there is significant fire risk so there are many fire extinguishers and fire stations along the trail, with a pipeline system running alongside the trail.
At the end of the gorge, there is an area you can sit down with a stand selling fresh orange juice and beer, and further on there a couple of other snack bars. It is about a mile from the end of the trail to the town of Agia Roumeli, which you can walk or pay €2 to take a bus. Agia Roumeli is a very small town with restaurants, cafes, hotels, beaches, and the ferry port. Definitely bring a swimsuit because you will be dying to get in the water at the end of the trail. If I were to do the trail again, I would probably stay in a hotel then make my way back the next day. The last ferry leaves at 1730, so you must make sure to be in town a bit before then.
The Middle
Rethymno
Crete’s third largest town. We briefly stopped by it on our way from Heraklion to Chania. It is rather touristy, full of restaurants and giftshops spanning alongside a more populated beach. Though we did not explore them, more popular attractions include the Venetian Rethymno Fortezza, Municipal Gardens, Nerantzes Mosque, Rimondi Fountain, Rethymno Archaeological Museum, the beach, and the inner harbor.
-Built by Venetians 1573-1590
-Fort €6 per person, located on Western end of Rethymno
-Directly across from the fort are some rocky areas you can snorkel around
Heraklion
Heraklion, pronounced Iraklio, is the largest city in Crete with both a ferry port and airport. We arrived and left from Heraklion, but otherwise did not spend much time here. One of the most popular attractions in Heraklion is Ancient Knossos as below.
Ancient Knossos
Remnants of an ancient Minoan Palace, which was constructed in the middle Minoan Period (2000-1580 BC). In legend, it was the capital of legendary King Minos, beneath which the Minotaur was said to hunt his victims in the labyrinth.
Tickets cost €20 per person, and you can buy either online (Ancient Knossos Tickets) or in person. The parking does fill up later during the day, so it is best to go close to opening at 0800.
Mount Ida (Psiloritis)
The tallest mountain in Crete with an elevation of 8,058 ft. It is most accessible from a trail that starts at the Nida Plateau. This trail is 5.1 miles to the peak and back with 2,916ft of elevation gain. The top of the mountain is extremely windy and cold, so make sure to brain a jacket!
We stayed in Krousonas, a small authentic mountain town about 20-30 minutes from Heraklion, and about 1.5 hours from Mount Ida. Heraklion is just over an hour drive from Mount Ida. The roads in and out of the mountains are extremely windy, not great for those who easily get carsick. Though we did not have time to stop, there are also various caves in the area, the most well-known being the Idaean Cave or Cave of Zeus.
Hersonissos
Following climbing Mount Ida, we stayed in Hersonissos, a town just East of Heraklion. It is a very popular European tourist destination, with tourist shops, beaches, and a large nightlife scene. It is a hub of different people from all over Europe and hence very diverse.
The East
Elounda & Spinalonga
Exploring the Spinalonga peninsula was probably my favorite part of the trip. Elounda is 1.5 hours East of Heraklion and is composed of another beachside touristy town. It is directly next to Spinalonga, a Venetian fortress on a small island off the coast. You can reach Spinalonga by boat, which we did not do. Instead, we explored the Spinalonga Peninsula, or bigger Spinalonga, directly south of the fortress. It is accessible to get across to it by car, then you can take a 4.2 mile loop trail around the island. This trail is absolutely beautiful, walking by the blue-green water with mountains in the distance, with the trail traversing across various ruins. There are many areas along the trail that you can swim, so I would recommend bringing swimsuits and snorkel gear if you have them. At one end of the trail is Kolokitha Beach, which is quite popular but also a bit crowded.
The Beaches
The water around Crete is absolutely gorgeous, composed of clear green-blue water surrounding rocky cliffs or sandy beaches. Most of the Beaches around Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, and Hersonissos are very crowded and touristy during peak season unfortunately. They are still beautiful, and if you don’t mind the crowds they are great spots to stop by. There is a popular pink sand beach, Elafonisi Beach, which in the southwestern area of the island, and was a bit out of the way for us so we did not go. Here are a couple of gems we found that were less crowded.
Fodele Beach
A small beach we found driving between Chania and Heraklion. It is directly next to the Taverna Opou Vastaxi, a great place to get lunch or dinner.
Spinalonga Peninsula
This whole island has gorgeous areas to swim along the trail that loops around the island. The main beach area is Kolokitha Beach, which tends to be more crowded, but as long as you’re willing to walk a bit further you can find completely unoccupied areas. We snorkeled at one of the bays about mid-way along the trail, which was fantastic. We saw needle fish, Mediterranean parrotfish, crabs, and many other fish around the rocky landscape of the bay.
Food & Drink
Food & Drink
The food is absolutely amazing – it tastes so fresh and generally is pretty healthy as the Mediterranean diet is dubbed to be. My personal favorite dishes included moussaka, Greek salad, shrimp saganaki, and chicken souvlaki. As far as meats go, Chicken, lamb, and pork predominate. By the shores there is also a good amount of seafood. Of note we did not come across any places that had gyros in the sense that I think of them in the US, but there were several cafes with build-your-own sandwich, which would have gyro meat and ingredients on a baguette.
The traditional restaurants are called Tavernas, with smaller ones called cafes. The restaurants aimed towards tourists are much more expensive and not as good, I would recommend trying to find a local restaurant in a small village along the way or even along the side of the road. The portions at these places are huge, and they are very cheap, so it is easy to over-order. They will bring you a free desert – such as fruit and a little cake, as well as the traditional liquor, Raki, sometimes – at the end of your meal. Tipping is not required, as in American culture. When paying they do not even ask for a tip. However, if the service is really good you can leave a cash tip. Here are a couple of Tavernas we really enjoyed:
Opou Vastaxi
We found this gem driving from Heraklion to Chania. It has a beautiful view of the water, great food, and is right next to the small, less populated Fodele Beach
Amoudara Spiridakis
A Taverna in Krousonas, a small authentic town in the mountains south of Heraklion. Great food for a great price, with a view of the mountains.
Taverna Christinis
A great local Taverna we stopped at between Elounda and Heraklion.
Pastries
Coffee shops and cafes are common, filled with a variety of pastries including Spanakopita (a pastry made with phyllo dough wrapped around spinach and feta), Triopita (a pastry filled with cheese and sometimes ham), Koulouri (a ring-shaped bread that can we sweet or savory), and Baklava (a very sweet pastry made with phyllo dough, layered with nuts and soaked in syrup or honey).
Drinks
Coffee
Traditional coffee shops are very espresso-based. My go-to coffee is cold brew, but they did not have these. Initially I ordered ice americanos, but then discovered a new favorite – Freddo Cappuccino, which is composed of iced espresso topped with foamed milk. Another popular drink was Freddo Espresso, simply iced espresso. I tried Greek coffee once, which is brewed so that some of the grounds are in the coffee. The one I had was very bitter and I did not like it, so steered clear of those from that point forwards.
Alcohol
the traditional liquor is Raki, a clear grape-based brandy that doesn’t have much flavor. Rakomelo is a traditional drink made from miking Raki with honey and sometimes spices.
– Kaló taksídi –