The back story
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The back story
Crete: an island like a country
The largest Greek island, with Minoan palaces, Venetian harbours, mountains, gorges and beaches.
Island guide · Crete, Crete
Crete island guide
Crete is not an island you see in a few days: it is about 260 km long, with its own culture, food, music and history going back to Europe’s first great civilisation.
Plan your trip:Ferry timetables Arriving in Athens The Athens Riviera
Towns & villages
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Gateway to Minoan Crete
Heraklion
The island’s capital and main port, with the Venetian Koules fortress, lively squares and the great archaeological museum.
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The most beautiful town on Crete
Chania
A Venetian harbour with a lighthouse, old shipyards and a maze of lanes behind the waterfront.
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Venetian and Ottoman layers
Rethymno
A compact old town of Venetian mansions and Ottoman minarets below the Fortezza, with a little harbour and a long beach.
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Crete’s luxury coast
Elounda & Plaka
A sheltered bay in the north-east, home to some of the island’s most exclusive resorts and the boats to Spinalonga.
Sights & experiences
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Europe’s oldest city
Knossos
The largest Bronze Age site on Crete, the centre of Minoan civilisation, about 5 km south of Heraklion.
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The Minoan treasure house
Heraklion Archaeological Museum
One of the great museums of Greece, holding the finest collection of Minoan art in the world.
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The great walk of Crete
Samaria Gorge
A walk of about 16 km through one of Europe’s longest gorges, from the White Mountains to the Libyan Sea.
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A fortress with a moving history
Spinalonga
A Venetian sea fortress that later became a leper colony, reached by boat from Plaka, Elounda or Agios Nikolaos.
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Walk to the lighthouse
Chania Venetian harbour
The old harbour of Chania, with its lighthouse, shipyards and the Mosque of the Janissaries.
Beaches & beach clubs
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The turquoise lagoon
Balos Lagoon
A shallow lagoon of white sand and turquoise water on the Gramvousa peninsula in the far north-west.
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Pink-tinged sand
Elafonisi
A protected beach and islet in the south-west, with shallow water and sand tinged pink by crushed shells.
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Palm forest by the sea
Vai
A beach in the far east of Crete backed by a natural forest of Cretan date palms.
Getting there & around
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The main gateway
Heraklion Airport
Heraklion’s Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, with flights from Athens and many seasonal flights from Europe.
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For western Crete
Chania Airport
Chania’s Daskalogiannis Airport on the Akrotiri peninsula, the gateway to western Crete.
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Sleep on board
Ferries to Crete
Overnight ferries from Piraeus to Heraklion and to Chania (Souda), and summer fast boats from the Cyclades.
Share your Crete experience
Been to Crete? Share your tips with other travellers.
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