CRETE
(Kriti)

Crete (Kriti in Greek) is the largest of the Greek islands, another country almost, and the Cretan people proudly call themselves Cretans first and Greeks second. And they have much to be proud of, as theirs is a stunningly beautiful island, with dramatic mountain scenery, some of the best beaches in Greece, a strong musical tradition, one of the healthiest diets in the Mediterranean, the amazing Minoan palace of Knossos just outside the capital, Iraklion, the Samarian Gorge (Europe's longest), and some of the chicest Greek hotels in pretty harbour towns such as Hania and Rethymnon.

See our list of the Best Things to Do on Crete.

Crete has got everything, and we loved spending time there researching our guidebook to Crete, Spiral Crete, for the AA. We've been there on other trips too, hiked its gorges, visited its mountain monasteries, explored its archaeological sites both large and small, dined in its restaurants from the cheap to the gourmet, sunbathed on its beaches, listened to its music, and never ceased to be overwhelmed by its atmosphere and character. One visit to Crete and the island gets under your skin.

Crete also has lots of busy beach resorts, with a brash and noisy nightlife that goes on all night, so if that's what you want you should check out places along the north coast. The south coast is a bit less easy to get around, and the towns and villages here tend to be a little less developed for tourism. Down the spine of the island is a range of mountains, which keeps the north and the south apart, and all over you'll find beautiful drives and challenging hiking and biking opportunities.

Curious about driving in Greece? Read this account of
'Our Hire Car in Crete'
to find out why we recommend it.

Crete is a long, thin island, so if you want to explore all of it there's no one ideal place to be based. If time is limited, you'll need to do your homework and decide whether to concentrate on the east, the west or the centre. The Samarian Gorge is in the west, Knossos in the middle, and in the east is more the 'real' Crete, which is a bit less busy.

The main airport is near Iraklion, in the middle, though there's another airport near Hania in the west, and a smaller one at Sitia in the east, although it's not developed yet for international flights. They've been talking about it for years, but this is Greece. Sometimes things happen slowly.

Here slowly you'll find us building up information about the best of Crete, including

What to See
Where to Stay
Where to Eat

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CRETE(Kriti)

CRETE
(Kriti)