Central Crete in Three Days
Driving central Crete in three days gives you time to see the highlights including the Minoan palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the beaches and the Diktean Cave.
Knossos
Day One
Morning
Try to get to Knossos by opening time, to have any hope of beating the crowds – and heat -- and also allow a good hour or two at the site. Head back towards Irakleio and take the main coast road west towards Rethymnon, but turn off towards the craft village of Arolíthos. The drive from Knossos to Arolithos is only about 20 minutes. For lunch, the restaurant at Arolíthos is surprisingly good, but don’t linger too long.
Arolithos Traditional Village
Afternoon
The ancient site of Tílisos is only a 5-minute drive away but usually closes at 3pm so try to get there by at least 2pm to enjoy the site before continuing on the winding mountain road to Anoyia. This should take about 30-40 minutes. If time and daylight allows, drive on to visit the Idhaean Cave now, though you’ll need to allow at least two hours and it’s a 40-minute drive to get there from Anoyia.
Our Pick of the Crete Guides
Evening
Spend the night in Anoyia, where there are hotels, apartments, and private rooms to rent. A good dining spot is the simple Ta Skalomata on the right as you leave the village on the road to the cave, which has great views.
Day Two
Morning
Visit the Idhaean Cave if you didn’t manage it the night before, then retrace your route back through Tílisos to the main coast road. Head west towards Rethymnon but look for the turning to Fodele, the birthplace of El Greco. Visit his birthplace, and see the Church of the Panagia near the house.
The Church of the Panagia in Fodele
Photo by Gerd A.T. Müller
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Lunch at one of the simple tavernas in Fodele, like the Giasemi. The drive from the cave to Fodele via Tilisos should take about 90 minutes, though there are a couple of other routes that are a little quicker.
Afternoon
Head back towards Irakleio on the coast road but as you reach the city look for the right turn marked to Míres. This fast road still makes a pleasant drive as it eventually heads up into the hills. In Ayía Varvára watch carefully for the almost-hidden right turn to Zaros, one of our favourite little towns on Crete. The drive should take about 70-90 minutes, and we recommend an overnight stay at the wonderful Keramos Studios.
Evening
A few minutes from the Keramos is the unique dining experience that is Vegera. Don’t miss this one-off restaurant.
Day Three
Morning
Explore Záros and do a short walk up the Rouvas Gorge before heading south on the road to Míres, turning left to reach the archaeological site of Gortina. The drive should only take twenty minutes or so. Ten minutes east of Gortina is the church of Áyii Dhéka and in the village are several authentic tavernas where few tourists venture.
The Archaeological Site of Gortina
Afternoon
It’s a 20-minute drive west from your lunch stop to the Minoan palace of Phaistos. Allow plenty of time for visiting here, before deciding where to spend the night: in the small resort of Mátala, or the bigger but prettier Ayía Galíni. Matala’s about 15 minutes away from Phaistos and Ayia Galini about 25-30 minutes.
Phaistos
Evening
In Mátala the Korali has good food but you have plenty of choice. In Ayía Galíni there are also numerous good places, including Madame Hortense and Onar.
Other Crete pages
Crete (Kriti) is the largest Greek island and its main attractions include the Minoan Palace of Knossos, the Samarian Gorge, Chania and Rethymnon.
The best things to do on Crete and top things to see include the Samaria Gorge, the Minoan Palaces at Knossos and Phaistos, the towns of Chania and Rethymnon.
We visit and tour the Manousakis Winery on Crete with a wine-tasting and a chance to buy their tsikoudia, sea salt, olive oil and other goodies.
Driving on Crete is the best way to see Greece’s biggest island and here is our driving advice and some information about Greek driving regulations.
Matala Beach on Crete is a guest blog for Greece Travel Secrets from the We Love Crete website, inviting you to Awaken Your Inner Hippy in Matala, Crete.
Hiking the Samaria Gorge on Crete, one of the best things to do on Crete, by Greece Travel Secrets.
Greece Travel Secrets eats at Vegera in Zaros and finds a cheap but wonderful feast of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes cooked daily with fresh local food.
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to Zaros in Central Crete, including what to do, where to stay, and where to eat.
This Amari Valley drive in southern Crete starts and ends in Ayia Galini, takes four to five hours and cover 100 kilometres or 62 miles.
The Stilianou Winery near Knossos on Crete uses only Cretan grape varieties, with every bottle numbered, and aims for quality rather than quantity.
Rethymnon is the third-largest city in Crete and has a Venetian fortress, Archaeological Museum, Old Town area and Venetian harbour,
Greece Travel Secrets’ potted guide to Eastern Crete and why you should consider it for a holiday, including seeing Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, Vai Beach and Zakros.
Western Crete has some wonderful golden sand beaches as well as mountain villages, monasteries, caves, and archaeological sites to discover.
This tour around central Crete lists some of the area’s highlights such as the traditional village of Arolithos, Minoan remains at Tilisos, and Agioi Deka.
The Byzantine Church of Panagía Kerá near Kritsa and not far from Ayios Nikolaos is one of the most famous in Crete, and close by is the site of Ancient Lato.
The Snails House in Plouti near Phaistos in southern Crete serves the Cretan delicacy of snails, cooked in several different ways.
Greece Travel Secrets discovers Sitia, the main town in eastern Crete, with its relaxing waterfront, inexpensive hotels, good food, and nearby ancient sites.
Studies have shown the Cretan Diet as one of the healthiest in the world, involving lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, and moderate amounts of wine.
Crete’s wildlife and landscape are two of the island’s attractions, including gorges for hiking, rare raptors like the lammergeier, wildcats and ancient trees.
The best Crete hotels include 5-star luxury hotels, historic and romantic Venetian palaces, and several hotels in Hania and Iraklion.
The Dalabelos Estate offers luxury eco-tourism accommodation on Crete in the hills near Rethymnon with its own farm, vineyard and olive groves.
Greece Travel Secrets chooses ten of the best beaches on Crete including the beautiful beaches at Vai and Elafonisi.
Greece Travel Secrets page on Phaistos or Faistos, the site of one of the finest Minoan palaces on Crete and is where the mysterious Phaistos Disc was found.
Ancient Gournia is a Minoan archaeological site between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia in Eastern Crete where the visitor can see evidence of a maze of back streets.
Greece Travel Secrets tours the Lyrarakis Winery on Crete and learns about Crete grape varieties such as plyto, dafni, vidiano, vilana, mandilari and kotsifali.
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