Crete
Crete simply has it all!
Greek: Kρήτη
pronounced [krí-ti]
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Welcome to Crete
A complete guide for your vacation
Crete is the largest island in Greece, and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, you can admire the remnants of brilliant civilizations, explore glorious beaches, impressive mountainscapes, fertile valleys and steep gorges, and become part of the island’s rich gastronomic culture. Crete is, after all, a small universe teeming with beauties and treasures that you will probably need a lifetime to uncover!
Its strategic location on the map has turned the island of Crete into a crossroads where peoples and civilisations have left a permanent mark on, along with a rich cultural heritage. Across the ages, Minoans, Mycenaeans, Ottoman Turks, Arabs and Venetians have shaped the island’s identity. Discover Crete’s eventful history that spans fifty-odd centuries: the Minoan palaces at Knossos, Phaestos, Malia and Zakros; the archaeological sites of ancient Gortyna, Eleftherna, Lyttos, Aptera, Falasarna, Spinalonga; the Venetian harbours at Chania, Heraklion and Rethymno towns; the ottoman monuments and architectural structures seen across the island; the historic monasteries of Arkadi, Preveli, Toplou, Agarathou, and Chrysoskalitissa; numerous thematic museums – the Heraklion Archaeological Museum is among the most significant in Europe.
The island’s endless coastline features numerous beaches, most of which are sandy. Balos, Falasarna and Elafonisi are three beaches of great beauty in the region of Chania. Within a short distance from Heraklion you will find Amnissos, Agia Pelagia, Kaloi Limenes, Malia, Limenas Chersonisou, Ammoudara beaches. Don’t miss out on visiting Matala beach known since the sixties and seventies as a hotspot for hippies who travelled there from all over the world. In Rethymno you will find the longest sandy beaches (Episkopi, Petres) and a number of quite unusual beaches (Triopetra, Agios Pavlos, Ligres, Fragokastelo, Preveli). The area of Lasithi is well-known for its picturesque shores that are washed by the Libyan Sea, as well as for cosmopolitan Elounta beach.
