Activities

BEACHES

Pictures of heavenly Balos Lagoon in Chania have featured in travel guides and glossies all over the world, as have those of the Falarsana, one of the finest beaches in the Mediterranean. And as for Elafonisi, on the southwestern tip of Chania…seeing is believing. 

Episkopi and Petres beaches are popular with the younger crowd, while noteworthy beaches in the south of Crete are Preveli, Plakias, Ligres, Triopetra and Agios Pavlos, the latter of which has huge sand dunes. In Heraklion, the resorts of Malia and Hersonissos attract an international crowd.

CULTURE & HISTORY

If you’re into that sort of thing, on Crete, you’ll find some of the most significant cultural attractions in Greece: famous archaeological sites such as the Minoan palaces of Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Kato Zakros. You can also visit important monasteries, some built in the 15th century or even earlier, including the Preveli Monastery in southern Rethymno, the monasteries in southern Heraklion, and the historic Arkadi and Toplous monasteries.

If you like castles, Crete has a number that have been erected by Venetians and Byzantines over the centuries. Particularly noteworthy are Kastelli in Chania, the Fortezza in Rethymno, the castle of Heraklion, Frangokastello in southern Chania, the Kazarma Castle in Sitia, and the Monte Forte in Lassithi. 

For museum buffs, the Museum of Natural History and the Historical Museum of Crete are the most famous. In Myrtia, there is also the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum and in Fodele you’ll find the El Greco Museum.

NATURE

Crete has all kinds of sports and nature activities. For canyoning and hiking, there are a number of famous gorges. The largest and most famous is Samaria, with its world-renowned Portes (Iron Gates). Other noteworthy canyons are Amba, Tripiti, Kourtaliotiko, Kamaraiko (the longest), Ha (known as the ‘king of Cretan gorges’), and Ethias and Eligas. There are also a number of off-roading and 4x4 trails. And, resorts in both the north and south of the island are ideal for water sports and scuba diving.