Crete

Crete, in a few days

Pink-sand lagoons, deep gorges and Minoan palaces, across the largest Greek island from Chania to Heraklion: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Chania and the west

Days 1-3

The best-kept old town in Crete, around a Venetian harbour. It is the base for the lagoons of the west coast and the Samaria Gorge.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Boat trip to Balos lagoon and GramvousaFull day · from €35
  From Kissamos by boat to the Venetian fortress on the islet of Gramvousa, then the shallow turquoise lagoon of Balos.
• Samaria Gorge hikeFull day · from €30
  About 16 km downhill from the Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli, a village with no road, where a ferry takes you on. Open roughly May to October.

✦ Free to visit

• The Venetian harbour of Chania
• Elafonisi lagoon

📲 Book things to do in Chania and the west on GetYourGuide

2

Heraklion and Knossos

Days 4-5 · 🚗 Car 2h15

The capital of the island, with the Minoan palace of Knossos five kilometres south, the setting of the Minotaur myth.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Palace of Knossos, guided2h · from €30
  The largest Minoan palace, excavated and partly rebuilt by Arthur Evans from 1900. A guide makes sense of the frescoes and the maze of rooms.

✦ Free to visit

• The old town and the Koules fortress

📲 Book things to do in Heraklion and Knossos on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

A hire car · The sights are spread out and buses do not reach every beach at useful times, so a car gives the most freedom. Chania to Heraklion is about two hours on the north coast road.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Dakos: a barley rusk topped with grated tomato, mizithra or feta, and olive oil.
• Kalitsounia: small pies filled with soft cheese, savoury or sweetened with honey.
• Grilled octopus: by the harbour, with a glass of ouzo.
• Souvlaki and gyros: grilled skewers and pitta wraps, the cheapest good meal on the island.
• Moussaka: aubergine, minced meat and béchamel, baked in the oven.
• Tsikoudia, also called raki: the local grape spirit, often poured free at the end of a meal.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Ask the price per kilo before you choose a fish: it is charged by weight.
• Skip the restaurants with photo menus and touts along the harbourfronts of Chania and Heraklion.
• Leave the pink sand of Elafonisi where it is: the area is protected and taking sand is against the law.
• Start Samaria early and check that it is open that day: the gorge closes in strong wind or heavy rain.
• Carry some cash: small tavernas and village shops do not always take cards.

Words that help

English ↔ Greek

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/crete

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.