Crete has two airports. One is located centrally in the island’s capital of Heraklion. The second one is located in Chania on the western side of the island.

There are regular ferry connections to Crete from Piraeus, as well as from some of the Dodecanese and Cyclades islands, both to Heraklion and Chania. You can buy ferry tickets either directly at the ferry company offices or online.

With a temperate Mediterranean climate, Crete is pleasantly mild all year round. You can look forward to a total of approximately 300 days of sunshine each year.

According to the climate table, the rainiest time of year is from December to March. With a total of 12 rainy days, January is the month with the most rain, closely followed by December and February.

During this time, air humidity is around 74 %. The mild temperatures reach a minimum of 50 °F / 10 °C and a maximum of 64 °F / 18 °C during the winter. The summer months are characterized by higher temperatures between 77 °F / 25 °C and 86 °F / 30 °C.

Crete is an all-year-round holiday destination. Whether you visit in spring, summer, autumn, or winter, the island is always beautiful!

Swimming enthusiasts are likely to prefer the summer, although the sea stays wonderfully warm until well into the autumn.

For active and cultural holidays, all months except for July and August are suitable, as temperatures can be particularly high during these two months.

Crete is a very large and multifaceted island, therefore the answer to this question depends very much on personal preferences.

If you like hiking, you will feel especially at home in the fascinating mountain world of the Ida Mountains and the White Mountains. But also as Crete’s famous gorges along the south coast, such as the Samaria Gorge, are a true hiking paradise. The E4 long-distance hiking trail on Crete is also particularly beautiful.

If you’re drawn to the water, the choices are endless. Our favourite places are the pristine south and south-west coasts. Do you want to experience as much culture as possible and visit Crete’s famous archaeological sites and museums? Then Crete’s north and east coasts are your best bets.

Or do you love the cities? Then you can’t go wrong with a trip to the picturesque harbour towns of Chania or Rethymnon.

Our favourite beaches are those on the west and south coasts of the island: For a true Caribbean experience, visit the Elafonisi Peninsula or the Balos Lagoon.

In the south, you can visit the picturesque Kokkini Ammos Beach. This beach you can reach in 20 minutes on foot from Matala. The many beaches around Paleochora also count among our favourites.

If you’d like to combine a day at the beach with one of the most beautiful short hikes on Crete, head to Agiofarango, which is located not far from Matala. The east of the island also scores points with the turquoise-blue beaches of Xerokambos!

There are many gorges on Crete, most of which are located on the south coast. The star among the gorges on Crete is undoubtedly the Samaria Gorge, also known as the ‘Grand Canyon of Europe’.

An incredible hike takes you through the gorge from the Omalos plateau all the way to the sea. If you would like to do this hike, be sure to have a good capacity for hiking and a good level of fitness. The hike takes at least 7 hours and there is a fair number of ascents and descents.

Just as impressive as the Samaria Gorge, but far less visited, is the Agia Irini Gorge near Sougia. The gorge captivates with its evergreen forest and cliffs several hundred metres high. Afterwards, you can look forward to enjoying well-deserved refreshments at a great taverna. The friendly host is always happy to order you a taxi back to Agia Irini should you have parked there.

If you are traveling with children or looking for a little less of a challenge, then the Imbros Gorge near Chora Sfakion is a great choice. The hiking route is almost all downhill and at the narrowest point the gorge is just 6.5 ft. / 2 m wide.

The list of sights is long! Crete is where the famous ‘Minoan culture’ emerged between 3000 and 1200 BC. It was named after the mythical King Minos, who is credited with the construction of the palace of Knossos and the legendary Cretan labyrinth. The impressive remains of this fascinating culture can be found in many places on Crete.

Besides Knossos, the second largest Minoan palace in Phaistos and the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion are also well worth a visit. If you are interested in Hellenistic-Roman Crete, you should visit the excavations in Gortyn and Eleftherna. Both give a vivid impression of life on Crete during classical antiquity.

Do you love Venetian architecture? Then visit the Fortezza in Rethymno or the wonderful, lighthouse decorated harbour of Chania. Another worthwhile excursion is a boat trip to the mighty Venetian fort on the mini-island of Spinalonga. During the summer months, there are regular boat trips to Spinalonga from the town of Agios Nikolaos.

If you are fascinated by modern Greek history, a visit to the Arkadi Monastery is an absolute must! For children, the Cretaquarium near Gournes, about 15 km from Heraklion, is a great experience. Cretaquarium is a wonderful place to get close to the fascinating world of the sea.

If you are looking for an almost untouched natural paradise, you should visit the island of Gavdos, south of Crete. This is the southernmost point of Europe and has picturesque settlements and beautiful, dream-like beaches.

Eating in Crete is much more than just consuming food to satisfy your hunger, big or small. Eating here mainly means enjoying the ‘parea’, that is, enjoying the company of others and conversing at length. Cretan cuisine is full of flavour and can claim many imaginative dishes.

The success of Cretan cuisine is largely thanks to the excellent quality of the ingredients: Meat from free-range goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs that feed mainly on the abundant wild herbs and vegetables. The Cretan menu also includes fish and other sea creatures. It is also rich in plentiful fruits, and vegetables, and, of course, the wonderful Cretan olive oil.

Dakos is a typical Cretan salad, made of rusks soaked in water and fresh grated tomatoes. The salad is sprinkled with salt and pepper and the delicious fresh cheese Mizithra and topped off with a good drizzle of local olive oil.

Smoky, sour, and spicy – this is the characteristic taste of Apaki. The smoked pork is indisputably one of the island’s specialties and is enjoyed best as a meze with a glass of raki.

Stamnagathi is an extremely popular, slightly bitter wild herb.  It is usually served cooked as a room-temperature salad with olive oil and lemon. However, it also tastes great as a side dish with fish or meat.

Crete without raki is simply unimaginable. The liquor, made from wine residue, is most comparable in taste to Italian grappa. Raki is consumed on the island in every situation. A real soul warmer is the winter drink Rakomelo, Raki mixed with honey and served warm.

Is your mouth watering yet? Check out the ‘Top 10’ list of Cretan cuisine for more!