While Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, it often does not get as much attention as its neighboring Cyclade islands. After just a few days exploring the island, we quickly fell in love with everything Crete has to offer. Crete is tailored to the inner foodie and the adventure seeker. The stunning beaches, scenic gorge hikes, friendly people, and delicious food, left us enamored by this island.
Where to Stay in Crete
Because the island of Crete is so large, we narrowed down our time mostly on the western side of the island near Chania. We positioned ourselves here in order to explore the famous beaches of the west coast, as well as being driving distance to the hiking.
We stayed at an Airbnb in the town of Kolymvari. This is a quiet town that served as a good home base for our day trips to explore the western coast. Other great options would be in the town of Chania or Plantanias.
How to Get to Crete
If traveling from other Greek islands, it is probably best to ferry into the main port town of Heraklion. The ferry system in Greece is robust and easy to maneuver. Weather can be unpredictable, so be prepared for possible delays in ferry times. We recommend trying to book the larger ferries, as these are more stable and less chance for seasickness! It may also be a good idea to bring Dramamine just in case.
Another option is to fly in and out of Chania. There are daily trips to and from Athens which is a really easy option!
Getting Around Crete
Because Crete is such a large island, we recommend renting a car. Driving in Crete is really accessible and as long as you have Google Maps it should be a breeze.
Enjoy a Boat Day
While in Heraklion, we spent the day on a boat tour to the Dia island. We booked the sailboat cruise with Get Your Guide, and had a great time! The island of Dia is an oasis for snorkeling with its clear blue water and tucked away lagoon, providing shelter from the winds. We enjoyed a complementary Greek-style lunch and drinks while on board as well.
Hike Samaria Gorge
This 10 mile hike takes you through the cliffs of the White Mountains of Crete, starting at the top of the gorge and ending at the shores of the Mediterranean sea. It does not get any better than a hike that is downhill and that ends with Greek food and a swim in the sea!
Getting to and from the hike can be a bit of a logistics headache because the starting point and ending point are in different locations. For this reason, many people elect to book through a tour company. However, we decided to complete this hike on our own, and discovered it was very doable! Coming from Chania, we drove to the entrance of the Samaria Gorge and parked our car here for the day.
The end of the hike is at the coastal village of Agia Roumeli. Because there is no road access, the only way out is by taking a ferry to Sougia, which leaves around 6pm. We recommend booking the ferry ticket online in advance because they can book up! From Sougia, you will then catch a bus back to the Samaria Gorge entrance, hop in your car, and drive back to Chania. The park entrance and bus ticket can be purchased at the gorge entrance the day of.
The logistics of this hike can be a bit muddy, but escaping into the mountains while in Greece was such a unique experience! This Samaria Gorge website was incredibly helpful to plan our visit.
Explore the Beach
Falasarna beach
If I could transport myself to any beach in the world right now, it would be Falsarna Beach. We spent hours swimming in the water here and appreciated the calm waters. We recommend renting a day-bed with beach-side service for drinks and food!
Balos Beach
This beach is perched in a beautiful lagoon on the northwest coast. It can be accessed either by a drive along a long gravel road and a hike down into the lagoon, or by boat. We drove our rental car here and hiked down, but be aware it is quite the long, bumpy road!
Gramboussa
On the drive home from Balos Beach, dinner at Gramboussa needs to be on everyone’s list! It is a gorgeous restaurant, serving traditional Cretan food, with a beautiful garden to explore as well. We particularly enjoyed the meat pies, roasted lamb, and vegetables cooked in clay pots.
Stroll the Streets of Chania
We wish we had saved more time to explore the town of Chania! Old Town Chania consists of winding corridors, connecting together charming pottery stores, cafes, and lively restaurants.
For the coffee lover, Kross Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster founded in Chania. They have a few locations around town and will impress you with a wide selection of single origin beans.
Falavela is a casual falafel restaurant, ideal for a quick lunch. Their fresh salads, wraps, and home-made falafel were some of the best we tasted!
We believe that Crete just might be the best kept secret of Greece. We hope you get the chance to visit and explore the diversity that Greece has to offer!
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Milos & Paros: Greece - Pesto Lemon Travels
[…] When planning a trip to Greece, it can feel daunting narrowing down which islands to visit because there are over 6,000 islands. Our biggest advice is to avoid the touristy areas as much as possible. Of course, Santorini and Mykonos are gorgeous, but these over-crowded islands make it difficult to soak in everything Greece has to offer. This is why we choose to spend our time in Milos, Paros, and Crete. Check out the separate Crete blog here! […]