CRETE is the biggest of the Greek islands and the most southern major one and the main cities of Western Crete ate Chania (80,000) and Rethymnon (35,000). The main airport for Western Crete is Akrotiri (Chania). Souda Bay is the main port.
Crete is a mountainous island with Lefka Ori (White Mountains), south of Chania at 2453m and Mt Idi (Psiloritis), south of Rethymnon, at 2456m, both part of a continuous chain from one end of the island to the other. Rivers in Crete are quite short and usually dry up in the summer. Exceptions are those at Preveli, in the south, and Vrisses, in the north.
There are several small islands close to Crete. They include Gavdos, the most southerly inhabited island in Europe, and islands of Hrissi or Gaidouronissi, Koufonisia, Dia, Paximadia and Gramvoussa. Most of them are popular targets for day cruises. To the north are the Cyclades islands, with Santorini the nearest and a regular day cruise destination.
Crete subsists mainly on agriculture and tourism with the predominant crops being olive oil, oranges, grapes and greenhouse vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers. The north coast is the main tourist area with more secluded beaches found in the south.
Inland areas are less well known part of Crete because of the difficulty of driving through the mountains, but roads have improved much in recent years and many inland villages now enjoy a small annual influx of tourists. Cretans are well known for the hospitality to strangers throughout Greece and are always ready to help.
Knossos mosaic Crete
Rethymnon sarcophagus
Chania Maritime Museum
Although Neolithic sailors arrived on Crete around 8000 BC it is the Minoans for which the island is famously known - the first modern civilisation ever on European soil. The Minoan period is now thought to have lasted from 2,600 to 900BC and archaeologists have unearthed large palaces with red plastered walls, fashioned gold and semi-precious stones.
By 1900 BC there was a huge concentration of power and wealth with palaces at Knossos, Malia, Phaistos and Zakros having lavish frescoes. Impressive ports testify to great trade with Cyprus, Egypt and Greece and a flourishing artistic tradition which ended with the volcanic eruption on Santorini in 1450 BC and a massive tidal wave that swept away many cities. In in 1100 BC the Dorians invaded and by 900 BC the Minoan civilisation had been wiped out.
In 68 BC Rome subdued the population and Christianity arrived. By the 9th century the Saracens had conquered Crete and Byzantine armies dominated the island for 300 years.
It was the fall of Constantinople in 1204 that saw Crete sold to the Venetians until the Ottomans arrived and sacked Heraklion. Cretan revolt against Turkish rule brought many battles until Britain, France and Italy took a hand after Greece declared war on Turkey in 1898.
British occupation was a disaster that led, in 1905, to a revolt led by Crete's favourite son Eleftherios Venizelos, later Prime Minister of Greece. In 1941 Germans made the first successful airborne invasion and occupied Crete until the end of World War II.
Mt Ida Crete
Wild flower Crete
Crete is Greece's largest island at 250km long and 14 to 38km wide. It is the fifth largest in the Mediterranean and mountains cover two thirds of the surface area. Three ranges form a backbone along the island, punctuated by plateaux and occasional ravines including the Samaria gorge, the longest in Europe at 18 km There are 57 peaks over 2000m.
The population of 600,000 lives mainly on the north coastal plains and in the west there are only two cities of any size, Chania and Rethymnon. Staple crops are olives and grapes with an estimated 13m olive trees. Other produce includes potatoes, cereals, walnuts, chestnuts, tomatoes and citrus fruits.
High temperatures and guaranteed summer sunshine are characteristic, with subsequent water shortages and only two rivers in western Crete do not dry up in summer. The island is notoriously windy in July and August especially in the north.
Crete boasts more than 1,500 varieties of wild flowers including 20 species of orchid. Crete is also a staging post for migratory birds to swell extensive local birdlife. The mountains are mainly limestone which has helped the formation of more than 2,000 caves, many with archaeological or historical interest.
Crete is the largest island of Greece with an area of about 8300sq km. Mountains run the whole length of the island which is 260km long east to west and 15 to 60 km wide. The coastline is more than 1000km with a mainly rocky coastline in the south with occasional sandy coves. The north coast has coastal plains and beaches. Crete has about 600.000 people and a third live in Heraklion, Chania and Rethymnon. Much of the island is sparsely populated, with large tracts of mountainous areas.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | |
| 13 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 17 | 14 | Avg day °C |
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 10 | Avg night °C |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | Sun (hrs) |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | UV index |
| 142 | 122 | 81 | 32 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 80 | 73 | 94 | Rain mm |
| 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | Rainy days |
UV: >3 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 5-8 High; <8 Very high | Rainy days 1mm+ | 1 inch=25.4 mm
Crete has the earliest and the longest summers in Greece. In spring the island is awash with flowers many native to the island. By July the days are extremely hot and often blighted by the north-westerly meltemi wind which can make making beach sunbathing uncomfortable and the north coast seas fairly rough. Rainfall is virtually non existent between mid-May and the end of August. Autumn storms can last a week or so and it is often a better idea to go for a two week break at the end of the season. November can be a warm, balmy month and the big tour operators have ended their seasons by then. The long, high mountain ranges down the backbone of the island can result in marked regional variations and fierce storms in the north may never reach the sheltered south. In general the south is hotter than the north and the west wetter than the east. The mountain regions are always cooler and are often covered in snow well into the spring.
Crete is one of the larger Greek Islands that has become renowned for it's long and illustrious history as well as the stunning scenery. If it is steep mountains and challenging walks that interests you then you simply cannot afford to miss out on the steep mountain ranges to the west of the island.
HOLIDAYS TO CRETE can be either packed full of sun bathing on some of the popular beaches stretching along the eastern coast, or perhaps exploring the wealth of archaeological finds further inland.
Cheap flights to Crete from European airports
Details in most European languages and currencies
Chania Airport (CHQ) lies 10km from the city on the Aktori peninsula and is shared with the military. As well as the usual charter flights there are daily flights to Athens, regular flights to Rhodes, three flights weekly to Thessaloniki and twice a week flights to Mykonos.
Charter flights to Chania from the UK run mainly to provide transport for package holidays. Excess seats are sold off on a flight only basis. The cost of these seats is usually cheap compared to scheduled flights.
The airport is large and roomy with seats, shops and spacious toilets. There is a cash point and exchange bureau. Coffee and snacks are available and there are several small shops.
There is a bus service but buses are a few and infrequent. Taxis into Chania takes 20min. There is parking in front of the airport but it is expensive. Cheaper long-term parks are just outside the airport gates.
Using Greek Island Postcards you can now pre-book a taxi to meet you on your arrival on Crete. Drive straight to your hotel or apartment, no queues, no hassle. Get your holiday off to a quick start and make the most of every day. And book a taxi pick-up from your hotel when it's time to leave.
ANEK ferries link Chania (Souda) to Piraeus with a 9-hour sailing each day. Ferries leave Piraeus for Chania and Heraklion every evening around 8pm and arrive early morning about 5am. Minoan Lines sails daily to Heraklion and Rethymnon Lines run ferries to Rethymnon in the summer with routes to Santorini and Piraeus.
There are daily trips in the summer to the Cyclades, Dodecanese and Sporades, though these mostly sail from Iraklion. ANEN Lines connect the South Peloponnese (Gythion, Neapolis or Kalamata) to Kastelli Kissamos, west of Chania. Timetables can be rather erratic.
There are any number of boat trips to neighbouring islands and there are several ferries a day linking the south coast resorts of Paleochora, Sougia, Agia Roumelli, Loutro and Chora Sfakion. Boats also leave from Chora Sfakion to the southern island of Gavdos.
Crete is a deceptively big island and a drive east west can take the best part of a day. Most visitors stay in resorts on the north coast and drive east/west along the recently built main highway or south over the mountains and through the gorges. The main highway is not dual carriageway but it is wide, well maintained and well signposted making driving easy but a trifle boring. Traffic police are much in evidence though that does not stop local drivers ignoring the 60 km speed limit with reckless abandon.
Off the main road the going is usually pretty good though lanes can be narrow and potholed. Roads over the mountains are generally excellent and improving all the time; some even seem absurdly good given the amount of traffic on them. Wherever you go it is difficult to avoid taking your eyes off the road to enjoy the jaw dropping scenery, especially in the mountains. Narrow winding roads can often mean journey times are rather longer than expected from a map. On mountain roads allow 45min to travel 30km.
Traffic signs are generally in Greek and English, and internationally recognized traffic controls and stop signs are used. Speed limits are 50kph in built-up areas and 90kph (56 mph) on the highway. Police often carry out speed checks on the main highway. Alcohol tests are frequent and strict. They are not lenient for tourists. Many petrol station close at 7pm and in every city there is always at least one open all night.
KTEL runs regular buses (every 30min) on the highway between Rethymnon and Chania and there are services to most main villages. KTEL is West Crete has its own website at bus-service-crete-ktel.com/ with details of timetables.
Taxis are common and relatively cheap. Fares are regulated and metered. Taxi fares from the Akrotiri airport (in euros) are roughly: Almyrida (32), Chania (16),Chora Sfakion (74), Georgioup[olis (42), Maleme (37), Paleochora (74(, Plakias (84), Platanias (32), Rethymnon (58). You can hail a taxi in the street or book one by phone but this costs extra. There is usually a taxi rank in each town. It is normal for others to get into the taxi with you or for the driver to pick up more fares - taxi fares are cheap and this way the taxi driver makes a better living. Don't hesitate to hail a taxi with one or two passengers in it.
There is one long hiking route on Crete that is part of the E4 European Long Distance Path. The E4 trail covers the White Mountains (Lefki Ori), Mount Psiloritis (Mount Ida) and the Mount Dikti. The E4 Path is 320 km long. It starts at Kastelli Kissamos in the northwest and crosses to Kato Zakros in the east. The route varies from asphalt roads to rugged ravines and mountain trails. In parts the E4 path is very overgrown, difficult to follow, and unmarked so you will need a walking map, compass and supplies. At Sougia, on the south coast, the path forks into two tracks, one is very rough and follows the coast, the other goes through the mountains to converge again at Frangokastello and then branches again. Hikers must plan accommodation, especially in the mountains where refuge huts are maintained by climbing clubs at Kallergi (near the Samaria Gorge) Volika, Katsiveli Svourihtis, Tavri near Askyfou, Toumbotos Prinos on Mt Psiloritis, Analipsis near the Ideon Cave, Prinos Asites and Limnarkarou on the Lasithi Plateau. Useful mountaineering club contacts are Lasithi 28970 23230, Rethymnon 2831 057766, Iraklion812 27609, Chania 2821 74560.
There are many fine walks in Western Crete and, if the mountains are a little daunting, there are walks to be found all around the coast. Good walking maps can be had from Marengo Books and include Walks in Rethymnon, Six Walks in Georgoupolis and Ten Walks in Plakias.
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