Travel guide for CreteThe Greek isle of Crete offers a holiday choice of scenic and tranquil landscapes or hedonistic holiday fun, particularly on the south coast of the island. Crete is the largest and most southerly Greek island and boasts an idyllic Mediterranean climate. As a result, Crete has been a popular holiday island resort since records began. There are plenty of other tourists if you like to party while you travel, as evidenced by the island's three separate airports to handle the constant stream of passengers with plane tickets. However, it's simple to escape into this Greek isle to find an isolated retreat so you can enjoy a quiet vacation without the hassle of other tourists. |
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Crete travel guide Crete is broken into four different prefectures from west to east - Chania, Rethymnon, Ikarlion and Lasithi. Their respective capitals are Hania, Rethimno, Herakleon and Agios Nikolaos. Chania covers 2,376 square kilometres in the west of Crete and is home to about 140,000 people. Mountains are dominant and the beaches are glorious, particularly on the southern holiday coast. Greek mythology tells us that Zeus, the father of the Olympian Gods, was born and raised on the isle of Crete. The island has plenty of sites where you can study or see glimpses of ancient Greek civilisations. Crete has been occupied by the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Christians during a bloody history in which the island was both a reason for war and a refuge for artists and scholars. Crete was united with Greece in 1913. This Greek isle is in a unique geographic position between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, and these influences have always shaped the history and culture of Crete. The island is elongated from east to west, 260 kilometres long and 60 kilometres across at the widest point from the Dion cape to the Lithinon cape. A mountain range spans the island from west to east, broken into three separate groups of mountains. The highest mountain is 2,456 metres and it is this mountainous backbone that has given the island fertile plains, a wonderful climate and an exciting holiday playground of gorges and caves. Crete has a total area of 8,261 square kilometres and the coastline stretches for 1,046 kilometres, providing a mix of velvet beaches and rocky shores. Surrounding water bodies are the Libyan Sea to the south, the Myrtoon Sea to the west, the Karpathion Sea to the east and the Sea of Crete to the north. At last count, about 540,000 people lived on Crete. The largest city is the capital of Iraklion with more than 100,000 residents.
The island interior has a dramatic and rugged landscape with plenty of spectacular gorges. Seventeen kiometres long and with a drop of 1,000 metres, Samaria Gorge is the longest in Europe and is a magnet for holiday hikers. At last count, Crete had seven museums and archeaological collections. The island has its own university and four institutes of higher education. Major ports are at Iraklion and Hania, and Crete is a major commercial hub in the Mediterranean for passenger and freight shipping. You might also arrive or depart Crete by boat from the smaller ports at Rethimno and Agios Nikolaos. Hania is arguably the most appealing city in Crete. Built around a picturesque harbour, the city is flavoured by Venetian and Ottoman influences due to their occupation of the island between the 13th and 19th centuries. Hania boats massive fortifications, a lighthouse, mosques, churches and old steam baths buried within a network of narrow streets lined with Italian-style architecture. Crete has two international airports - one at Iraklion and the other at Hania. Flights connect directly to Greece, Cyprus and various European cities if you buy charter plane tickets. Crete accommodation can be a luxury five star hotel room with all mod cons and a swimming pool, a youth hostel, a small family-run apartment or even a cheap camping site. Crete's economy is based largely on tourism with well over 2 million tourists buying cruise boat and plane tickets each year for a vacation on the island. Agriculture remains another key industry. Almost a third of Crete comprises farms producing wine grapes, vegetables, citrus fruit, honey, cherries, chestnuts, almonds and olive oil. Sheep and goat breeding are also important, as is fishing and light industry. Major northern settlements include Hania, Rethymno and the Crete capital city of Iraklio, which boasts one of the world's great archaeological museums and is visited constantly by passing cruise liners. Temperatures vary in Crete from an average August temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius to an average 12.3 degrees in January. Summer months can be quite humid, particularly near the sea, and the mercury creeps over 30 degrees quite often. Winters are very moderate although snow falls in the mountains. Sights worth visiting in Crete include the Palace of Malia and the Palace of Knossos just outside the capital, Iraklio. The Palace of Knossos was built by the Minoans, who flourished as a leading civilization from 2700BC to 1450BC, when much of their rule was destroyed by a massive volcanic eruption in the Aegean Sea. Wildflowers bloom from March to September while other notable vegetation includes a broad range of herbs and pharmaceutical plants. To book flights, hotels, car rentals, etc. for a holiday in Greece, visit our Travel Shop. |
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