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Crete Holiday Guides

Crete – It is the southernmost island in Europe and offers something for everyone. The island of Crete is the largest of all the Greek islands and covers an area of 8,336 km2 (3,219 square miles) and it is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean.

Crete, Kriti or Kreta was also the centre of the Minoan civilization dating back to 2600–1400 BCE, and is believed to be the oldest civilization in Europe. When visiting Crete you still have an opportunity to see remnants of this civilisation at Knossos Palace.

Over the centuries the island of Crete has been under control of the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Turkish and obviously now the Greeks. The reason Crete has had so many invaders and rulers is it’s strategic position in the Mediterranean, it was the controlling point for the eastern trade routes and has a wealth of natural resources.

There is a lot of history to be discovered when visiting Crete, from the “recently” excavated Knossos Palace, the eerie island of Spinalonga. Also look for the fortresses that sit imposingly in many towns and cities of Crete including Koules fortress in Heraklion and many other Venetian fortresses. Below you will find some of our most popular Crete guides for the major tourist resorts and all of them include videos and pictures.

Sfakia
A wonderful collection of villages and towns await you here, with stunning views over the rugged coastline.

Rethymnon
An amazing town with great culture and architecture on the west of Crete. Famous for its silver and gold shops as well as the imposing coastal fortress.

Platanias

Platanias Village with Agia Marina village is situated on the western part of Crete just 10 km from the City of Chania.

Agios Ioannis
Famed for its wonderful beaches this lovely little area is a pleasure to visit.

Chania or Hania
The old capital of Crete famous for its cross shaped market amongst other sights. The surrounding area of Chania has some wonderful beaches to visit.

Elounda
A very rich resort both in culture and money, amazing views over the bay and close to Spinalonga.

Matala
Famous for its caves in the rocks on the beach, once frequented by cavemen, Bob Dylan & hippies.

Ierapetra
This wonderful town sits on the far eastern shore of Crete with excellent blue star beaches.

Malia
The party capital of Crete, popular with British teens and the clubbers paradise in the high season.

Cretan and Greek Recipe Guides

Want to learn the Cretan recipes passed down the generations from Mother to Daughter? Then why not try cooking up our selection of traditional Greek and Cretan recipes with these easy to follow recipe guides.

Where available some recipes come with videos to help you cook along. If you want to submit your own recipes your more than welcome, help grow the database of traditional Crete and Greek food that we can cook from the comfort of our own homes.

Click through the pictures to or go straight to the Recipe Centre.

Holidays2Crete.com > Guides to Crete

Agios Nikolaos
A laid back town on the east of Crete with an amazing bottomless lake and great beaches.

Akrotiri
The Akrotiri peninsula juts out from the town of Chania and is a contrast of rugged gorges, lush hillsides and wonderful sandy beaches.

Agia Pelagia
A beautiful resort in Crete, ideal for family holidays and a nice place to go and relax.
A good resort for fishing also and boat trips around the island.

Analipsi
A small resort just outside Hersonissos, this resort is ideal if you want a quiet relaxing holiday away from the masses but within easy reach of the nightlife of Hersonissos.

Almeritha
A small fishing village about 40 minutes drive from Chania. It’s claim to fame was that Zorba the Greek was filmed here.

Bali
Bali conjours up an indonesian paradise, but this is actually Bali in Crete, a small hillside community only starting to wake up to tourism.

Fodele
The home of the Cretan artist El Greco and famous for its lush Lemon and Orange groves. Just past Heraklion and a popular choice for history lovers.

Frangokastello
The town boasts an amazing castle which is thought to be haunted. The castle sits near the waterfront and is open daily to the public.

Georgioupolis
A lovely little fishing village in Crete famous for its long and winding sandy beach that goes on for miles.

Paleohora

The 2nd largest town on the southern side of Crete, a traditional town relying on fishing and farming.

Lassithi
Lassithi Plateau in Crete is a wonderfully cool and fertile area where you will find orange groves...

Gerani
The village of Gerani is close to Platanias, but is much smaller and less developed. It’s beaches are awarded Blue Flags year on year...

Kalives
A picturesque little town with a small river running through it, the town has some wonderful restaurants and places to stay.

Kissamos
A guide to the area of Kissamos and Kastelli, the town of Kastelli is where most of the wine comes from that you find in the Taverna's of Crete.

Kolymbari
A very quiet town with wonderful white washed buildings covered in an assortment of local flowers. Come here if you want to have a traditional Crete holiday.

Koustogerako
A small mountain village that's nice to visit for the day, not many people chose to holiday here but its a must see when visiting Crete.

Koutouloufari
This wonderful village in the hills of Hersonissos is a great retreat for couples and older families. With a wealth of bars and Taverna's to explore.

Krassi
The home of Krassi wine and Raki. This charming little village is well worth visiting for the sights and of course the freshly made Raki.

Loutro
Accessible by foot or boat, Loutro is like stepping back in time. This lovely Cretan fishing village has to be seen to be believed.

Milatos
A charming fishing village with a small beach on the east of Crete. Make sure you visit the caves of Milatos is you happen to visit.

Mohos
This mountain village has some excellent cafes and views over Lassithi Plateau. Traditional Cretan buildings are abound here.

Palekastro
A sleepy village on the east side of Crete. You will find some nice apartments here to holiday in. Just a stones throw away from Vai beach.

Piskopiano
Another lovely Cretan village in the hills of Hersonissos, read the guide to this village and spend a great night in the traditional Greek Taverna’s.

Plakias
Situated just down from Rethymnon and a popular holiday destination in Crete. Visit here if you want a nice relaxing traditional holiday.

Sitia
The home of the third airport of Crete, a bustling town on the east side of Crete, not full of tourists but caters well for the holidaymaker.

Sissi
A lovely fishing village with a small beach and some amazing hotels. If your looking for freshly cooked fish then you must visit Sissi on your holiday.

Stalis
A resort popular with the Irish with wonderful beaches and relaxed nightlife. A very popular tourist destination in Crete.

Sougia
A small village with a shingle beach. Surrounded by rugged coastline and countryside this is a wonderful place to visit on your holidays.

Veni
A mountain village near Heraklion, surrounded by Pine forests and it keeps its traditional Cretan feel with no shops to speak of and only a handful of houses.

Vrouchas
A small traditional resort in Crete. Popular with hikers, walkers and people who want to see the real side of Crete and Greece.

Get weather reports for the main resorts in Crete - Click here

Heraklion or Iraklion
The capital city of Crete close to Knossos palace with a wealth of museums and shops.

Hersonissos
A cosmopolitan town popular with all of Europe for its great nightlife, quiet beaches and golf courses.

Daytime | Nightlife | Malia Palace |

Museums | Hotels

Daytime Guide | Nightlife Guide |

Crete Statistics

Capital City: Heraklion

Time zone: GMT+2

Currency: Euro

Population: 606, 274 (2008)
Language: Greek
Common names: Kriti, Crete, Kreta
Highest Mountain: Mt. Psiloreitis
Number of Islands: 25
Average Summer Temp: 27 C 83 F
Average Winter Rainfall: 2.7 inches

Download a road map of Crete

Agia Galini
Located on the southern part of Crete and offers views over the snowy mountains & Libyan Sea.

The video of the month highlights the lovely coastline of the Chania prefecture. Its one of many excellent videos by a local man called Manolis who seems to have covered the western side of Crete with some excellent HD videos.

If your thinking of visiting the island of Crete whether it be for sunbathing, fishing or scuba diving then this informal and informative video is for you.

In this video you will see Balos beach, Almirida beach, Stavros beach and its golden sand perfect for horse riding and relaxing.

Also featured is the long sandy beach of Georgioupolis with its golden sands, clear blue sea split by a small freshwater river. Also in the video you will see a small scene from a fantastic boat trip to Gramavoussa and plenty more..

Samaria Gorge
An amazing sight on the west of Crete, get to see the amazing mountains of Crete and wildlife.

Spinalonga island
A eerie but beautiful island that used to be a leper colony. With daily boat trips to the island its a must see when visiting the island of Crete.

The Waterparks of Crete
A guide to finding where the waterparks are in Crete with details on rides, prices and facilities.

Vai Beach
probably the most popular and famous beach in Crete, covered in palm trees this is a real tropical beach.

Work in Crete
Your guide to working in Malia and Hersonissos for the summer Find out where to work, stay and what you need to bring for the season.

Videos of Crete

Learn Greek
Brush up on your basic Greek greetings and phrases with this useful language guide with instructional videos.

Golf in Crete
Find out about Crete’s 18 hole PGA golf course near Hersonissos with green fee details and more.

Knossos Palace
Find out about one of the most visited sights in Crete, the seat of King Minos and the legend of the Minotaur.

Chrissi Island
The wonderful island of Chrissi just a short boat trip away from Ierapetra. This island is a haven for sun worshippers.

Easter in Crete
A nice guide on how Easter is celebrated in Greece every year and a little about the orthodox religion.

Greek Namedays

Hiking | Biking | Scuba Diving | Paragliding

Crete Outdoor Activities
Everything from scuba diving, hiking, walking, mountain biking, sky diving and bungee jumping in Crete.

Crete Clubbing Guide 2012
Drink prices in Malia & Hersonissos plus the best clubs and bars to visit!! Use this guide to find the best places to visit for Summer 2012.