Crete. Attractions to see on Greece's largest island

Crete, packed with attractions and fairytale views, is the largest Greek island and one of the most visited places in Greece. It is the southern tip of Europe, full of exoticism. It's a dream vacation spot and a total reset! 

There are plenty of beautiful beaches in Crete, including luxury hotels with swimming pools and often private beaches. And if lying down for you is not enough, as it is for us, you will find many beautiful places worth visiting. We will show you the most beautiful ones. Let yourself be carried away by our story, see not only the most important attractions of Crete, but also learn other interesting facts and important information that will definitely be useful for you when visiting this island!

Attractions in Crete, or what to see

Paradise beaches, crystal clear azure water, cities with charming narrow streets, old Venetian fortresses, sand temples. It's all waiting for you on the largest island here. In Greece, which attracts Polish tourists very strongly! See what to choose and explore from a wide range of tourist attractions in Crete.

Laguna Balos - the most beautiful beach of Crete

Balos is for me the most beautiful place in all of Crete, at least the ones we managed to see. For me, it's a must-see! It is a wonderful lagoon, with amazing turquoise water and bright sands, although there are more sharp rocks here than soft sand 🙂 The place is amazing. It lies at the western end of Crete, in its northern part. It is quite inaccessible, there is a gravel road leading here from Kissamos among the rocks, above the sea. It certainly guarantees an adrenaline rush. 

They advise against it at a car rental company (more on that below), which is why we chose another option, I think much more interesting. An organized excursion combined with a boat trip from the port of Kissamos. There is a little over an hour sailing on Balos, with tourists from all over the world and suddenly a paradise lagoon appears, heavenly beautiful! It's definitely a Cretan hit and a paradise on earth.

Here you can lie on the beach, walk or take a bath. But I also recommend going through the shallow bay and climbing the stone steps to the vantage point. The panorama is breathtaking, really!

There are toilets on the beach, but I do not recommend it. Toilets and catering are available on the ship, as part of the purchased trip there is also a meal on the ship. During the cruise, you can also notice a curiosity that the western shore of Crete emerges from the sea - this is the darker part with a height of about 4 meters. It is also known that every year Crete comes a little closer to Africa. It is even said that with the larger earthquake that has already occurred here in the past, the island may break into 2 parts and sink the eastern part of Crete.

A similar azure bay called Ghajn Tuffieha delighted us in Malta!

Gramvousa Island - an uninhabited island

As part of the trip to Balos with a cruise, you also visit the now uninhabited island of Gramvousa. You can see it from Balos, it's only a 15-minute cruise. In the 16th century, the Venetians built an unconquered fortress here, the ruins of which we can see for free to this day. The beautiful views from the former stronghold are a real fairy tale! It is best to stand under the waving Greek flag!

But did you know that Gramvousa is a real pirate island? In the 19th century, pirates actually stole ships and imprisoned sailors here. More than 150 ships fell prey to them. And the best part is that they built a church here and named it after the Mother of God the Thief. It's a fact, not a fairy tale.

It is also true that the waters around the island have consumed many ships. Legends say that it was impossible to reach the island. As it turns out, there is a grain of truth in them, because research has shown that the waters of three seas mix here and, in fact, ships melted here every winter when the currents are stronger. The last one sank in the 1970s. Of the twentieth century. Its troubled wreck can be seen at the shore. The kids say it's a pirate ship. A romantic addition to the wonderful beach, although it is said that every year the ship delves deeper into the sea.

Today, the island is protected by Natura 2000. Interesting vegetation grows here, including pistachio, thyme, heather, juniper or wild onion. The vegetation, as in many places in Crete, is stunted and sharp. In addition, numerous bird species relax on Gramvousa during the annual migration to warm countries. Maybe even our Polish storks sometimes fly here.

Also read our guide to Venice attractions!

Elafonisi Pink Beach

Have you ever heard of the pink beach? This is what Elafonisi beach is called, lying on the south-western end of Crete. This is not only one of the most beautiful beaches of Crete, but also the whole of Europe. She made a huge impression on us! Although it may give way to the Balos lagoon in my eyes, it is more easily accessible, although not so easily at all. To get to it, you have to overcome the mountains, and this is a ride that requires a lot of caution and attention. 

Fortunately, there is asphalt along the entire route, except for the tip itself, so you can go here by car from the rental company, and that's what we did. It is 75 km from the town of Chania. It was a bit shocking for us that there was a free parking lot waiting for us on the spot, a huge and the beach itself is also available free of charge. Sun loungers under umbrellas, catering and toilets are payable.

But let's go back to the beach itself. It is very extensive, and the water here is again beautifully turquoise and extremely clean. And why is this paradise beach called pink? Because by the shore, the sand actually has a pink-red color. It is said to be the blood of women and children when the Turks attacked Crete. But calmly, the real explanation of this curiosity is much more pleasant. Just particles of colored shells are mixed into the light sand. It makes an amazing impression, even though there is not much pink sand.

I really liked it when, next to other tourists, we had to wade like flamingos through a shallow sea lagoon to the island of Elafonisi. It is a refuge of amphibians, reptiles and birds. This sandy path with ropes brought to mind the Słowiński National Park, only here there is also wonderful azure water with colorful sand on the shore. It's a beautiful, unearthly corner.

Topolia Gorge

Heading to Elafonisi, you drive through the impressive Topolia Gorge. The road here is very picturesque, with a vertical wall up on one side and a vertical wall down on the other. It is worth stopping here for a moment to admire this one of the many natural attractions on the island! Not only to admire the views. There are stalls here with local Greek products. 

Here you can buy olives - in a jar and dried, olive oil in many flavors, delicious cheese, honey and local vodka - crayfish. But first you will taste everything, the lovely lady gave us a taste of these specialties. Even the creams were, based on honey, perfect protection from the sun.

Komolithi Pyramids - Little Cappadocia

The earthly pyramids of Komolithi are a kind of Cappadocia in a nutshell. There is not much here, but in the summer, when they are dry, it is worth climbing the mountain and you can actually feel the atmosphere there. Cappadocia is a wonderful land in Turkey, with such pyramids of volcanic rocks, something wonderful. We were there 17 years ago and I remember it well to this day, so I recommend being in Crete to experience at least a little of this atmosphere. 

The Komolithi pyramids are located near the main road from Kissamos to the Poplar Gorge. It's almost on the way when you drive to the pink beach of Elafonisi.

Rethimno - a charming town

Rethimno is a special place for us. Firstly, we lived just 5 km from this town, and secondly, the trip to Rethimno was our first trip to Crete. So it's no wonder that we were so impressed and we have feelings for him. It is one of the prettiest if not the prettiest city on the island. These pretty, narrow and charming streets full of flowers and pubs. What I really liked about Crete was the colors. The Greeks are not afraid to use them. Not only flowers, but colorful pots, tasteful signs, shutters, paintings. 

All this makes it not only nice, but also pleasant and cheerful. Someone wrote to me on social media that Crete is just water, desert and desert. And maybe there is some truth in uninhabited areas, but when it comes to buildings, it is completely different, towns and gardens do not resemble a desert, they are often well-groomed and full of vegetation, which we either do not know or we can only have it in our homes because of our winter.

And returning to the old town of Rethimna, among the streets you will find the Venetian Rimondi fountain with charming Corinthian columns and the Nerandzes mosque, a souvenir of Turkish rule on the island. However, the most impressive here is the Venetian fortress from the 16th century, towering over the port. I recommend you visit it, even though admission is paid - 4 euros per person (May 2022). 

It is the largest Venetian fortress in Crete, the area is very extensive and hides several interesting buildings, including a charming, tiny Orthodox church or the characteristic Sultan Ibrahim mosque with a dome visible from afar, even from the highway. From the fortress, you can also see the magical snow-capped peaks of the White Mountains in the background. They accompanied us almost all the time during our holidays in Crete, because you can see them from many places on the island.

Chania - the heart of Crete

Chania is the heart of Western Crete. This is where it all starts, because there is an airport on the Akrotiri Peninsula. It is the second largest city of the entire island, after Heraklion, located in Eastern Crete. And as Chania is the heart of Crete, so the heart of Chania is the old Venetian port. 

It is a wonderful bay, very picturesque and pleasant for walks, with numerous pubs. There is also a marina and a port. Tourists are driven by horse-drawn carriages, which look beautiful against the background of water and a sand lighthouse. In the central part of the pedestrian street, there is a 17th-century Janissary mosque decorated with numerous domes.

Chania boasts an ancient pedigree. Walking around the old town of Chania, it is worth discovering the foundations of Minoan buildings. They are described on boards, fortunately sometimes also in English. Because in many places in Crete we find descriptions only in Greek, which unfortunately is a big problem.

Azure bay Seitan Limania - a tiny pearl

We enter the mentioned Akrotiri Peninsula. It is a very rocky place, at first glance it seems unfriendly and dead, but it hides some interesting facts. One of them is the azure bay of Seitan Limania. Such a baby among the high walls of a rocky gorge. 

Just a few kilometers from the center of Chania, but getting to the beach is not easy at all. First, you have to descend quite sharply down the streamers to the free parking lot. Then you have to go steeply down the path from the rocky slope again and reach the beach through the ravine.

The beach is tiny, but since there was no season yet, it was not crowded, although there were tourists. Photos were taken all the time, not only on the beach itself, but also on the rocks next to it. Some even reached high, like goats jumping on narrow flats. One of them went down to the beach to look at the backpacks of tourists. When she didn't get anything to eat, she left disappointed.

Agia Triada Monastery

Near Seitan Limania on the Akrotiri Peninsula, we highly recommend the Greek Orthodox monastery - the Agia Triada monastery, or the Holy Trinity. Admission to the monastery costs 3 euros per person (May 2022), but it is money well spent, because this place delighted me. 

Not only the church itself, because this one is small, but beautiful, well-kept surroundings. With columns, terraces, full of flowers and unusual vegetation. Walking here is a great pleasure. There is also a crypt in the basement.

Stavros with Zorba Greek beach

On the Akrotiri Peninsula, it's also nice to visit Stavros. It is a famous place where scenes for the film Zorba the Greek were shot. In the cove, he performed his famous sirtaki dance, which was actually created in 1964 for the film, but refers to authentic Greek folk dances with its atmosphere and choreography. 

In summer, the beach fills up, so we were recommended a much more secluded, nearby beach known mainly to local Greeks. There is a small tavern and a Sunset cafe waiting here. An even quieter, wild rocky beach is located a short distance away in Stavros, next to the Zorbas Beach Village Hotel.

Crete attractions - map

See a map of the island's attractions that we managed to see and those that we recommend, but we did not reach them. Definitely worth a visit! We have also marked on it all the free parking lots that we used when visiting interesting places and attractions.

Other things to do in Crete

Unfortunately, we did not reach them, but be sure to remember them when planning a trip to Crete! 

Samaria Gorge

The Samaria Gorge lies in the south-western part of Crete, in the Lefka Ori range . It is the longest and most beautiful gorge of the island, with a mountain character. It is considered to be the longest dry, i.e. non-river gorge in Europe. It is 18 km long, of which 16 km are available for tourists. This makes it difficult to handle on your own, better with an organized trip, because the tourist route stretches for about 16 km, so it is difficult to get back to the car. The more so because then it is uphill. Excursions are picked up by a cruise from the end of the ravine. We planned this gorge, but we were informed that melting snow had flooded it and there was no entrance, which later turned out to be untrue. However, it was a good thing, because we used this day for rest and laziness, which was supposed to be a significant part of these holidays. But during the cruise to Balos from the Poles who had visited it a few days earlier, we heard that it was wonderful!

Heraklion and the ancient city of Knossos - the heart of eastern Crete

The largest city of Crete, located in the eastern part. Here, they are mainly attracted by the ancient ruins of Knossos, located a little to the south of the city. Here you will find the extensive ruins of a palace dating from 2000–1400 BC (Minoan culture), called the Palace of Minos or the Cretan labyrinth. There were reportedly numerous villas in the gardens and compact buildings around the palace. On the outskirts of the city, monumental tombs dating from 1750-1450 BC were discovered. The palace in Knossos is associated with Greek myths about the Minotaur, Ariadne, the Daedalus and the legendary king Minos, who reigned in the mighty ancient Crete. Luke quietly dreamed of these ruins, they immediately seemed unreal to me during this trip to Crete. It would take 2 weeks to see all this and to refresh.

Agia Sofia Cave

Also called the Cave of Divine Wisdom. It is a beautiful cave with impressive calcite infiltrates. We did not visit it because of our fault, because we knew about it and that it was somewhere along the route from Kissamos to Elafonisi, near the Topolia Gorge. We were already tired of the whole day and the difficult road and we did not want to deviate, and only later on the street view we came to the fact that we saw the approach to it, by the road itself, by stairs up by the only tunnel on the route. I regret it, because I really like caves, and I don't think this opportunity will happen again. The cave is located 50 km from Chania, between Topolia and Koutsamatados. The car is best left by the road, at the height of the Panorama Cafe tavern. A steep path leads up a stone staircase that leads to the entrance of the cave.

Agios Nikolaos

It is also worth visiting Agios Nikolaos. It is a wild and not very touristic province of Crete, located in the northeastern part of the island. You will find one of the four informal capitals of Crete - Agios Nikolaus - a city on the western shore of Mirabello Bay. In its heart spills the freshwater lake Wulismeni connected to the sea, around which taverns have clustered. The history of the city dates back to the 3rd century BC.

Sfendoni Cave - Crete's largest cave

More than 3,000 caves can be found on the island. Many of them have a high scientific value. Only a few are available to explore, so it is worth considering visiting them. The largest cave available to tourists on the island is the Sfendoni Cave. It is located in the central part of the island, 1 km from the village of Zoniana, on the southern slopes of the Chalepa hill, at an altitude of 630 meters above sea level. This is the area of the Psiloritis National Park. You have to cover 43 km from Heraklion and 52 km from Rethymno.

A video from Crete

If you like moving pictures, I invite you to watch our video from the Greek Crete - beautiful views!

What to eat in Crete?

We chose the all-inclusive option in Crete to taste this exquisite form of holiday for once. With ready-made food, three meals and open bars with drinks, including alcoholic beverages, throughout the day. That is why we dined mainly in the hotel, but of course we also visited a lot, because we would not miss such an opportunity. We took a lunch basket from the hotel (offered instead of lunch on site), but we were happy to visit numerous pubs.

Fortunately, the hotel also served us many local specialties. Among them, of course, was moussaka. It immediately brought to mind my favorite lasagna, only instead of pasta there is eggplant in it, which suited me even better. Typical Greek dolmades, or such doves, often appeared, but the stuffing is wrapped there in grape leaves, so they are smaller and resemble a little suschi. In addition to dolmades rice, they cover lamb and are served warm with sauce. 

Every day we ate Greek tzatziki - a kind of sauce with Greek yoghurt, green cucumber and garlic or Greek salad with tomato, cucumber, white cheese and olive oil. They have delicious cheeses here, I ate them. There is also some seafood and, of course, ubiquitous olive oil. The food was drowned in it. I fell in love with tomatoes and aubergines warm, with olive oil. And olives, once we didn't like them at all, in Greece I ate them every day.

When visiting Crete, it is also worth tasting the local vodka raki and ouzo - called aniseed in Poland. The Greeks are happy to offer it, and their hospitality and friendly attitude is legendary. You can hear calimera everywhere, which means good morning. People on the street greet you with this greeting, and often talk to you and wish you a good day. That's really cool! 

In Chania, I liked one of the pubs in the Venetian port - Taverna Amphora, with turquoise chairs. It is also worth going to the Manos Tavern in Chania, where you can also get desserts for free. Here, moderate prices, in the Venetian port start somewhere from 6 euros for a modest meal and end much higher.

Accommodation in Crete

There are plenty of hotels and boutique hotels in Crete. Practically from Kissamos through Chania to Rethimno and beyond, the entire coast is dotted with hotel districts. They have different standards and offers. We celebrated 25 years together in Crete, so it was supposed to be grazing and without children. That is why, as I have already written, we chose the all-inclusive option at the 4-star hotel Eva Bay, 6 km east of the city of Rethimno. 

The hotel was really great, surprisingly few Poles and world society, a lot of Germans and French. There are also a lot of elderly people and I am not surprised that they chose the option of enjoying the delights of the hotel from morning to evening. All week anyway. I wouldn't be able to do that, but I'm not saying it's not cool. We laughed that they only changed the bars accordingly according to the schedule of their opening.

The restaurant gave you the opportunity to choose a place inside or outside each time. We were asked about it every time. Three meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - were very rich, each containing warm dishes. Dinner offered most of them. Our plates were always full of Greek specialties, which we felt on the weight when we returned.

In addition, wine in three colors and vodka crayfish. Of course, there were non-alcoholic beverages.In addition to drinks, the poolside bar always offered a hot meal and dessert at the right time. The main bar in the evening is just drinks.

The pool was right next to the hotel, and from there, through the bar, you could go directly to the private beach by the sea. I won't say, grazing all over.

Roads in Crete

The northern coast from Chania leads both towards Kissamos and towards Rethimno and further to Heraklion "highway". It is a comfortable road, maybe it gives way to our motorways, but it is safe and free to move from city to city. It is wide, but it cannot be said to be simple, because it winds along the coast, places among the rocks, places above the sea bays, but with great views. 

In general, it can be driven at a speed of 90 km/h, but there are often speed limits, e.g. when cornering. There are also signs at a lower speed when it's wet. In cities, Greeks drive quite nervously and chaotically, you will not always notice the lanes on the roads, which makes you go "on the lookout" in places.

When you want to go to the south of the island, it's a little harder, because although the roads are still asphalt, they lead through the mountains. You can drive, but you have to be careful and cautious. This road led from Chania to Elafonisi to the south-western end of the island. It is not very steep, but sometimes you drive over the abyss, and without any barriers.

Car rentals

Nevertheless, it is definitely worth renting a car in one of the many rental companies to see as much as possible. The cost of such a rental depends on the size and standard of the car. Of course, different rental companies also offer different prices. It is worth exploring the area before renting. The more days, the cheaper it gets. We rented the smallest possible car (Citroen C1) and it cost 25 euros for the day. Normally, this is about 30-40 euros per day. 

You buy gasoline yourself, and it usually looks like how much fuel you get in the car, you give it back. We had 3/4 of the tank at the time of rental and we refueled to that amount before returning the car. A liter of fuel cost 2.25 euros (May 2022). 

There are not many formalities, it is enough to order a car the day before (it is not necessary, but then you have a greater influence on the choice of the car). And on the day of the rental, we sign a short Agreement, with the details of the car and your driver's license. It is worth paying attention to the small print. It usually says that the insurance does not cover gravel roads, only asphalt roads. 

And we do not recommend going on such roads. It leads, among others, to the famous Balos, where it is better to take a boat trip from Kissamos. The car was handed over to us without any problem. 

How to travel by city bus on the island?

It is not difficult, in the north, between Rethimno and Chania, there are frequent stops. Some are on demand and you have to wave your hand. And at the bus stop, you will not see the timetable, because it is also quite conventional. On our section, i.e. in the vicinity of Rethimno, buses ran every 30 minutes. 

The buses are comfortable and modern, but there were a lot of people in them. You had to move around in a mask on the bus, the ticket cost 1.20 euros one way (May 2022, for a distance of about 6 km). In Rethimno, it is best to get off in a large square, next to the church. You can also take a bus to Chania, but not to the Akrotiri Peninsula.

Organized tours to the most beautiful places of Crete

And if you don't want to travel by rental car or city bus, you still have a choice of organized tours. In tourist destinations, as well as car rental companies, you will find travel agencies' stands at almost every step, offering trips to the above-mentioned places and even more. 

Prices are not excessive, e.g. a trip to Balos from Rethimno cost about 40 euros per person (May 2022). It is enough to be in front of the hotel at the appointed time in the morning and we have the whole day planned, with beautiful impressions.

See also our account of family holidays in Istria, Croatia.

When is it worth coming here?

Rather, I advise you against the full summer, because it is very hot and crowded. We were in Crete at the beginning of May and it is  a very good time to visit it. It is also worth coming here in autumn. Both in spring and autumn, the temperatures here are softer, the nights are cooler, which allows you to relax from the heat. And it is so warm that you can sunbathe on the beach and bathe in the pool, or even sit at the bar under the stars in the evening. After the magical sunset.

In conclusion, you will probably not be able to visit the entire island the first time, because it is quite large. But when renting a car, you can visit a lot of interesting attractions that Crete offers almost everywhere. The obligatory sightseeing point is Balos. I can't imagine being in Crete and not seeing this lagoon. It is also worth bearing in mind Elafonisi with pink sand, but there are many more places to visit! Chania is certainly a good starting point, but the areas around Rethimno are already quieter.