Rethymno
In a lovely 17th-century Venetian mansion, the five-room permanent exhibit here documents traditional rural life on Crete with displays of clothing,…
Must-see attractions in Crete
Hania
Hania's in-town beach is only a 10-minute walk west of the Venetian Harbour. The 500m-long yellow-sand strip is backed by tavernas and holiday-apartment…
Iraklio Province
Impressive Quarter M is a residential area a bit further west of the palace. Though fenced off, it's still possible to appreciate its size and complexity…
Knossos
Covered storerooms in the east wing hold giant clay jars decorated with ornamental relief that once held oil, wine and other staples. They were…
Rethymno Province
There's no one main beach in Panormo but a series of small, attractive coves with brown sand and a brilliant turquoise sea. The tiny swoop of sand at the…
Rethymno Province
Bali's most central beach – between Livadi and Limani – is this pretty strip of sand flanked by young palm trees. There are some quite classy bars here…
Rethymno
Located between Iliakaki and Dimitrakaki, the trails and tree-shaded benches found here offer respite from the heat and crowds. Old men doze and chat…
Rethymno Province
Brown-sand Livadi is Bali's biggest and widest beach, with bit of a party vibe. It’s packed with chairs and umbrellas, and bars, tavernas and cafes run…
Iraklio Province
This disc with 34 impressions around its edge is on the western side of the Palace of Malia's Central Court. Archaeologists believe it probably had a…
Rethymno Province
The old port of Limani has a narrow crescent of attractive beach with greyish-brown sand lined with sunloungers, plenty of cafes and water-sport operators.
Iraklio Province
The palace was surrounded by an entire city whose excavation is still ongoing. The canopied structure just west of the compound is described as the crypt.
Iraklio Province
In the middle of Thrapsano, the twin-aisled 15th-century Timios Stavros church houses well-preserved frescoes. You might have to ask around for the key.
Knossos
Remnants of a drainage channel and underground clay pipes show that the Minoans had developed a sophisticated water-supply and sewage system.
Knossos
This famous fresco adorns Sir Arthur Evans’ restored elevated, colonnaded west bastion of the north entrance of the palace.
Iraklio Province
These eight well-preserved circular pits are believed to have been grain silos.
Iraklio Province
In an enchanting spot 3km west of Phaestos, Agia Triada encompasses vestiges of an L-shaped royal villa, a ramp once leading out to sea, and a village…
Iraklio
This majestic church dominates the eponymous, palm-studded square. It had Byzantine origins in AD 961, was converted to a Catholic church by the Venetians…
Iraklio Province
Matala’s sightseeing credentials are limited to these famous caves where hippies camped out in the 1960s and 1970s (Joni Mitchell immortalised the scene…
Iraklio Province
Also known as Agia Paraskevi Cave, after the chapel built above it, Skotino is one of the largest caves in Crete and deliciously spooky to boot. A gaping…
Hania Province
The 16th-century Moni Gouvernetou, 4km north of Moni Agias Triadas, may date as far back as the 11th century, from a time when an inland sanctuary was an…
Hania Province
Frangokastello is a ruined 14th-century fortress, constructed soon after the Fourth Crusade (1204) by the Venetians, who sought a stronghold against…
Moni Hrysoskalitissas Monastery
Hania Province
Four kilometres north of Elafonisi is this beautiful monastery perched on a rock high above the sea. The church is recent, but the monastery is allegedly…
Lasithi Province
About 3km north of Vaï, vestiges of the Graeco-Roman port of Itanos overlook a trio of beaches. Itanos was once an important settlement in eastern Crete…
Iraklio Province
Experts dispute that the tiny village of Fodele is El Greco’s birthplace, and those expecting the real thing on all fronts may be disappointed, but this…
Iraklio Province
Built in the mid-1980s as a way to preserve and showcase Cretan life, Arolithos is a reasonably authentic-looking recreation of a traditional Cretan…
Iraklio Province
Opened in 2015, this tiny museum, housed within a traditional stone cottage, is one of those things you feel you should go to just to support them. It…
Hania
The Historical Museum & Archives of Hania, about a 1.5km walk southeast of the old harbour, traces Crete’s war-torn history with a series of exhibits…
Iraklio
A simple tomb in the well-preserved Martinengo Bastion south of the city centre honours Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957), Crete’s most acclaimed 20th-century…
Hania
One of Hania’s most intriguing buildings is this Venetian-era church with both a bell tower and a double-balconied minaret – the latter replaced a second…
Hania Province
From Moni Gouvernetou it’s around a 2km (30-minute) walk (uphill on the way back) down to the coast to the ruins of Moni Ioannou Erimiti. In disuse for…
Lasithi Province
About 2km southeast of Sitia on a low hill overlooking the sea is the site of an important Minoan settlement. You can see the remains of two houses from…
Iraklio
In an imaginatively recycled power station, a 10-minute walk west from 25 Avgoustou along the waterfront, this museum uses huge dioramas and a terrarium…
Lasithi Province
Next to the church, this small museum houses the private collection of a late teacher who sparked the area's archaeological digs after stumbling upon…
Hania Province
Elos, near the south of the Innahorion region, is the area’s largest town and the centre of the chestnut trade – hence the annual chestnut festival,…
Lasithi Province
Approaching Tzermiado from the south, look for the sign pointing to the Kronios Cave, reached via a path leading to a series of stairs. Excavations have…
Iraklio Province
Amid fields just outside Kamilari stands a fenced-in, extraordinarily well-preserved circular Minoan tomb with 2m-high stone walls. Side rooms were used…
Iraklio Province
Emerald green and tree fringed, this small reservoir just northeast of Zaros was created in 1987 to store the town’s natural spring water. It attracts…
Hania Province
Near Akrotiri Peninsula’s northern tip, Stavros’ sandy beach is covered with umbrellas and lines a cove dominated by a mammoth rock. It famously served as…
Ierapetra
Overlooking the fishing harbour, the crenellated Venetian fort dates from the 17th century but was built atop an older defensive structure reputedly built…
