Rethymno Province
This charming village, 9km southeast of Melidoni, served as a bishopric under Venetian rule and is a maze of lanes lined with well-preserved stone…
Must-see attractions in Crete
Ierapetra
Inland from the fortress is the labyrinthine old quarter, where you'll see a Turkish fountain, the restored mosque with its minaret, Napoleon's house and…
Hania Province
Just south of the village Koutsomatados, and after a narrow tunnel on the way from Hania, the Agia Sofia cave contains evidence of settlement from as far…
Lasithi Province
Looming high on the hillside above the port, Kazarma (derived from the Italian Casa di Arma) was built by the Venetians in the 13th century but destroyed …
Iraklio
The attractively reconstructed 17th-century loggia by Francesco Morosini was the Venetian version of a gentlemen’s club, where the male aristocracy…
Iraklio Province
Anemospilia packs major importance into its small frame. Excavation of this middle-Minoan three-room temple yielded evidence that human sacrifice played…
Rethymno Province
Right on the Nida Plateau, high on Mt Psiloritis, you can make out this sprawling landscape sculpture created by German artist Karina Raeck in 1991 to…
Hania Province
There’s not much left of the 13th-century Venetian castle looming above Paleohora, but it's worth climbing the stairs for the splendid views of the sea…
Iraklio
Iraklio burst out of its walls long ago, but these massive fortifications, with seven bastions and four gates, are still very conspicuous, dwarfing the…
Hania
The lighthouse at the mouth of the Venetian Harbour is one of Hania's landmarks, sparkling at sunset and then illuminated after dark. The stone tower…
Hania
Crete’s only remaining synagogue (dating from the 15th century) was badly damaged in WWII and reopened only in 1999. It sports a mikveh (ritual bath),…
Rethymno
This nicely restored 16th-century landmark originally served as a meeting house for Venetian nobility to discuss politics and money, and morphed into a…
Greek National Football Museum
Hania
This tiny museum might look like a shop, but it's actually crammed with more than 2000 items of soccer memorabilia. Run by Nikos, the passionate president…
Iraklio Province
This small exhibition hall near the entrance to the ruins features photographs of the excavation work begun in 1915 by Iosef Chatzidakis and continued by…
Lasithi Province
Anybody curious about traditional life in Sitia should spend half an hour or so nosing around this two-storey museum in a handsome 19th-century building…
Hania Province
Idyllic Voulgaro is located 9km southeast of Kissamos (Kastelli) on the inland road towards Elafonisi. Its name (by allusion, ‘Bulgarian village’) is said…
Iraklio Province
Just west of Zaros, a sign directs you to this monastery at the mouth of the Rouvas Gorge, about 2km up the valley. The church has some fine 14th-century…
Rethymno Province
Coins unearthed in Panormo indicate that a village flourished here between the 1st and 9th centuries AD, but the only in situ evidence from this period…
Ierapetra
Dominating a triangular plaza at the northern edge of the old quarter, this yellow-sandstone mosque was built by the Turks in the late 19th century and…
Hania
Impressively restored from a roofless ruin, the 16th-century Venetian arsenal was the last of the 17 shipyard buildings in Hania's Venetian Harbour. After…
Lasithi Province
You don't come to Plaka for the beach, but if you need your tan-and-swim fix, head towards the northern end of the village. There, next to a big car park…
Hania Province
The Innahorian coastal road winds along by Sfinari, 9km north of Kambos and 9km south of Platanos. It’s a languid, laid-back agricultural village with a…
Museum of Rural History & Folks Crafts
Iraklio Province
Most visitors to the recreated traditional village of Arolithos arrive on tour buses for a quick wander and a peek inside the small Museum of Rural…
Hania Province
Two and half kilometres west of Elos, atmospheric Perivolia leads to Kefali, with its 14th-century frescoed church. Kefali has a handful of tavernas…
Hania Province
The western Innahorion villages that line the coastal road enjoy a stunning location between mountains and ravines. First is the hamlet of Pappadiana,…
Hania Province
Drop by this factory to learn the process of olive-oil production from extraction to end product. Tours take 10 to 15 minutes, followed by a spot of olive…
Rethymno
Another vestige of Venetian rule is this small fountain where water spouts from three lions’ heads into three basins flanked by Corinthian columns. Above…
Lasithi Province
Tucked away in a backstreet and signposted from the main road, this compact and well-presented museum occupies a traditional Cretan manor house, with…
Permanent Collection of Ancient & Traditional Shipbuilding
Hania
The Minoa, a painstaking replica of a Minoan ship that sailed from Crete to Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games, now permanently docks in a converted…
Hania Province
Close to the village centre, this small museum chronicles Crete’s resistance movement from 1941 to 1945. There's limited information in English. The…
Hania
This three-aisled basilica with its prominent bell tower is dedicated to the Virgin of the Three Martyrs, Hania's patron saint. The present structure was…
Hania
Hania’s interesting Folklore Museum contains a selection of crafts, including weavings with traditional designs; local paintings; and several rooms of a…
Knossos
The Hall of the Double Axes is a spacious double room, possibly where the ruler both slept and carried out court duties. It takes its name from the double…
Rethymno Province
Spili is a bishop’s see (seat of a bishop), based at the massive modern monastery on the main road at the western end of town. You’re free to walk around…
Rethymno Province
For wonderful views overlooking Panormo's port, head up the hill to a tiny segment of stone wall that remains from a 13th-century fortress. It's believed…
Hania Province
This striking war memorial with white crosses against a backdrop of Souda Bay holds the graves of 1500 Commonwealth soldiers who died during WWI and, in…
Knossos
In the northwestern corner of the Knossos archaeological site, this series of shallow steps may have served as a theatre where spectators watched…
Knossos
In the northwestern corner, this reconstructed columned structure shelters a below-ground basin that archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans believed was where…
Hania
Hania’s modern art gallery evokes the interior of a boat and presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary works by local and national artists on three…
Hania Province
Abutting the western edge of the village, this tiny grey-sand cove is the closest beach for unfolding your towel or a quick dip. There's a taverna on the…
