Crete

Rub shoulders with the ghosts of the Minoans, a Bronze Age people who attained an astonishingly high level of civilisation and ruled large parts of the Aegean from their capital in Knossos some 4000 years ago. Until the site’s excavation in the early 20th century, an extraordinary wealth of frescoes, sculptures, jewellery, seals and other remnants lay buried under the Cretan soil. Despite a controversial partial reconstruction, Knossos remains one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean and is Crete’s most-visited tourist attraction.

Traffic fades to a quiet hum in the labyrinthine lanes of this historic old quarter, with its charismatic Renaissance-era Venetian buildings sprinkled with exotic features from the Turkish period. Embark on an aimless wander and you’ll find wonderful surprises: a romantic flower-filled courtyard, perhaps, or an idyllic plaza, a cafe in an Ottoman bathhouse or a Venetian mansion turned boutique hotel. Don’t miss a spin around the massive fortress, and cap your old-quarter exploration with dinner in one of the many excellent restaurants.

A treasure trove spanning thousands of years, this extraordinary museum opens a fascinating window onto the ancient world. Prime billing goes to the world’s largest and finest Minoan collection, and with its proudly renovated building and grounds, it’s become a superbly curated and presented feast of priceless and unusual artefacts from other periods as well. A visit will deeply enrich your understanding of Knossos and the other famous archaeological sites on the island. If you see only one museum in Crete, make it this one.

The gaping gorge of Samaria, starting at Omalos and running down through an ancient riverbed to the Libyan Sea, is the most-trod canyon in Crete – and with good reason. The magnificent 16km trek presents you with varied wildlife, soaring birds of prey and a dazzling array of wildflowers in spring. It’s a full day’s walk (about six hours down), and you’ll have to start early, but the scenery is worth it. To get more solitude, try lesser-known gorges such as Agia Irini, Imbros and Aradena, running roughly parallel to Samaria.

It’s the beach everyone promises to see while in Crete, though not everyone manages to fulfil the promise, hidden as it is deep in the wild southwest of the island, beyond the craggy mountains and little villages. Elafonisi is a long sandy stretch renowned for its sparkling, clear turquoise waters and pink-and-cream sands. It gets busy in high summer, but in autumn, when most visitors disappear, it is heavenly. Wade out to Elafonisi’s tiny tidal island and feel the warm southern winds…bliss.

You will be enthralled by Hania’s old town. At its romantic and captivating Venetian harbour, pastel-coloured historic townhouses rim the waterfront promenade, where tourists and locals stroll, gossip and people-watch. The sparkling sea swirls between a peachy portside mosque, cream-stone lighthouse and the imposing Firkas Fortress. In the winding old streets radiating out from the quay, you’ll find minarets, boutique hotels and some of the island’s best dining options. The Splantzia quarter offers cool, leafy cafes and shops filled with handmade and hard-to-find traditional goods.

Get high on the knockout views from this 17th-century monastery in its lofty aerie above the Libyan Sea, then descend to Preveli Beach, whose rare grove of palm trees makes it one of Crete’s most celebrated sandy strips. There’s fantastic swimming, but in peak season you won’t be alone. The monastery itself has repeatedly entered the tomes of history, the last time during WWII, when the local abbot facilitated the evacuation of 5000 Allied soldiers trapped in Crete during the Nazi occupation.

This is for escapists, beach lovers and adventurers – and it’s so easy! Large sections of southern Crete’s mountainous coast are accessible only by boat, and in season a regular ferry service allows you to reach remarkable sites, such as the glittering jewel of Loutro, tucked between secluded beaches, and laid-back Sougia, with its friendly folk and fresh seafood. The beginning and end of the voyage – Paleohora and Hora Sfakion – are two of the most iconic (and affordable) towns in Crete, full of rugged individuals and live Cretan music.

Agios Nikolaos is well established as one of the loveliest towns in Crete. The setting on the Gulf of Mirabello – the Venetians’ ‘beautiful view’ – is a winner, and the town’s pleasing layout around a small harbour and circular lake adds to the appeal. You can relax by day in the lakeside cafes and then enjoy the night-time scene, when an influx of visitors from nearby resorts mixes happily with modish young locals in the harbourside bars.

One of Greece’s most iconic sights, this one-time leper colony has shot to stardom, thanks to the bestselling romantic novel The Island, by British writer Victoria Hislop. The book was adapted as a Greek television series (To Nisi) that has won critical acclaim for its atmospheric take on Spinalonga’s powerful history. You may have to share the experience with lots of fellow admirers, but Spinalonga, with its ruins of Venetian fortifications and reconstructed buildings of the period described in the novel, is both moving and inspiring.

This remote beach in the far northeast is where Crete takes on the feel of the South Seas, with an exotic ribbon of white-gold sand backed by a deep forest of palm trees. Vaï means ‘palm frond’ in the local dialect and the palms are said to have sprouted from date stones cast off by Roman soldiers or pirates. Vaï is a popular place, but on the quieter edges of summer it’s a pleasure; during busy times, just follow your nose to either end of the beach for less-crowded options.

Getting to the Lasithi Plateau can feel like a Jack and the Beanstalk–style trip, as the main access routes climb relentlessly from sea level through ever-steepening bends on scenic roads. Lasithi bursts dramatically into view and you realise that the green expanse before you is more plain than plateau, surrounded as it is by soaring mountains. The fairy-tale theme continues at famous Dikteon Cave, the mythical birthplace of Zeus and a cathedral-like cavernous space full of fantastical limestone features. Zeus may be long gone, but the Olympian spirit lingers on.

South of the urban sprawl of Iraklio lie sylvan hillsides quilted with olive groves and vineyards, and dotted with villages whose pride and joy is their local vintage. About 70% of Crete’s excellent wine comes from the Iraklio Wine Country. A relatively relaxed and old-world region, the wine country is based around the gateway villages of Arhanes, also home to crumbling Minoan ruins, and Dafne, which share two dozen wineries between them. The region gets particularly lively in the autumn, with the grape harvest.

Moni Arkadiou offers a particularly moving experience, combining beauty and tragedy. The 16th-century sienna-stone church and cloister, enclosed by stone walls on a rolling high plain, appear pastoral and lovely. But the monastery was also the site of one of Crete’s great tragedies. In 1866, 2000 Turkish soldiers surrounded hundreds of Cretan men, women and children here; rather than surrender, they set off their gunpowder, killing all but one small girl. The monastery remains a place of quiet and moving contemplation, and is particularly striking in soft evening light.

A highlight of Cretan travel is the island's delicious and distinctive cuisine. Make time to stop at village tavernas, where you’ll frequently find yourself presented with a wholesome feast at surprisingly reasonable prices, and with great pride. Don’t be surprised if you’re offered a complimentary sweet and raki (Cretan distilled spirit) at meal’s end. One surefire spot for top Cretan treats is To Skolio, in the hills near Paleohora, where local produce is crafted into inventive small dishes, and served with views of the Libyan Sea.