Chania, crete greece - 05 12 2022: Venetian harbour of the pittoresk cretan town with colorful old houses; Shutterstock ID 2227253445; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 2227253445

Crete

Crete is a tapestry of splendid beaches, ancient treasures and landscapes, weaving in vibrant cities and dreamy villages, where locals share their traditions, wonderful cuisine and generous spirit.

Start planning your trip

Best Time to Visit

Best Places to Visit

Attractions

Must-see attractions for your itinerary

  • June 10, 2017: Visitors at the ancient ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos. 1033165021 ancient, antique, archaeological, archeology, architecture, art, building, civilization, columns, crete, culture, destination, europe, famous, fresco, greece, greek, heraklion, historic, historical, knossos, labyrinth, landmark, mediterranean, minoan, minos, minotaur, monument, mythology, old, painting, palace, people, pillars, place, reconstruction, relief, ruins, sightseeign, site, sky, stone, structure, summer, tourism, travel, visit, wall

    Palace of Knossos

    Knossos

    Crete’s most famous historical attraction is the Palace of Knossos, the grand capital of Minoan Crete, located 5km south of the city of Iraklio. The…

  • Tourists looking at the Phaistos Disc inside the archaeological museum of Heraklion in Crete that hold the most important and complete collection of the Minoan civilisation of Crete on the 28th of August 2022 in Crete, Greece. Many of the artefacts in the museum come from Knossos, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on the Greek island of Crete. (photo by Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images) 1245671474 aitchison, greek, heraklion, neolithic, phaistos disc, archaeological, artefacts, ceremonial, civilization, culture, explore, holiday, remains, statues, tourists, viewing

    Heraklion Archaeological Museum

    Iraklio

    This state-of-the-art museum is one of the largest and most important in Greece. The two-storey revamped 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase…

  • the ancient city of Gortyna or Gortys, to the south of Heraklion prefecture.; Shutterstock ID 2228390937; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 2228390937 aerial photography, amphitheater, ancient, ancient greece, ancient site of tylissos, antiquity, archaeological, archaeological site, archeology, architectural, architecture, attraction, bronze, building, city, civilization, cretan, crete, culture, destination, details from the air, documentary tylissos, educational photography, famous, gortyna, gortys, greece, greek, history, island, king minos, mediterranean, minoan, minoan culture, minoans, old, outdoors, past, picturesque, ruin, sightseeing, site, stone, summer, theater, tourism, touristic, traditional, travel, vacations

    Gortyna

    Iraklio Province

    Gortyna (also Gortyn or Gortys) has been inhabited since Neolithic times but reached its pinnacle after becoming the capital of Roman Crete from around 67…

  • Ruins of the ancient Minoan Palace of Phaistos (Festos) with the Messara mountains in the background. 354488120 aegean, age, ancient, archaeological, architecture, backdrop, background, blue, bronze, building, city, civilization, cretan, crete, culture, faistos, famous, festos, greece, greek, history, horizontal, island, landscape, legacy, mediterranean, messara, minoan, mountain, old, outdoors, palace, past, phaestos, phaistos, place, plain, plateau, remains, romantic, ruin, scenic, site, sky, stone, summer, temple, tourism, travel, tree, view, wall

    Phaestos

    Iraklio Province

    Phaestos was the second-most-important Minoan palace-city after Knossos and enjoys an awe-inspiring setting with panoramic views of the Messara Plain and…

  • Zakros Minoan Palast Site, Crete, Greece was the fourth largest on the island, but with a strategic important position on the west coast for the trade with Egypt and near east.

    Zakros Palace

    Lasithi Province

    Ancient Zakros, the smallest of Crete’s four Minoan palatial complexes, sat next to a harbour and was likely engaged in sea trade with the Middle East, as…

  • Aerial drone view of an old Venetian fortress island and former Leper colony (Spinalonga, Crete, Greece); Shutterstock ID 1809885124; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1809885124

    Spinalonga Island

    Elounda

    Tiny Spinalonga Island became a leper colony in 1903 and catapulted into pop-cultural consciousness thanks to Victoria Hislop's 2005 bestselling novel The…

  • The main church of Arkadi Monastery, symbol of the struggle of Cretans against the Ottoman Empire , Rethymno, Crete, Greece.; Shutterstock ID 586702175; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 586702175

    Moni Arkadiou

    Rethymno Province

    The 16th-century Arkadi Monastery, 23km southeast of Rethymno, has deep significance for Cretans. As the site where hundreds of cornered locals massacred…

  • Elafonissi beach with pink sand on Crete.

    Elafonisi

    Hania Province

    Tucked into Crete’s southwestern corner, this symphony of fine pink-white sand, turquoise water and gentle rose dunes looks like a magical dreamscape. As…

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

To help narrow down the island's many amazing experiences, we've pulled together 15 of our favorite things to do in Crete.

Read article

Things to Know

Before you travel to the glorious Greek island of Crete, read up on etiquette, destination practicalities, health concerns and more.

Read article

Transportation

Exploring the mountainous island of Crete is like navigating a small country. Here are our top tips for getting around Greece's largest island.

Read article

Money and Costs

Crete is a very popular destination but that doesn't mean there aren't ways to visit on a budget. Here are some top tips to stretch your euros even further.

Read article

Free Things to Do

Check out our top tips on free things to do in Crete. From beaches to historical landmarks, there are plenty of activities that won't break the bank.

Read article

Best Road Trips

These road trips in Crete will take you to mountains, beaches, monasteries, wineries, unspoiled villages and Venetian old towns.

Read article

Articles

Latest stories from Crete

Filter by interest:

Palm trees and turquoise water at Vai beach.

Beaches

In between beach days, explore Crete’s beautiful national parks

Jul 26, 2022 • 6 min read

Read more articles

Guidebooks

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Crete with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.

Go Beyond

Crete and beyond

Beyond Crete