Crete is Greece’s largest island and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean spanning 260 km from east to west. It broaches the Cretan Sea to the north and the Libyan sea to the south, and is at a distance of 160 km south of the Greek mainland. Mountains, olive and citrus groves, spectacular beaches, fabled ancient sites, a rich history and the Cretans’ fierce love for their traditions make Crete a superb travel destination.
Four mountain ranges divide the island into four provinces, Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi. Conquered by the Saracens in the 9th century, Crete (or Candia as it was then known) was passed to the Venetians in the 13th century and then came under Ottoman rule in the 17th. It became part of Greece in 1913. Glorious remnants of Crete’s Venetian heritage grace all of Crete’s four provinces.
Travel highlights of this diverse island include the archaeological sites of the Minoan civilisation in Knossos and Phaistos, near Heraklion; the Venetian and Ottoman quarters of Chania and Rethymnon; the Gorge of Samaria, Europe’s longest canyon, home to the Cretan Ibex or Kri-Kri, only found in Crete; Elafonisi, a spectacular lagoon off the coast of Chania; Frangokastello, a legendary haunted fortress, near Sfakia.
Crete is a diverse island where mountains and villages are succeeded by towns and beaches and where tourist hotspots give their place to secluded beaches and hidden landscapes.
