Crete is the most populous and largest island in Greece. It is the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the 88th largest globally.
The large island rests approximately 99mi from the South of the Greek mainland. It bounds the Southern border of the Aegean Sea, with the North Cretan Sea and the South Cretan Sea.
This beautiful island is one of the most popular holiday locations in Greece. The island’s tourism infrastructure caters to its guests in all ways. There’s a wide range of accommodations ranging from luxury hotels to small family rental apartments.
Popular attraction centres include the Venetian Old City, the archaeological centres of Minoan Civilisation, the gorge of Samaria, and the Venetian Castle at Rethymno. There’s also the classical site of Gortys, the Minoan sites of Malia and Knossos, and the Heraklion archaeological museum.
The Island also has a good bus transport system to ease your journeys. There are bus stops and extensive bus systems across the north and from the north to the southern part of the island.
If you’ve decided to spend your next sunny vacation in Crete, here are 5 must-visit places you ought to go to!
Go on a Ferry Ride
A ferry ride is one thing you shouldn’t miss when you go to Crete. Boat trips and sailing are great ways to move around from one island location to another.
A ferry ride is a way to visit more than one island during your Crete vacation. As you can see at Let’s Ferry on this link, Crete is connected to several other islands from Rethymnon, so you can choose according to your preference.
Crete is a quiet and isolated destination with amazing water views to de-stress your mind and body as you ride on your ferry.
You can reach the Santorini or Cycladic Island on a boat tour or a regular boat. There are also ferries departing from Heraklion to the Ios, Naxos, and Mykonos.
A popular ferry trip in Crete is the day trip to Balos Lagoon; this trip will comfortably take you to the magical Balos Beach, where your ferry will stop for an hour to explore.
Visit Vai Beach
The Palm Beach of Vai is considered the most beautiful beach in Crete. Also known as the Finikodasos beach, it is one of the most picturesque beaches in the world.
The greatest highlight of the beach is the large palm forest in Europe which houses 6000 natural palm trees. It makes the beach astonishing and charming and adds to its shade-offering area.
The beach is located in the Northern part of the eastern coast, far away from human settlement. This adds to its charming and quaint atmosphere.
Once your plane lands at the Heraklion Airport, rent a car and drive to the palm beach. You’ll start to experience its amazing sites before you reach the beach. You can choose to rent an apartment in the nearby villages and visit the Vai beach for fresh air and beautiful waters every day.
Check Out the Pink Sand on Elafonisi Beach
The Elafonisi Beach sand is pinkish due to the thousands of broken seashells. The pink sand, together with the clear green-blue waters of the beach, gives it a heavenly impression.
The beach is one of the most loved by families as you’ll find umbrellas, sunbeds, lifeguards, canteens with seats in the shade, and changing rooms.
You’ll enjoy the shallow waters and swim confidently as the sea isn’t that deep. The deepest point is around the middle, where the sea reaches an adult’s waist. You can easily cross the lagoon to reach Elafonisi.
Visit the Castles
You can’t go to Crete without visiting the historical castles! Visiting them will give you an idea of how the great city was fortified and its walls reserved.
Explore the Casarma-Castle-Lasithi, the Ierapetra castle Lasithi, the Viola Tower Lasithid, and the Venetian walls Chania.
There are many impressive castles in Heraklion, Rethymno, and Chania; make sure you visit as many as possible!
Go to Heraklion Archeological Museum
The Heraklion Archeological Museum is one of the oldest and most famous museums in Greece and the whole of Europe.
It is the best in the Minoan arts as it contains the complete collection of artefacts of the Minoan civilization.
You can visit the museum on Monday and Wednesday – Sundays from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Don’t forget to carry your camera along for some nice shots.
Takeaway
From the colourful old towns to amazing archaeological centres to coastal towns, Cretes proves it’s a city worth visiting if you’re looking for a memorable vacation.
