All guides
131 in-depth guides covering every aspect of a Crete trip.
A One-Day Loop Around the Lasithi Plateau
A Walk Through Chania's Old Town
A Walking Guide to Heraklion's Old Town
Agia Irini Gorge: A Quiet Alternative Near Sougia
Agios Nikolaos and Lake Voulismeni: A Walking Base for Spinalonga
Airport Transfers in Crete
Antikristo and Sfakian Lamb: The Food of Chora Sfakion
Arkadi Monastery: Crete's National Symbol of 1866
Balos Lagoon: Boat or Dirt Road?
Balos vs Elafonissi: Choosing Crete's West Coast Beach
Best Time to Visit Crete: Why July and August Aren't the Whole Story
Can You See Crete by KTEL Bus Alone?
Chania Airport (CHQ): Not Kastelli, Not Heraklion
Chania Market and Food Streets: Reading the Old Town's Food Scene
Chania vs Rethymno vs Heraklion
Chania Wine Tasting: What the West of Crete Actually Offers
Chania's Venetian Harbour and Lighthouse
Chrissi Island Day Trip: The Reality Behind the Postcard
Climbing and Canyoning in Crete
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Crete
Cooking Classes in Crete
Cretan Cheese Around Anogia and Mount Psiloritis
Cretan Music: Lyra and Mantinades Around Anogia
Cretan Resistance and the War Cemeteries of Chania
Cretan Villages and Festivals: What Traditional Life Looks Like
Cretan Wine Grapes: What Is Actually in the Glass
Crete for Couples: Where to Go Without the Crowds
Crete for First-Timers: Getting Your Bearings
Crete in July and the Meltemi Wind
Crete in June: Weather, Crowds and What to Expect
Crete in May: Weather, Crowds and What to Expect
Crete in October: Is the Season Still On?
Crete in September: Warm Sea, Thinner Crowds
Crete in Winter: Is It Worth Visiting Between November and March?
Crete on a Budget: What Actually Costs Money
Crete vs Rhodes: What the Numbers Actually Say
Crete vs Santorini: What to Actually Compare
Crete Weather Month by Month
Crete with Kids: What Actually Reassures Parents
Cycling and E-Bike Routes in Crete
Dakos and the Cretan Mezze Table
Dia Island Boat Trips: Kri-Kri, Not Dolphins
Diving in Crete: Where, When and What the Water Is Really Like
Driving in Crete: Do You Really Need a Rental Car?
East Crete vs West Crete: Which Side Should You Choose?
El Greco and Fodele: The Painter's Cretan Roots
Elafonissi Beach: The Truth About the Pink Sand
Falassarna Sunset Beach: Is It Really Crete's Best?
Ferries from Piraeus to Crete: How Long Is the Night Crossing?
Fishing Trips from Kalyves and Almyrida
Flying into Crete: Heraklion, Chania, Sitia — and Not Kastelli
Getting to Crete: Flights and Ferries
Glyka Nera and the Sfakia Beaches
Gouves and Hersonissos for Families
Heraklion Archaeological Museum: The Originals Knossos Doesn't Have
Hersonissos vs Malia vs Stalida: How the North Coast Resorts Compare
Honey and Herbs of Crete: A Guide to the Island's Mountain Flavours
Horse Riding in Crete: Georgioupoli and Apokoronas
How Many Days Do You Need in Crete?
Ierapetra and the Libyan Sea Coast
Imbros Gorge: The Practical Guide to Crete's Other Canyon
Imeri Gramvousa: A Venetian Fortress on a Desert Islet
Is Crete Accessible for Wheelchair Users and Reduced Mobility?
Kazantzakis and Zorba in Heraklion
Kissamos: Crete's Gateway to Balos and Gramvousa
Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Knossos Palace: The Complete Visitor's Guide
Koules Fortress and the Venetian Walls of Heraklion
Kourtaliotiko Gorge: A Morning Walk Above Preveli
Lake Kournas and the Argyroupoli Springs
Loutro: The Village With No Road to It
Malia Palace: Is It Worth Visiting Besides Knossos?
Margarites Pottery and Cretan Crafts
Matala: Caves, Red Beach and the Messara Coast
Melidoni Cave: What to Know Before You Go Down
Nightlife in Crete
North Coast vs South Coast Crete: Which Side Should You Base On?
Olive Oil Mills and Tastings in Crete
Pachnes and the White Mountains
Peza and Archanes: A Day With Crete's Own Wine Grapes
Phaistos and Gortyna: The Messara's Two Ruins
Photography Spots in Crete: Light, Landscape and Limits
Preveli Monastery and Palm Beach
Private Tours and Drivers in Crete
Psiloritis Summit Hike: How Long It Really Takes
Quad and Buggy Tours Around Gouves and Hersonissos
Raki and Tsikoudia in Crete
Rental Car or Organised Tour in Crete?
Renting a Car in Crete: Is It Really Necessary?
Rethymno Old Town: A Walk Through Two Empires
Rethymno's Fortezza: A Fortress Built for Siege
Richtis Gorge and Its Waterfall: Crete's Quiet Far-East Hike
Safety and Health in Crete
Sailing a Catamaran from Chania: A Day by Season
Samaria Gorge from Chania: The Complete One-Way Hike
Santorini Day Trip from Crete: Is It Worth It?
Sarakina Gorge in a Day: Is It Worth the Detour?
Scenic Flights and Paragliding Over Crete
Sea Kayaking to Spinalonga: Is It Better Than the Boat?
Seitan Limania and the Akrotiri Coves: How to Reach Them
Sfendoni Cave and Zoniana: Is It Worth the Detour?
Shore Excursions from a Cruise Ship in Heraklion
Sitia Wine and Olive Oil Country
Sitia: Crete's Quiet Eastern Gateway
Snorkelling Spots in Crete: Is the Sea Warm Enough?
Spas and Wellness in Crete: Elounda, the Sea and Spinalonga
Spinalonga: The Fortress That Was Never a Film Set
Spinalonga: Which Boat Should You Take?
Sunbeds and Your Rights on Cretan Beaches
Sunset Cruises in Crete
The 'Easy Samaria' Walk from Agia Roumeli, Explained
The Battle of Crete, 1941: Memory Near Maleme and Platanias
The Dikteon Cave and the Lasithi Plateau, Before You Descend
The E4 Trail Across Crete: What a Realistic Traverse Looks Like
The Minoans in One Hour
The Monasteries of Akrotiri
The Samaria Gorge: A Complete Guide
The Therisso Gorge Drive
Tipping, Money and Prices in Crete
Toplou Monastery and Vai in One Day
Vai Palm Beach: Europe's Largest Natural Palm Forest
Venetian Crete, 1204-1669: Why Rethymno Still Looks Venetian
Visiting Crete in August
Watersports on the North Coast: Hersonissos and Gouves
What a Jeep Safari in Crete Really Covers
What to Eat and Drink in Crete
What to Pack for Crete
Where to Stay in Crete: Why One Base Is Never Enough
Wildflowers and Herbs Around Spili and the Psiloritis Foothills
Wildlife in Crete: Kri-Kri, Snakes and Vultures
Zakros and the Minoan East
Good to know about guides to Crete
The guides hub is a library of essential-reading articles built around the questions that trip up first-time visitors. A Samaria gorge guide covers the one-way 16 km descent from Omalos to Agia Roumeli, the Iron Gates narrowing to 3-4 m, and why leaving is only possible by boat. A Knossos guide is blunter still: the frescoes on site are replicas, with the originals held 5 km away in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, so it is never presented as if the palace itself holds them. An Around the Island guide compares seeing Crete by rental car, by KTEL coach along the north coast, or on foot from trailheads like the Xyloskalo and the Imbros gorge.
A Chania Old Town guide covers the pedestrian streets around the Venetian harbour, the lighthouse marking the entrance, and the town's role as the island's second city. A raki guide explains the grape-marc spirit distilled after the harvest and usually offered free at the end of a meal, so it is never presented as anisette or as ouzo. A currency and budgeting guide is direct about Greece using the euro (€) and displayed prices already including VAT at the standard 24% rate. A weather guide corrects the common assumption that Crete's long dry summer means the sea crossings always run, rather than a meltemi wind that can cancel the boats to Balos and Chrissi within the same week.
Frequently asked questions about guides to Crete
Is there a safety guide for hiking the Samaria gorge in Crete?
Yes — it covers the three chained sections, the 10-12 km, 6-8 hour route and the fact that fatal falls have occurred there.
Does a guide explain raki and how it's made?
Yes, along with the fact that the plateau and trail themselves are free and only the trailhead parking is paid.
Is there a guide to why Gortyna, not Knossos, was Crete's Roman capital?
Yes — it covers how Gortyna, not Knossos, held the title of Roman capital of Crete, while Knossos remained the Minoan palace centre.
Do the guides explain the currency situation?
Yes — Greece is in the EU and the eurozone, uses the euro (€), and displayed prices already include VAT at the standard 24% rate, with no reduced rate on Crete.
Is there a guide correcting misconceptions about Crete's climate?
Yes — Crete's south coast on the Libyan Sea often stays calm and warm when the meltemi wind is battering the north coast, not the uniformly rough conditions some visitors expect.
Day Trips in Crete on GetYourGuide
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