I’ve been lucky enough to visit several Greek Islands and Crete has remained a firm favourite.
Here, you can get Greek culture combined with the benefits of an activity holiday, and beaches. There are genuinely loads of day-trips you can take on Crete – from wherever you’re staying – to experience old palaces, mythical caves and more.
Top Cretan Activities
- Knossos Palace
This is an ancient Greek palace preserved beautifully. You can wander round the ruins, look at the huge pots that have been excavated and a personal favourite – look at the mosaic of the minatour. The image at the top is one of the rooms at Knossos, beautifully preserved. - Spinalonga
Spinalonga is an island that lepers used to be isolated on. All of the housing and town on Spinalonga is beautifully preserved and you can get boats from Crete to the island. It’s a very short boat ride – you can see the island from where I was staying in Elounda. - Zeus’ Cave
This is the cave that Zeus (King of the Greek Gods) was rumoured to be born in. You can often take a day-trip that included both Knossos and Zeus’ cave. - Samarian Gorge
Full disclosure – I’ve never managed to do the Samarian Gorge however it is on my list of places to go. It’s definitely for the more adventurous of travellers, and requires a lot of hiking skills. And a willingness to get up very early in the morning to travel there.
Easily Accessible
Heraklion airport is one of the largest airports in Greece. There are loads of flights to Heraklion, and it’s not a small island like Samos where you can only fly to it from London. As Crete is such a big island, there are so many villages and towns meaning there is a lot more choice of exactly where you want to stay – whether it’s by beaches or in more of a lively resort.
If you aren’t sure about it, or want to discover some other Greek islands before you make your choice, check out my post on Greek Islands – Which One Is Waiting For You? . This will give you a brief overview of some of my favourite islands, including Samos and Skiathos. Good luck with your Greek Island hunting!
If you’re a foodie and heading to Greece, check out my Food Checklist for Greece to make sure you don’t miss any of the tastiest treats that Greece has to offer.