Crete Island – What to Do and See

(TRAVPR.COM) GREECE - September 30th, 2020 - If you are planning a vacation to Greece, chances are Crete island is on your travel itinerary. Surrounded by thousands of miles of coastline, Crete island is Greece’s has stunning mountains and large stretches of beaches. 

There are tons of places to rent a car and go  visits and activities to explore. rounded up some of the best things you can do in Crete island to save you some time looking into it yourself. Lucky for us, Greece has handled the coronavirus well, and it consider to be a green state.

Here is Crete island – what to do and see.

What to Do in Create Island

The main attractions in Crete island include beaches, stunning water bodies, architectural sites and even sky-high mountains. Here are 17 of the best things to do once you are here. 

• Palace on Knossos

The Palace of Knossos is a must-visit on the island. The most important architectural site in all of Crete, it is located near Heraklion. It is a large and small stunning display of architecture that is simply breathtaking. 

Architectures are still not sure to this day why this historic place was abandoned. But experts say, it could have been earthquakes and deadly volcanos that caused the inhabitants to abandon the place in 1450 BC.

There are no such dangers now though. You can visit and take in all its glory without worrying about natural disasters.

• Spinalonga Island

If you have some extra time, you can hop on a boat and visit the beautiful Spinalonga island located on the north-east side of Crete. The island has quite a difficult past, having faced many invasions and raids from the Venetians and Arabs. 

Today, the island stands as a testament to how beautiful nature can be. It is peaceful and serene and an absolute must-visit.

• Try Traditional Greek Dishes 

Have you really traveled if you have not tried the local cuisine? Greece and Crete island has some extraordinary meals to offer for tourists. If you find yourself in Crete, make sure to try the mouth-watering foods. 

For cheese lovers, there are dishes such as Kalitsouna and an assortment of Creten cheeses to try. Then you have Dakos. A dish with chopped tomatoes, herbs and cheese.

If you are more of the adventurous type with your palette, you can try fried snails. An extremely popular food, these are prepared by frying snails (of course) with flour and olive oil and later doused in white wine to bring it all together. 

• Visit the Beaches of Crete 

As we a rule of thumb, when we travel to a destination that has beaches and more importantly is known for their beautiful beaches, it is a priority to visit. 

Visiting Crete’s stunning stretches of beach is a must-do if you’re in the island. Honestly, they are so stunning our Crete island – what to do and see guide would be incomplete without them. 

There are a couple of beaches on Crete island, not all pack the same punch though. Elafonissi is hands down Crete’s most famous beach. The beach is very close to Chania and is known for its unique white and pink sand. 

If you head towards the north coast from there, you can find a small and cozy town called Matala. This town also a very beautiful beach and lined with caves on one end. 

• The Cut Off Village of Loutro 

Get on a boat and visit the village of Loutro. The place is stunning and holds on to a lot of history of old Greece. The place even looks like how Greece looked way back.

• Visit the Mirabello Bay 

You can even visit Mirabello Bay. It is one of the largest bays in Europe. If you want you can even take a dip in the waters or go to the nearby town Agios Nikolas to grab something to eat along the way. 

The way to go to Mirambellow Bay is by road. You can take a drive around the whole region actually. So, if you want to stick around and see the place in a vehicle, you most definitely can. 

• The Fortress of Koules 

This stunning piece of architecture was built in the 16th century but is closed for entry. That should not discourage you from stopping by. You can see it if you find yourself in Heraklion. 

If you visited the Palace of Knossos, the Fortress of Koules should be on the list as well. 

• Heraklion 

Heraklion is the capital and is a great experience by itself. From here you can make your way to visit the Palace of Knossos and also the aforementioned Fortress of Koules. 

The streets are filled with places to eat and cool shops. All in all, when in Crete island, visiting Heraklion is an absolute must. That will not be too hard to do either. Heraklion has an international airport, and most probably you will be starting your trip from here, to begin with.

• Archaeological Museum in Heraklion

Heraklion does not seem to disappoint. It has a stunning archeology museum that has 27 different halls filled with Cretan history and around 550 years of historical artifacts. 

 For history lovers, this is a great way to appreciate what the place once was. Even if you are not into history much, the sheer beauty of the artifacts and the museum itself is stunning. 

• Sacred Monastery of Arkadi

You will find the sacred Monastery of Arkadi within the countryside of Crete island. You must see the Corinthian columns and take in all the glory. It is located just about 20 km from Rethymnon. 

Conclusion 

Crete island is filled with beauty. Both things to visit, do and also delicious cruising you can taste. A trip to the Crete islands is sure to be a trip to remember for a long time to come. When asking Crete island – what to do, you cannot go wrong with what we mentioned above. 

References 

1. https://justglobetrotting.com/10-foods-you-must-try-in-crete-greece/
2. https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/crete-gr-cre-crete.htm
3. https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2018/01/17/14-amazing-things-crete-greece/

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