The 8 best places to visit in Crete
Crete packs a lot of incredible attractions onto one island. Here are eight of our favorite places to visit when you visit Greece's largest island.
Crete may be an island but it packs a whole country's worth of unmissable sites into its lovely shores. From the ornate architecture and culture of Hania to the deeply symbolic monastery at Moni Preveli, there is so much to see on Greece's largest island that many visitors come back again and again.
Alongside the 4000-year-old wonders of the Palace of Knossos – one of the world's top ancient sites – allow plenty of time for the island's gorgeous beaches, then indulge yourself with a vineyard tour paired with delicious local cuisine when you're ready to tear yourself away from the coast.
Basking under intense blue skies, Crete calls out to be explored at any time of year. Ferries and buses connect the towns, resorts and beaches along the coast, but a hire car is the easiest way to explore the mountainous interior.
Whether you're lured here by the history, the beach scene or the wine, food and culture inland, Crete has somewhere that will hit the spot – to help you plan your itinerary, here are eight of our favorite places to visit in Crete.
1. Hania (Chania)
Best city for dining and walking
Crete's second-largest city has many excellent places to eat, lining the labyrinth of ancient stone lanes that make up its 17th-century Venetian quarter. Some of the finest food in all of Greece can be found in Crete, thanks to the bountiful produce sourced from the island's farms and the ingenuity of local cooks.
For variety and quality of food, Hania (Chania) is undisputably the island's culinary capital. While you stroll, stop in at pavement cafes to snack on boureki – a rich, layered cheese pie – and marvel at the myriad ways Cretans use locally produced olive oil, which is some of the best in the Mediterranean.
Start the foodie journey at unpretentious local tavernas such as Pinaleon Fine Kitchen and Kouzina epe and garden restaurants such as Astrea Garden and Kritamon Wine Restaurant.
Detour: Before and after a meal, stroll down to the Venetian Harbour, which is studded with pastel-colored buildings and fortifications built across seven centuries. Follow the breakwater walk out from shore for stunning views of the city's magnificent waterfront.
2. Crete's southwest beaches
Best for sand, sea and sunshine
The journey to Crete's best beaches starts with a twisting drive through the mountains and down to the charming little port town of Hora Sfakion. As you loop around bend after bend, panoramic views across the Libyan Sea show off the rocky Cretan coast in all its filigreed glory.
Stretching off to the horizon are coves enclosing perfect little beaches, often backed by tiny villages fronted by waterfront tavernas. Make a beeline for Loutro, Agia Roumeli, Paleohora and the crowning glory that is Elafonisi, renowned for its pinkish-white sands and the dune-blanketed islet just offshore.
Planning tip: You can reach most of these strands by car, but it's better to grab a ride on one of the coastal ferries that operate from May to September, making it easy to beach-hop from one strip of sand to the next.
3. The Palace of Knossos
Best for reliving Minoan history
Just south of Iraklio (Heraklion) in eastern Crete, the Palace of Knossos is Crete's most unmissable attraction. Once a mighty Minoan palace, Knossos had its heyday in the second millennium BCE, and archaeologists have uncovered links to the legend of King Minos and the Minotaur. Today, visitors can view a sprawling collection of marketplaces, grand chambers, inspiring frescoes, hidden passages, rows of sturdy columns and more.
You can easily spend several hours exploring the site, but it can get crowded during the busy summer months. Look for a quiet corner to escape the crowds and contemplate life 4000 years ago. Signage is sparse, so engage the services of a guide at the site shop or join a tour for vital context that will bring the site to life.
Planning tip: Avoid the touristy restaurants in the area and have lunch in the beautiful wine country to the south. Arhanes is a good spot for lunch, with numerous wineries in surrounding villages.
4. Bali's Beaches
Best for family beach days
No, you don't have to go all the way to Indonesia for a Bali beach experience; just come to this azure bay on Crete's north coast. In Crete, the name Bali is derived from a Turkish word for honey, which was once harvested around this village, but those days are long gone, and modern visitors come to harvest fabulous holiday memories.
A string of beaches with distinct personalities dot the coves lining the shoreline around Bali village. Livadi is perfect for families with teenagers who revel in the party vibe at the cafes and clubs along the water. Couples looking for romantic evenings out enjoy Varkotopo, with its elegant bars oriented towards the sunset views.
Families with toddlers in tow are drawn to Karavostasi, the quietest beach; it's well-suited for smaller kids, who can build castles on sand lapped by gentle waves. 
5. Samaria Gorge
Best for fans of hiking and natural beauty
The Samaria Gorge is one of Europe's top geological wonders. Sheer rock walls tower 150m (492ft) above a rocky riverbed, standing less than 3m (10ft) apart in the most dramatic stretches of the gorge. In other areas, the Samaria Gorge up into a wide green valley framed by soaring hills, tracing the path of a year-round river.
The best way to see it is by hiking its 16km (10-mile) length, starting from the village of Omalos at an elevation of 1230m (4035ft), and ending at the coastal village of Agia Roumeli, which has an appealing beach and ferry connections to Loutro and other beach hubs along the coast.
Only open from May to October, the hiking trail gets busy at the height of summer, but temperatures are better for hiking in late spring and early fall. Sights include old churches and seasonal wildflowers; if you're lucky, you might also spot a kri-kri, a species of mountain goat native to Crete.
Planning tip: If you're not up for the full hike, you can get a sense of the gorge on short walks in and out from the start and endpoints.
6. Moni Arkadiou
Best for a deep dive into Cretan history
In 1866, scores of local men, women and children fled their villages and sought refuge in this 16th-century hilltop monastery when Ottoman troops violently tried to put down island-wide revolts. Completely surrounded, the villagers chose to blow themselves up with a cache of explosives rather than surrender, killing more than 2000 Turkish troops in the process.
Today the site is a potent symbol of the Cretan spirit and the Greek quest for independence, with displays, statues and memorials recalling the tragic events of the siege. The monastery's 16th-century Venetian church survived and it's a lovely spectacle, with a glittering interior full of sacred icons. Don't miss the old wine cellar where the gunpowder used by the villagers was stored.
Detour: While you're in the area, it's worth paying a visit to the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna and its surrounding Minoan tombs – an easy add-on to a day trip to Moni Arkadiou from Rethymno.
7. Iraklio Wine Country
Best for thirsty couples
Crete's wine is popular far beyond the island, and 70% of it comes from the lush valleys and plains south of Iraklio and the Palace of Knossos. Quiet back roads meander over and around gentle hills lined with grape vines producing varietals such as Kotsifali, Mandilari and Malvasia. It seems like there's another vineyard, tasting room or taverna around every curve.
You can join organized wine tours of the region or just go exploring under your own steam (easiest by hire car), letting your whims, moods and tastes guide you. More than two dozen wineries can be found here – notable stops include the hugely popular Boutari and Minos-Miliarakis, which sits right in the middle of the lovely village of Peza.
Planning tip: If you're inclined to take a wine tour (and let someone else do the driving while you sample the local wines), Made in Crete is a popular operator.
8. Moni Preveli
Best for mixing beaches and history
One of Crete's most beautiful and historic monasteries is perched on a bluff high above one of the island's best beaches – what more could you ask for on a Mediterranean day out? The star attraction at Moni Preveli is its ornate chapel, which features artworks dating back to the 13th century.
Memorials at the site recall the 1866 resistance to the Ottoman Empire and the role the monastery played in sheltering Allied troops escaping from the Nazis in WWII. Far below the complex, Preveli Beach is shaded by palm trees and has river-fed freshwater pools; crystal-clear turquoise seawater laps the sand, and the beach's low-key seaside tavernas are ideal stops for lunch.
Planning tip: Moni Preveli is an easy place to break the journey between Rethymno and Plakias, traveling either by hire car or local bus.
