The Island Of Crete In Greece, One Of The Largest In The Mediterranean

The island of Crete, in Greece, is one of the great jewels that keeps the treasure that is the Mediterranean. In addition, it is one of the largest islands that populate this sea. It is only outnumbered by Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica. Today we do a little review of one of the most beautiful and interesting islands of Mare Nostrum .

How to get to the island of Crete

The first thing we will stop at is how to get to Crete. The island has three airports : Heraklion International Airport, Chania International Airport and the small Sitia airport, which only receives domestic flights.

At the moment, to get to Crete from Spain there are direct flights to Heraklion, both from Madrid (Iberia) and from Barcelona (Vueling). But it must be taken into account that these only operate in the summer season.

The best way to get to the island is to take a plane to the Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens. The frequency and price of flights is usually much more interesting. From the Greek capital, the airline Aegean Airlines offers different flights to any of the three Cretan airports.

But you might prefer to go to the island of Crete by ferry or ferry. In this case, ferries depart every night from Piraeus, the Athenian port, to the most important cities of Crete, such as Chania, Rethimnon and Heraklion.

The trip lasts about 9 hours, although there are also high-speed ferries that cover the distance between the capital and the island in about 6 hours. There are many companies that carry out this route, so it will not be very difficult to find a free place.

Things to do in Crete

Once we have addressed the question of transportation to Crete, we must stop at the plans that the island offers us. We must be clear, first, that it is impossible to see everything in a short trip, so if it is our case, we must choose what to see and what to discard.

On the island we can highlight the most important archaeological remains of Greece, as well as its incredible geography and nature. Next, we take a short tour of some of the things that we cannot miss on the island of Crete.

Cities

• Agios Nikolaos : it is one of the most important cities on the island. There we can enjoy restaurants, bars and pubs with a different atmosphere.
• Heraklion: it is the capital of the island and, therefore, it is the one that offers the most things. From museums to churches passing through a multitude of important monuments. We cannot miss the Archaeological Museum, where some of the most significant remains of Knossos are found, which we will talk about later.
• Chania : another of the most important cities on the island. It is the perfect place to get lost in its streets and be enchanted by the Ottoman, Minoan and Venetian mix.

• Rethymo : it is a wonderful city, with impressive Venetian fortresses. It offers a multitude of different plans and things to do, from visits to museums or monuments, through its nightlife, and without forgetting its beautiful beach.

Monasteries, churches and palaces

• Moni Arkadiou: it is the best known monastery in Crete, this being a Venetian church that forms the symbol of Cretan independence.
• Knossos : one of the biggest tourist attractions in Crete. And it is not for less, since it is a wonderful Minoan palace with more than 3,500 years old.
• The Byzantine frescoes of Crete : in any of our visits to the different monasteries and churches of the islands, we will find the frescoes of Byzantine origin. We cannot miss the image of Saint George in the church of Agios Georgios.

• Gortina Archaeological Site : This is one of the largest archaeological sites in the country, with its gigantic Agios Titos basilica, in the middle of the largest Greco-Roman city on Crete.

Beaches and nature

• Paleochora: it is the largest resort on the island. It is located to the southeast and has some of the best beaches on the island of Crete and a very relaxed atmosphere.
• Samaria Gorge : it is the longest in Europe and the only one on the island that can be completely covered.
• Elafonisi Beach : one of the most beautiful on the island due to its turquoise water and pink sand due to the presence of coral.