What to visit while being on Crete, find hotels of different categories.
Crete is simply too big and too multi-dimensional to breeze in and out for a couple days. Unless you have at least a week to spend on Crete.
The southern coast is the ideal place for the tourist who is in search of an isolated beach. Unfortunately as each year passes and their whereabouts become known, such beaches become a little more difficult to find. Naturism is a common practice on many isolated beaches. The south is also a good place if you want to train yourself in driving in narrow and very winding roads.
Away from the coastal regions, the interior is a far less well-known part of Crete. This is the mountainous area of Crete; the roads may be really bad, the road signs are of little help and it's hard to find an English speaking person. Here is the place to search for small villages without the familiar "Rent a Room" or "Restaurant" signs. It is the place to meet the real Cretans: proud and friendly people, with a great sense of humor, ready to help you in any way they can and offer you a glass of "raki" (the locally produced colorless drink). When you meet them in the road just smile and say "kalimera=good morning", "kalispera=good evening" or "yasas=hello". If you ask for some information and want to thank them, then "efharisto= thank you" is the right Greek word.
Heraklion, the capital of the island with its world class Archaelogical Museum and the Palace of Knossos dating back to 1500BC, the town of Rethymno with its Venetian Fortress and the old Turkish quarter with mosques and minarets, the town of Chania, a typical Venetian town with a small secluded harbour with picturesque houses and cafes and last but not least, the port of Aghios Nikolaos and the village of Elounda around the Bay of Mirabello are all visiting points. Trekking through the Samaria Gorge, mountain biking on the Lassithi Plateau with its countless windmills, listening to traditional Cretan music played by the lyra during one of the Cretan nights and shopping for handicrafts and local wines can be a part of interesting activities. Heraklions Archeological Museum - a fine display of major finds from around the island.
Knossos - is the most popular archaeological site on Crete orignally built in 1900BC. Knosos is the largest of Crete's Minoan Palaces.
Visit the other Minoan Palaces of Phiatos, Malia, Gournia and Zakros.
Lychnostatis Museum - This open-air museum located near Ayios Nicolaos exhibits Cretan Houses and a windmill. It also has ceramic and weaving workshops.
Visit many of the Fortresses around Crete Island.
Sit back, relax and soak in the sun on one of Crete's sandy beaches or swim in the warm Mediterranean Sea, or just sit on a sun bed around the luxury hotel's pool.
Explore the Simaria Gorge - between the White Mountains the 16 km Simara Gorge is the largest in Europe. To hike down the entire Gorge it would take approximately 6 hours. The Gorge offers natural beauty with its rock formations, wild flowers as well as wild life such as wild goats, vultures and golden eagles. The Gorge takes its name from the Church of Saint Maria of Egypt built in 1379. Cretans used this gorge to hide away in its caves during the ottoman occupation.
Visit the Beach Caves of Matala - Matala has some good beaches, however Turtles spawn here at certain times of the year.
The ancient Minoan cities of Knossos and Phaistos, close to Heraklion are the archaeological highlights of a travel to Crete. The Venetian castles in Chania and Rethymno, the historic Arcadi Monastery, the Lagoon of the Mermaids, the famous Samaria Gorge, the Knossos Museum, Chrissi Island, Gortys; famous for its law roman amphitheater and the Minoan Palace of Phaestos , magnificently situated the Messara plain are places very interesting to visit. You can find good hotels in all the tourist areas in Crete, from luxury to 2 stars.